El Jefe

The definitive account of the rise and fall of the ultimate narco, “El Chapo,” from the New York Times reporter whose coverage of his trial went viral.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is the most legendary of Mexican narcos. As leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, he was one of the most dangerous men in the world. His fearless climb to power, his brutality, his charm, his taste for luxury, his penchant for disguise, his multiple dramatic prison escapes, his unlikely encounter with Sean Penn—all of these burnished the image of the world’s most famous outlaw.

He was finally captured by US and Mexican law enforcement in a daring operation years in the making. Here is that entire epic story—from El Chapo’s humble origins to his conviction in a Brooklyn courthouse. Longtime New York Times criminal justice reporter Alan Feuer’s coverage of his trial was some of the most riveting journalism of recent years.

Feuer’s mastery of the complex facts of the case, his unparalleled access to confidential sources in law enforcement, and his powerful summations of larger themes—what this one man’s life says about drugs, walls, class, money, Mexico, and the United States—will ensure that El Jefe is the one book to read about “El Chapo.”