Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman: Top Drug Lord Held

Joaquin Guzman, the world's most wanted drug lord, has been captured in Mexico.

Known as "El Chapo" which means Shorty, he allegedly runs the country's infamous Sinaloa Cartel and even featured on a Forbes' list of billionaires.

The 56-year-old, who had a $5m (£3m) US bounty on his head, was seized by Mexican and US authorities in the seaside resort of Mazatlan at 6.40am local time.

He was reportedly found with an unidentified woman, and no shots were fired.

Guzman, who has an estimated fortune of $1bn (£600m) in 2009, is accused of being behind much of the drug violence that has plagued the country for years.

After being captured, he was paraded in front of television cameras at a Mexico City navy base, flanked by two masked marines.

His arrest is believed to have dealt a major blow to the cartel which has an empire smuggling drugs to the United States, Europe and Asia.

US Attorney General Eric Holder hailed the arrest a "landmark achievement" and a "victory for the citizens of both Mexico and the United States".

Last year, authorities in Chicago dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No1 since gangster Al Capone.

Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in a laundry basket in 2001 and became the country's most high-profile trafficker.

He is believed to command groups of hitmen from the US border into Central America.

Guzman was believed to have been hiding in a house in Culiacan, Sinaloa's largest city, but fled as Mexican troops hunted for him.

The property had extra-thick walls and escape tunnels.

A US security official said: "We've been actively tracking him for five weeks.

"Because of that pressure, he fled in the last couple of days to Mazatlan. He had a small contingent with him."

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