Operation Black Swan was a joint United States-Mexican military operation launched on 8 January 2016 during the Mexican Drug War, resulting in the capture of the fugitive Sinaloa Cartel boss El Chapo in Los Mochis, Sinaloa.
Background[]
Following the Guamuchil shootout between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Beltran-Leyva Cartel of Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, El Chapo was forced to relocate to a new safehouse rather than be tracked down to Guamuchil. He decided to relocate to where he would be expected least: Meza Flores' own territory. He was smuggled into the town of Los Mochis, where he and his bodyguard Orso Ivan Gastelum Cruz took up residence with his local turf boss Carlos Manuel Hoo Ramirez, who had been laying low since Isidro's 2015 takeover of Los Mochis. Isidro was deceived by this move, refusing to believe that El Chapo would flee to his turf; he instead searched the mountains for him. However, Secretary of State Conrado Higuera Sol predicted that El Chapo would try to deceive the government, and he ordered the Mexican Federal Police to monitor Sinaloa Cartel activity in the city. The intense surveillance program acquired a major lead when a local taco restaurant reported that a few mysterious men had placed an order for 200 tacos (100 steak, 100 cheese), and Higuera Sol ordered the Mexican special forces to execute "Operation Black Swan", the operation to capture El Chapo.
Raid[]
The Mexican special forces raiding the safehouse
In the middle of the night, the Mexican special forces team breached the residence's door and began shooting when the Sinaloa guards reached for their guns. An intense gun battle erupted between the Mexican Marines and the armed guards in the safehouse, also involving the use of flashbangs. During the shootout, El Chapo and "El Cholo Ivan" escaped through a secret door hidden behind a mirror, making a getaway through several tunnels before attempting to escape in a stolen vehicle. Shortly thereafter, he was spotted by federal agents and apprehended at a motel a short distance from the house. The Mexican Marines then seized eight assault rifles, 2 M16s with grenade launchers, 2 Barrett M82 sniper rifles, a loaded RPG, and two armored cars.