United States security agencies—most notably the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—contributed intelligence to the operations aimed at apprehending Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
However, a turning point occurred in October 2015, when Guzmán Loera met with actress Kate del Castillo and actor Sean Penn in Sinaloa. U.S. agencies requested that the capture operation be put on hold due to the presence of two American citizens. This moment proved to be a critical juncture in the pursuit that ultimately led to his arrest in January 2016.
These details are confirmed in the N+ Docs documentary “Operation Black Swan” (“Operación Cisne Negro”), which premieres on October 27 via Vix. The documentary reveals new information regarding “El Chapo” Guzmán’s July 11, 2015, escape from the “El Altiplano” prison in the State of Mexico, as well as the months-long surveillance conducted by the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) that culminated in his capture.
Featuring first-hand accounts from those who planned and executed the operation—including former President Enrique Peña Nieto and the then-Secretary of the Interior, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong—the docuseries uses previously unseen footage to reconstruct a defining episode of the 2012–2018 presidential term: the escape and eventual downfall of “El Chapo” Guzmán, one of the world’s most wanted criminals.
