El Jefe

The gripping true story of the rise and fall of one of the most dangerous men in the world

The most feared and notorious of all the Mexican cartel leaders, Joaquín Guzmán was the ultimate narco. His nickname of ‘El Chapo’ or Shorty belied his deadly power as ‘El Jefe’, the boss of the Sinaloa drug cartel. His fearless climb to power, his brutality, charm, taste for luxury, penchant for disguises, his dramatic prison escapes, his unlikely encounter with Sean Penn and his portrayal in the hit Netflix series Narcos, all burnished the image of the world’s most infamous outlaw.

Here at last is the extraordinary story behind the legend, from his humble origins and rise to power, the unlikely role a 24-year-old ‘IT guy’ played in his downfall to finally being captured by US and Mexican law enforcement in a daring operation years in the making.

No one can tell this story better than New York Times reporter Alan Feuer, whose riveting coverage of Guzmán’s trial went viral. His mastery of the story, access to insider sources and his insight into what this one man’s life says about drugs, class and money makes this the ultimate book about El Jefe.