Pubdate: Sun, 13 May 2018
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2018 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: Heather Leighton

WHAT NOTORIOUS DRUG LORD JOAQUIN 'EL CHAPO' GUZMAN'S MOM THINKS OF HIM

During an exclusive interview with TIME, the mother of notorious drug
lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman shared what she thinks of her son.

Guzman, 61, is in New York City's highest-security prison after
escaping from Mexican prisons twice, once in 2001 and again in 2015.
He is accused of trafficking drugs worth $14 billion into the United
States. His is one of the biggest narcotics cases in U.S. criminal
history.

During the interview, Guzman's mother, Consuelo Loera, 88, spoke about
his childhood growing up in a mud-made shack in Mexico's Sierra Madre
mountains.

"They were difficult times. We longed for something better," Loera
told TIME.

TIME reports Guzman helped bring food to the table by hauling sacks of
oranges around the hills to sell to peasant farmers for a few pesos.

"He always fought for a better life," Loera told TIME, "even as a
small boy."

TIME reports Guzman's mother no longer lives in a muddy shack, but
instead in a sprawling brick compound with guards outside on quad
bikes brandishing Kalashnikov assault rifles.

"I just talked to him by telephone," Loera told TIME. "He is putting
on a brave face. He has always been someone who acts as if everything
is fine."

Dozens of other Mexican drug lords who have been extradited to the
U.S. in recent years have pleaded guilty - usually, as part of deals.
Guzman however has declared himself innocent. Due to his plea, a trial
is scheduled for September in a federal court in Brooklyn. Until then,
he remains in the New York City prison.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt