Notorious Mexican drug king Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been apprehended in Mazatlan, Mexico, sources told NBC News.
Guzman was in a hotel with a female and was arrested by U.S. and Mexican authorities without resistance, a senior law enforcement official said. There was no gunfire.
The apprehension comes after a four- to five-week operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration in collaboration with the Mexican Marines.In addition to charges in Mexico, Guzman is also wanted in six districts in the United States. He is reputed to be the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, Mexico's largest drug-trafficking organization.
When asked for reaction to the arrest, the official told NBC News, "This is huge."Attorney General Eric Holder congratulated the Mexican government after the alleged cartel chief's capture.
"Guzman was one of the world's most wanted men and the alleged head of a drug-running empire that spans continents," Holder said. "We salute the government of Mexico, and the professionalism and courage of Mexican authorities, for this arrest."