Did “El Chapo” Copy “El G3”’s Escape from the Altiplano Prison?

The escape of Adelmo Niebla González—alias “El G3” or “El Señor”—from the Aguaruto prison in Culiacán, Sinaloa, via a tunnel, served as the direct precedent for the *modus operandi* later employed by Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo,” on July 11, 2015. 

Adelmo Niebla was considered a close associate of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. He was captured on September 8, 2012. After several months in custody, Niebla escaped on May 26, 2014, through a 600-meter-long tunnel located 14 meters beneath the surface of the Aguaruto prison—officially known as the “Center for the Execution of Legal Consequences of Crime.” 

The kingpin reached the perimeter wall alongside two other inmates, managing to slip out between the prison’s third and fifth housing units before entering the tunnel. Much like the one later used by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, this tunnel was reinforced with wooden beams to prevent collapse.

It was equipped with a ventilation system and connected the prison to a vacant lot—enclosed by a fence—that had been purchased specifically to facilitate the escape. Neighbors reported to the authorities that, over the course of four months, they had observed trucks arriving and removing excavated earth. 

Law enforcement agencies have since located the tunnel’s exit. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office has already officially documented the site, and we are currently awaiting their instructions—specifically regarding whether the tunnel should be backfilled. 

The Public Works department is standing by, awaiting the Prosecutor’s directive on how to proceed with the tunnel. Nine out of 73 individuals—including the prison director, Maril Cázares López, and various prison commanders—were subjected to interrogation. Adelmo Niebla González is considered one of the most significant drug traffickers, with ties to the “Mayitos” faction and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. 

Source: NMàs