Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman escapes jail

Top Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, known as El Chapo or "Shorty", has escaped from a maximum security prison for a second time, officials say.

In a statement, Mexico's National Security Commission said Guzman was last seen in the showers of the Altiplano jail late on Saturday night.

He was the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, which smuggles huge amounts of illegal drugs into the US.

Officials say that Guzman's escape was discovered when officers checked his cell in the Altiplano prison, which is near Mexico City.

A search operation has been launched and flights have been suspended at a nearby Toluca airport.

Guzman escaped from a Mexican high-security prison in 2001. He hid in a laundry basket after bribing prison officials.

He had been serving a sentence of more than 20 years after being arrested in Guatemala in 1993.

The US has indicted him on federal drug trafficking charges.
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