Newly released footage shows Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, shortly after his January 8, 2016, capture, insisting that his cartel would not attempt a rescue operation. The videos, published by Mexican newspaper El Universal, depict the drug lord in the immediate aftermath of his apprehension in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, following his emergence from a manhole.

In one segment, Guzmán is seen washing his face and interacting with a police officer who offers him soap. The officer tells him, “It’s better not to get it in your eyes,” before granting permission to remove his mud-soaked tank top. The footage provides a rare look at the cartel leader before his eventual extradition to the United States.

Authorities transported Guzmán and his bodyguard, Orso Iván “El Cholo Iván” Gastelum, to a hotel while awaiting backup, fearing cartel members might try to locate them. Later, in Mexico City, Guzmán was questioned by the military. According to the videos, he admitted to being involved in growing marijuana and trafficking from a young age, but denied engaging in theft.

Most notably, Guzmán stated his belief that a rescue operation was not advantageous. "It is not convenient for me that people fight with the government," he told the military. "I have told them — this has an end, if one day I fail, I don’t want them to fight with any police, not at all. No, there will be no war, not at all. I am sure that there will be no war."

This stance contrasts with the actions taken by the Sinaloa Cartel in October 2019, when members engaged in a violent assault with roadblocks and burning vehicles to secure the release of Guzmán's son, Ovidio Guzmán López. Ovidio Guzmán López was briefly detained as part of a U.S. extradition request before then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered his release.

In another video, a haggard and handcuffed Guzmán responded “No” when asked if he had been mistreated by authorities. The final video shows Guzmán and Gastelum sitting in an airplane with their heads covered.

Guzmán was extradited to the U.S. on January 19, 2017. He was convicted by a federal court in Brooklyn on February 12, 2019, and sentenced to life in prison. He is currently held at the ADX Florence supermaximum security penitentiary in Colorado.