Editing Joaquín Guzmán Loera (section)

==== First manhunt ====
Guzmán was notable among drug lords for his longevity and evasion of 
authorities, assisted by alleged bribes to federal, state and local 
Mexican officials.<sup>[16][18][111]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>Despite the progress made in arresting others in the aftermath of 
Guzmán's escape, including a handful of his top logistics and security 
men, the huge military and federal police manhunt failed to capture 
Guzmán for years. In the years between his escape and capture, he was 
Mexico's most-wanted man.<sup>[112]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>His elusiveness from law enforcement made him a near-legendary figure 
in Mexico's narcotics folklore; stories abounded that Guzmán sometimes 
strolled into restaurants, his bodyguards confiscating peoples' 
cellphones, he ate his meal, and then left after paying everyone's tab.<sup>[113]</sup> Rumors circulated of Guzmán being seen in different parts of Mexico and abroad.<sup>[114]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>For more than thirteen years, Mexican security forces coordinated many 
operatives to rearrest him, but their efforts were largely in vain 
because Guzmán appeared to be steps ahead from his captors.<sup>[115]</sup>

Although his whereabouts were unknown, the authorities thought that he was likely hiding in the "Golden Triangle" (Spanish: ''Triángulo Dorado''), an area that encompasses parts of Sinaloa, Durango, and Chihuahua in the Sierra Madre region. The region is a major producer of marijuana and opium poppy in Mexico,<sup>[116]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>and its remoteness from the urban areas makes it an attractive 
territory for the production of synthetic drugs in clandestine 
laboratories and for its mountains that offer potential hideouts.<sup>[117][118][119]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>Guzmán reportedly commanded a sophisticated security circle of at least
<nowiki> </nowiki>300 informants and gunmen resembling the manpower equivalent to those 
of a head of state. His inner circle would help him move around through several isolated ranches in the mountainous area and avoid capture.<sup>[114][120]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>He usually escaped from law enforcement using armored cars, aircraft, 
and all-terrain vehicles, and was known to employ sophisticated 
communications gadgetry and counterespionage practices.<sup>[120][121]</sup>
<nowiki> </nowiki>Since many of these locations in the Golden Triangle can only be 
reached over single-track dirt roads, local residents easily detected 
the arrival of law enforcement or any outsiders. Their distrust towards 
non-residents and their aversion towards the government, alongside a 
combination of bribery and intimidation, helped keep the locals loyal to
<nowiki> </nowiki>Guzmán and the Sinaloa Cartel in the area. According to law enforcement
<nowiki> </nowiki>intelligence, attempting to have launched an attack to capture Guzmán 
by air would have had similar results; his security circle would have 
warned him of the presence of an aircraft 10 minutes away from Guzmán's 
location, giving him ample time to escape the scene and avoid arrest. In
<nowiki> </nowiki>addition, his gunmen reportedly carried surface-to-air missiles that 
may bring down aircraft in the area.<sup>[120]</sup>