Part 5/12:
The 2015 escape of notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán through a mile-long, ventilated tunnel beneath the Altiplano prison marked a pivotal moment, shining a spotlight on cartel engineering prowess. This event underscored that Mexican cartels were not just mid-level operators but highly trained professionals capable of constructing infrastructure that rivals those of formal transportation systems, all with the aim of evading increasingly vigilant law enforcement.