Part 2/9:
The Early Years
Born on April 4, 1957, in La Tuna, Sinaloa, Guzmán emerged from a poverty-stricken family—his parents primarily earning income through farming. The absence of basic comforts and challenges at home spurred young Chapo's enterprising spirit. At nine, he began selling fruits and candies to help his family, ultimately dropping out of school in the third grade. Following his harrowing childhood filled with violence from his father, Guzmán left home at fifteen, and soon turned to drug trafficking under the mentorship of his uncle, Pedro Avilés Pérez, a marijuana trafficker.