They have actually captured Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán multiple times, but people usually mean his most recent recapture.

Quick Scoop

  • First major capture: June 1993, in Guatemala, then sent to a Mexican maximum‑security prison.
  • Escape: He escaped that prison in January 2001 in a laundry cart.
  • Second capture (big headline moment):
    • Date: 22 February 2014
    • Where: A hotel on the Malecón in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
  • Second escape: July 2015, through a tunnel from his cell in the Altiplano maximum‑security prison.
  • Third capture (often what people mean by “when did they capture El Chapo”):
    • Date: 8 January 2016
    • Where: House in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, during “Operation Black Swan,” a raid by Mexican marines that turned into a firefight; five of his guards were killed and he tried to flee through a manhole before being caught.

So if you’re asking in the usual, current‑events sense, they captured El Chapo on January 8, 2016, in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, after he had escaped again in 2015.

Latest news and what happened after

  • After the January 2016 capture, he was extradited to the United States , where he faced charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in murders.
  • In 2019 , at about age 62, he was convicted on multiple counts , including operating a continuing criminal enterprise and firearms offenses, and was sentenced to life in prison plus additional years.

Mini timeline (for quick reference)

  • June 1993: First captured (Guatemala, then Mexican prison).
  • January 2001: Escapes via laundry cart.
  • 22 February 2014: Captured again in Mazatlán, Sinaloa.
  • July 2015: Escapes Altiplano prison through a tunnel.
  • 8 January 2016: Recaptured in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, in a raid dubbed Operation Black Swan.
  • 2019: Found guilty on all major U.S. charges and given a life sentence.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.