Unpublished photo shows "El Chapo" interrogated by ex-top cop Tomás Zerón

An unpublished photograph has surfaced, offering a rare glimpse into the interrogation of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera by Tomás Zerón de Lucio, the former head of Mexico's Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC). The image captures Zerón, dressed in a green jacket, leaning against a wall in a seemingly confrontational manner while questioning Guzmán shortly after his February 2014 arrest.

Guzmán, who was then being transferred from Mexico City International Airport via federal police helicopter to the Altiplano maximum-security prison, appears to be looking down as he responds to Zerón's inquiries. The photograph provides a stark visual of the power dynamic between the high-ranking law enforcement official and one of the world's most notorious drug traffickers.

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It is not convenient for me for people to fight with the government. I have told them clearly: this has an end, if I ever fail, I don't want you to fight with any police, for nothing. No, there will be no war, for nothing. I am sure of this, there will be none, for nothing.

This revelation follows recent disclosures by journalist Héctor de Mauleón, who unveiled three previously unseen videos from Guzmán's final capture on January 8, 2016, in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. These recordings, made at the Doux hotel, capture Guzmán admitting to drug trafficking but denying theft. He also expresses a desire to avoid conflict with the Mexican government, stating, "It is not convenient for me for people to fight with the government... I have told them clearly... if I ever fail, I don't want you to fight with any police, for nothing."

In another video, Guzmán, appearing dejected in a vehicle en route to the airport, asserts that the military personnel who arrested him did not mistreat him. Guzmán, who famously escaped from Mexican prisons multiple times, was extradited to the United States on January 19, 2017, where he is currently serving a life sentence. His sons, Ovidio and Joaquín, are also imprisoned in the U.S. and have reached plea agreements with the government. Guzmán has repeatedly claimed his trial was unjust and has sought a new one.

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I do not want you to fight with any police, for nothing.