TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 INTERNATIONAL US drone, phone taps used to hunt Mexican drug lord New details emerge from the manhunt MEXICO CITY: US authorities and steel-reinforced doors, offi- ered Guzman’s natural successor. flee again in a repeat of his leg- announced plans to seek the cials said. “It’s a big city where he endary 2001 escape from prison in extradition of Mexico’s most pow- has his contacts, his women, his US seeks extradition a laundry cart. erful drug lord after his capture in houses,” the US official said. Nabbing Guzman, who is con- “I think that would be the best a US-backed operation that Officials had hoped that sidered the world’s biggest drug course for not only Mexico, but CNN’s Piers Morgan included a drone, cellphone inter- Guzman would flee to a rural, trafficker, was a major victory in also the United States, in ensuring cepts and elite Mexican marines. more open space to capture him, President Enrique Pena Nieto’s that what happened in 2001 does As prosecutors in New York pre- and his decision to run to push to rein in drug violence in his not happen again,” Michael CNN pulls the plug on pared their request, new details Mazatlan around three days country. The Sinaloa cartel’s turf McCaul, chairman of the House emerged Sunday from the man- before his arrest was a surprise, wars with rival gangs contributed Homeland Security Committee, Piers Morgan TV show hunt that led to the capture of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El WASHINGTON: CNN president Jeff Zucker was weighing a different role at CNN where Chapo” Guzman, whose empire pulled the plug on British host Piers he would have fewer, higher-impact has smuggled drugs to the United Morgan’s TV show after its ratings plunge, appearances, such as through major inter- States, Europe and Asia. The US ending the former tabloid editor’s three views with “big celebrities and powerful surveillance drone was used for year run on US television. Morgan, who people.” two weeks between mid-January irked US gun owners after launching a cru- and mid-February to back up a sade for greater gun control, struggled Unbelievably stupid man massive operation in the north- after stepping into the shoes of popular, Morgan attracted national attention western city of Culiacan, a US gov- down-to-earth host Larry King in the cov- when he took a tough gun-control stance ernment official said on condition eted 9:00 pm primetime slot. “CNN con- following the December 2012 massacre at of anonymity. firms that ‘Piers Morgan Live’ is ending,” the Sandy Hook elementary school in Guzman eventually slipped out CNN vice president of communications Connecticut. Gun rights activists soon of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa Barbara Levin said. “The date of the final posted a petition on the White House web- state, after escaping through tun- program is still to be determined.” King, site calling for Morgan to be deported for nels under one of his safe houses known for his ability to connect immedi- allegedly attacking the Second as the marines closed in on him, ately and easily with ordinary Americans, Amendment rights of ordinary Americans Mexican and US officials said. hosted “Larry King Live” on CNN from 1985 after making anti-gun comments. It gath- Under pressure, the 56-year-old to 2010. Now 80, King still wears his trade- ered 109,334 signatures. The petition was drug capo, who had been on the mark wide-rimmed glasses, shirt with posted after Morgan told gun advocate run since escaping from prison 13 rolled-up sleeves and suspenders as he Larry Pratt on his show: “You’re an unbe- years ago, fled further south to hosts a show broadcast on Hulu, Ora TV lievably stupid man, aren’t you?” America the beach resort city of Mazatlan. and Russia’s RT television. has suffered an epidemic of gun violence It was there that the elite marine over the last three decades. The vast unit captured him on Saturday, in Too British for US TV? majority of weapons used have been semi- the fourth floor of a condomini- Morgan, in contrast, was inherently automatic weapons obtained legally by um, with a surprisingly small British-and it was not just his accent, which the killers. Morgan was editor of the Daily entourage that included one for many viewers was grating, smug and Mirror newspaper from 1995 to 2004 and lookout, one bodyguard and a condescending. Morgan made repeated before that was editor of Rupert Murdoch’s SINALOA: View of the bedroom of the apartment of the references to cricket, a sport with little US News of the World, which closed amid a woman believed to be his beauty- presence, and professed his ignorance phone hacking scandal in 2011. queen wife, the US official said. Miramar condominium in which Mexican drug trafficker about American football and preference On Twitter, the handful of Morgan fans Guzman went down without a Joaquin Guzman Loera aka ‘El Chapo Guzman’ (inset) was for the round football, soccer. In an inter- were drowned out by the flood of snide single shot. “Cellular telephone arrested in Mazatlan, State of Sinaloa, Mexico. —AFP view with The New York Times, Morgan and nasty tweets. “About time,” read a typi- intercepts were involved in the said the show had “run its course,” adding cal tweet. “He was an idiot, boring, embar- arrest,” the official said. The US the official said. His arrest capped to a wave of drug violence that left told ABC television. A Mexican for- that he and Zucker “have been talking for rassment.” “Piers Morgan show being Drug Enforcement Administration a months-long operation that more than 77,000 people dead in eign ministry spokesman declined some time about different ways of using dropped by CNN, a move likely to upset had provided intelligence infor- resulted in the arrests of a dozen the past seven years. The United to comment on the planned extra- me.” He also acknowledged the show was one or maybe even two people,” read mation to the marines. The US Sinaloa cartel operatives, includ- States had offered a $5 million dition request. An official in the underperforming. another. One prolific tweeter not com- official said the remote-controlled ing alleged bodyguards of reward for information leading to Mexican attorney general’s office “It’s been a painful period and lately we menting yet was blogger Andrew Sullivan, aircraft was not used in Mazatlan, Guzman’s top associate, Ismael “El his capture, with several indict- said Guzman has to finish the 20- have taken a bath in the ratings,” Morgan Morgan’s British-born US-based nemesis. but it had been deployed in Mayo” Zambada. Several cell- ments in cities from New York to year sentence he avoided by flee- said, adding that the show suffered espe- The two have clashed repeatedly, with Culiacan to corroborate other phones were seized from the San Diego. Robert Nardoza, a ing eight years into his prison cially on slow news days. “Look, I am a Sullivan claiming that his rival was a relent- intelligence and that Mexico’s mil- detainees and later used to estab- spokesman for the US Attorney’s term. But he is also facing new British guy debating American cultural less self-promoter tainted by his role in the itary had authorized its use. One lish wiretaps as part of the opera- Office for the Eastern District of charges of drug trafficking, using issues, including guns, which has been very tabloid phone hacking scandal. Morgan of the world’s most wanted man, tion against the Sinaloa cartel, New York, said prosecutors there illegal funds, organized crime and polarizing, and there is no doubt that there insists that he’s “never hacked a phone, Guzman had been spending most said an official from the Mexican “plan to seek his extradition.” A sen- possession of weapons reserved are many in the audience who are tired of told anyone to hack a phone, or published of his time in the bustling city of attorney general’s office. The offi- ior Republican lawmaker called for for the military, the official said. me banging on about it,” he added. Morgan, any stories based on the hacking of a Culiacan, living in houses with cial said authorities are still search- Guzman’s extradition, warning that The captured kingpin is not facing whose contract ends in September, said he phone.” —AFP escape tunnels, extra thick walls ing for Zambada, who is consid- “the biggest fish ever” may try to murder charges. —AFP News former Venezuela in brief general in armed standoff at home Dingell, longest-serving congressman, to retire CARACAS: One of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s most WASHINGTON: A person familiar with his plans outspoken critics has become the latest rally cry for opposition says Rep John Dingell of Michigan, the longest- protesters after engaging in an armed standoff with security serving congressman in US history, will forces Sunday. Retired army Gen Angel Vivas sported a flak jack- announce his retirement yesterday. The 87- et, assault rifle and handgun as he defiantly addressed dozens year-old Dingell was first elected in 1955, filling of neighbors from the balcony of his home in eastern Caracas. the House seat vacated by his late father. The “I’m not going to surrender,” the 57-year-old Vivas yelled to a person was not authorized to speak publicly crowd of cheering followers. Supporters rushed to Vivas’ defense ahead of Dingell’s announcement. He became after he announced to his 100,000-plus followers on Twitter that a group of “Cuban and Venezuelan henchmen” had come look- the longest-serving member of Congress last ing for him.