Overview
- On January 8, 2016, Mexican Navy special forces led an intelligence-driven raid in Las Palmas, Los Mochis, that resulted in Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s third capture.
- A brief but intense firefight inside the safehouse left five alleged members of his protection circle dead, with no naval casualties reported.
- Guzmán escaped through the drainage system before being located hours later and detained with Iván “El Cholo” Gastélum in a nearby hotel by Federal Police.
- Naval commanders assumed full tactical control to minimize leaks and make real-time decisions, a model later cited for high-value target operations.
- Ten years later, the safehouse stands abandoned as residents describe persistent violence, displacement, and the erosion of the capo’s once-glorified image.