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Drug Dealers Used An Alligator Named 'El Chompo' To Guard Drugs And Money

Drug Dealers Used An Alligator Named 'El Chompo' To Guard Drugs And Money

It was guarding heroin, suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana and around $5,000 in cash.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

El Chapo will probably go down in history alongside Pablo Escobar as one of the big names in multinational narcotics.

He's recently been convicted in a US court of 10 counts of running a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking, conspiracy and using firearms during his time as leader of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel.

But there's a smaller, much less intimidating version of this guy who's been nicknamed El Chompo.

District Attorney Thomas Hogan

The small alligator has been found by police in a Pennsylvania drug home guarding a collection of heroin, suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana and around $5,000 in cash.

According to NBC, authorities named the reptile after the infamous drug kingpin before taking it to the Brandywine Zoo for quarantine.

El Chapo, real name Joaquin Guzman, was once one of the richest people in the world and was listed on Forbes' rich list in 2009.

The drug lord is alleged to have overseen the exportation of hundreds of tonnes of cocaine into the US and ordered hit-men to carry out hundreds of killings.

But beyond his well-known involvement in drug-trafficking, the trail has exposed many more horrific revelations about his life.

Court papers released on Friday accuse him of drugging and raping girls as young as 13.

According to the BBC, former associate, Alex Cifuentes is quoted as saying Guzmán "called the youngest of the girls his 'vitamins' because he believed that sexual activity with young girls gave him 'life'."

Cifuentes also alleged that Guzmán gave former Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, a $100 million (£77m) bribe.

PA

Cifuentes claimed that Mr Peña Nieto contacted Guzmán after he took office in 2012 and said he would end a manhunt against him in return for $250m (£193m). Mr Peña Nieto has not commented on the accusations as of yet.

During the trial, the court heard how Guzmán managed to escape from maximum-security Altiplano prison.

A GPS watch was smuggled through to Guzmán's cell and his sons bought a property on the periphery of the prison. From this point, diggers crafted a tunnel to his cell and he escaped using an adapted motorcycle.

Guzmán is the most high-profile drug trafficker to be trialled in the US. Jurors for the trail were anonymous and provided with armed escorts, as prosecutors argued that Guzmán had a reputation for intimidating and even killing witnesses.

Featured Image Credit: District Attorney Thomas Hogan

Topics: Funny, Drugs, Community, Animals, el chapo