The estimated annual revenue from drug trafficking in the United States exceeds $3 billion, just below the Fortune 500 figures iii. Bribes at every level of the chain of command in government/military and law enforcement1. Estimated $1 Billion Per Year in Bribes Transition: Now that we know something about the organization, let's talk about the man who leads it, Joaquin Guzman.b. Over the past 3 decades, he has become one of the most powerful men in the world. Known as “El Chapo” because he is short (only about 5'6”) ii. Joaquin Guzman was a cartel lieutenant when he came to power and assumed full control in the 1990s after the arrest of the previous leader iii. Since taking over, he has smuggled more drugs and made more money than even Pablo Escobar (Forbes, 2012)1. According to Forbes the most powerful people in the world from 2009 to 20112. 2nd richest man in Mexico behind Carlos Slim iv. Under his command, the first underground tunnels used for drug trafficking across the Mexican border into the United States were built. In 2012, the US Treasury Department named him the most powerful drug trafficking criminal in the world Translation: Now that you have a better idea of ​​how powerful Guzman and his criminal enterprise are, it will be easier to believe how he escaped from the maximum security prison