El Chapo, Mexican Drug Lord, Makes Forbes' Billionaire List

MEXICO CITY — Who says crime doesn't pay? A suspected drug lord who is Mexico's most-wanted fugitive made the Forbes list of billionaires on Wednesday with a fortune described as "self made."

The magazine estimates Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's worth at $1 billion _ No. 701 on the list, right between a Swiss oil-trading tycoon and a U.S. chemical heir. Dozens of other people were also tied for the spot.

It is unclear what Guzman thinks of the distinction. Forbes senior editor Luisa Kroll notes that "unfortunately ... Guzman could not be reached for comment."

Often described as Mexico's most powerful cartel kingpin, Guzman has been on the run with a $5 million reward on his head since 2001, when he escaped from prison apparently hidden in a laundry truck.

At the time, he was serving more than 20 years for criminal association and bribery. Mexican officials say he leads the Sinaloa drug gang, though Guzman has never been convicted on drug trafficking charges.

The government had no immediate comment on the listing, which includes an old photo of Guzman taken under police custody while wearing rumpled prison clothes unbefitting the world's alleged 701st-richest person.

Guzman, 54, is not the first drug trafficker to make the list; Forbes says Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar was once included, before dying in a shootout with the South American nation's security forces in 1993.

"El Chapo," whose nickname refers to his short, stocky build, has been enjoying a bit of notoriety lately. Telemundo, the No. 2 Spanish-language television network in the United States, announced last year that it is working on a new docudrama based on Guzman's life.

Forbes cited estimates that Guzman and his operation likely grossed 20 percent of the $18 billion to $39 billion in drug revenues that Mexican and Colombian traffickers laundered last year _ "enough for him to have pocketed $1 billion over his career and earn a spot on the billionaires list for the first time."

That figure, Kroll said, "is a conservative estimate based on the information we have."

Comments

[Kassandra]

Destabilizing Mexico
Analysis:

Who benefits from the destabilization of Mexico ?

KNX News radio station a subsidiary of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) reported this week that most of the guns that land in the hands of the drug cartel allegedly came from the black market in the United States . Ironically, most of the drugs that enter the United States from Mexico , have been funneled to the Mexican drug lords through rendition flights from Columbia (cocaine) and Afghanistan (opium) to Mexico , then, rerouted to the US through the Mexican drug lords. Per example, On September 24, 2007, a Florida based Gulfstream II jet aircraft, number N987SA, crashed in the Yucatan . As it turns out, not only was the plane used on at least three CIA rendition flights from Europe and the United States to the Guantánamo torture chamber, but it was loaded with tons of cocaine when it went down. El Nuevo Herald reported that the CIA plane was loaded up with 3.3 tons of coke in Medellín, Colombia, and was used to ferry “hundreds of delinquents,” including alleged members of the Taliban, to Cuba for water boarding and other specialties. [10]. (You can also see video of crash on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oszATUJ4IRE)

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12707

[rjmiller]

Legalize drugs, problem solved. It worked to solve the organized crime problems involved with alcohol prohibition, it will work again.

[jalowe1957]

Makes you long for those "Dubious Achievement Awards" given annually by Esquire magazine, doesn't it?

[harriettubman]

Now no one needs to wonder why crime is out of control in Mexico, cops and officials being killed and they're bringing that mess to the U.S. over and under the borders.

With dough like that no wonder Mexico is begging for our military to come in and help. Someone had a blind eye for years now they want our help. Nope, do it on your own. The U.S. needs to protect its borders and soon.

[papapj]

The solution Is not a military one. Fighting fire with gasoline will only lead to the creation of a militarised border and escalation possibly resulting in the mayhem apparent in Colombia. This alone will not quench the demand for drugs that drives this trade and will serve only as a band aid to appease the right wingnuts who are always up for a fight from the distance and comfort of their armchairs.

The solution is obvious, and the trial balloon is now being floated in Califirnia with their proposed decriminalisation and taxation of ganja. The only parties against this are the prohibitionists, the various drug enforcement agencies with their bloated budgets and the drug runners, all of whom will be out of the game totally if legalization takes hold.

[mikesw]

"With dough like that no wonder Mexico is begging for our military to come in and help. Someone had a blind eye for years now they want our help. Nope, do it on your own."

What planet do you live on?

IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM is Mexico "begging for our military to come in and help". That is total nonsense.

If you want to look at those turning a blind eye, you might want also look in the US, which has been unable to account for millions (if not billions) of drug-money in US banks, which has been whole unable to stop the US gun traffickers and armorers of the carteles, and which has been totally unable to control the drug consumption of its citizens.

And I haven't even gotten to the part about the blond-haired, blue-eyed Texan gunman and cop-killer for El Chapo's Sinaloa cartel...

[alanearth]

He banks at B of A with ken lewis.

[mapleaforever]

Good thing republicans like to suppress anything that makes them feel less safe. Welcome to the fold Gringo.

That Columbian marching powder sure is profitable.

[who farted]

It's Colombian.

Although the majority of the stuff that gets our way is Bolivian grown.

[PoliticalRockChick]

Smart guy. He did it the old fashion way instead of the ponzi way.

[PoliticalRockChick]

Forbes should rename their billionaire list to billionaire criminal list. Majority on that list are criminals. They lie, cheat and steal.

[LindaWarnke]

Yeah, let's keep drugs illegal, so we can create more billionaires. Good plan.

[KCFreedom]

As the old saying goes "Behind every great fortune lies a great crime". El Chapo is no exception.

[stevebest]

i think the prohibition that made this possible is the "great crime"

[SangZe]

Thanks to the "War on Drugs." lol

[jeffp26]

One of the wisest people I ever knew told me the difference between the good guys and the bad guys was that you know the bad guys are bad.

[KCFreedom]

I went to Forbes and checked out the list.

Not a single Rockeyfeller on the list? (at least up to 200). Not even the patriarch, David?

What a joke. Forbes is covering for them.

[KCFreedom]

I found David at #305. I still don't believe it; he's got to be richer than that.

I did not find a single Rothchild up to 600.

[hortonhearsawho2]

El Chapo Bell, dealing outside the box .

[hortonhearsawho2]

Obviously did not do business with El Bernie...