Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman: Powerful fugitive

Drug Lord On World's Most Powerful Men List

10:23am UK, Thursday November 12, 2009

Andy Jack, Sky News Online
A Mexican drug lord reputed to be hiding in mountains has been named the world's 41st most powerful man - ahead of French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev.



Forbes Magazine includes Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in its list of the world's most powerful people. It notes his profession as "drug trafficker".

Guzman reputedly heads one of Mexico's most powerful drug gangs and is on the country's most wanted list, with a £1.4m government reward offered for information leading to his capture.

As head of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman reportedly has legions of hit-men and enforcers at his command.

He was arrested in 1993 on homicide and drug charges but escaped in 2001 and is now in hiding.

Violence associated with Mexico's drug war has cost more than 13,800 lives since late 2006, when President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against the cartels.

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