Among the many photographs of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, one stands out: it shows him inside a vehicle, his left hand resting on his chin. He wears a pensive expression, his gaze fixed straight ahead, while his head rests slightly against the back seat. Seated beside him is Jorge Iván Gastélum—alias ‘El Cholo Iván’—who was considered his right-hand man.
This image captures the third and final capture of the Sinaloan kingpin, which took place in early January 2016. Six months earlier, ‘El Chapo’ had managed to escape from the ‘El Altiplano’ maximum-security prison in the State of Mexico via a tunnel stretching over a kilometer in length. However, during his attempt to reach Los Mochis, Sinaloa, the drug trafficker was apprehended.
On the morning of January 9, 2016, federal authorities conducted a raid on a property in Los Mochis but were met with gunfire from armed individuals. ‘El Chapo’ and ‘El Cholo’ fled through the sewer system and stole a vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently located on the Los Mochis–Navojoa highway, where the two members of the Sinaloa Cartel were taken into custody.
Subsequently, Guzmán Loera and Iván Gastélum were taken to a hotel while the Navy awaited reinforcements. The photograph in question was taken during this operation. This explains why ‘El Chapo’ is wearing a dirt-stained tank top, while ‘El Cholo’ is shirtless.
From that moment on, the two drug traffickers’ paths diverged—though ‘El Cholo’ may ultimately face the same fate as his former associate, who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States (US).
While Guzmán Loera was extradited to the neighboring country in 2017, Iván Gastélum was handed over to US authorities five years later. From 2016 until last April of this year, ‘El Cholo’ remained behind bars in Mexico.
His extradition took place on April 1, 2023, at which time he was 42 years old. Three days later, he made his initial appearance before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, as he faces charges related to weapons and drugs.
According to court documents, Iván served as a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel between August 2009 and January 2016. “At the time of his arrest, Gastelum Ávila was one of the cartel’s top hitmen and worked closely with Guzmán Loera,” the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated in a press release.
