After two daring escapes and years on the run, Joseph Guzmán, the Mexican drug lord famously known as El Chapo, was finally captured and confined within one of the world’s most secure prisons, ADX Florence.
But how can we be confident he won’t escape again, and what makes this prison so impervious that authorities believe they’ve found an unassailable home for this infamous drug lord?
The Notorious Inmates of ADX Florence:
ADX Florence is a facility reserved for the most dangerous criminals, individuals society considers monstrous. While El Chapo might have been a ruthlessly dominant drug lord, there are criminals who seek chaos and destruction, who match or exceed El Chapo’s heinous deeds.
One example is John Kaczynski, who in 1966, as a Harvard math professor, sent 16 homemade bombs, killing three. Another is Umar Abdulmutallab, the underwear suicide bomber of 2009, who aimed to bring down a plane. These individuals, among others, find themselves within ADX Florence.
Michael Swango, infamously nicknamed Doctor Death, stands out. Using his medical license, he poisoned over 60 patients and colleagues. These criminals are considered so vile that confining them in a regular prison wouldn’t suffice. ADX Florence becomes the perfect containment facility, but what sets it apart from standard maximum-security prisons?
Structure and Security of ADX Florence:
Stretching across 49 acres in Colorado’s outskirts, ADX Florence is a formidable complex built at a cost of $60 million. Divided into six security levels, it houses 343 of the world’s most high-profile criminals. From the General Population to Range 13, each level imposes varying degrees of restrictions.
General Population provides the least stringent confinement, permitting inmates an hour of daily outdoor time. The Special Housing Unit, or H Unit, detains individuals categorized as terrorist threats. Range 13, where El Chapo resides, is the strictest section, reserved for only the most dangerous inmates.
Inmates at ADX Florence experience solitary confinement for 23 hours daily in 7 by 12 foot concrete cells. Furniture is also concrete, including a desk, stool, and bed. Cells are soundproof, impeding communication. Inmates view a small sky window, but the cells are designed to disorient them. Security cameras, motion detectors, and thick steel doors maintain control.
But the most unsettling aspect is the relentless isolation and silence. Inmates watch black and white educational and religious recordings on a TV. Food is delivered by guards, limiting interaction. Control and monitoring are paramount, making escape inconceivable.
El Chapo vs. ADX Florence:
El Chapo’s escapes from Mexican prisons were audacious, but his feats wouldn’t be replicated at ADX Florence. In Puente Grande prison, he exploited corruption and was wheeled out in a laundry basket. His second escape involved a mile-long tunnel constructed beneath his shower.
At ADX Florence, such exploits would be virtually impossible. Security cameras are too comprehensive, personnel are closely monitored, and isolation quashes communication. Fort Carson, nearby, bolsters security with an army base.
Should El Chapo miraculously escape his cell, he’d confront the prison’s defenses: tall razor wire fences, armed guards, and an equipped army base. Escaping ADX Florence is so improbable that no inmate has managed it since its inception in 1994.
In essence, El Chapo’s days of evasion appear to be irrevocably behind him. ADX Florence, known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” guarantees that history will not repeat itself for this notorious drug lord.