Netflix‘s new crime thriller, Facing El Chapo, hones in on an infamous drug lord and his ultimate demise.
The new crime thriller, which hit the streamer on Friday (Aug. 21), follows two Mexican officers, including Arturo Carmona (Alfonso Herrera), who “must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss in this crime drama based on true events.”
The title of the new film references El Chapo, or more formally, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, a former Mexican drug lord who helped found the Sinaloa Cartel.
Curious as to whether Facing El Chapo is based on a true story? Where is El Chapo now? Here is what we know.
Is Facing El Chapo Based On A True Story?
Yes. The streamer describes Facing El Chapo as a “crime drama based on true events.” According to SoapCentral.com, the movie hones in on Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s 2016 recapture. However, as the website notes, the film is a dramatization of these true events.
Was El Chapo Caught?
Yes, El Chapo was caught, but after escaping prison twice, per A&E. After being arrested in Guatemala in 1993, he was extradited to Mexico, and sentenced to 20 years in the Puente Grande maximum-security prison. However, he eventually escaped in 2001, only to be arrested again in 2014 in Mazatlán, Mexico, per ABC7 Chicago. The outlet reports that he then escaped in 2015, but was ultimately captured once again in 2016. According to A&E, in 2017, he was extradited to the United States, and was eventually convicted of every federal count against him, resulting in a life sentence plus 30 years in prison.
Is El Chapo Alive? Where is El Chapo Now?
People reports that El Chapo is serving his life sentence in a maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado called U.S. Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility, or ADX Florence.
Facing El Chapo is streaming now on Netflix.
