Drug lord 'El Chapo' taunts authorities on social media

A new trend among Mexico’s notoriously brutal drug cartels may have just revealed the hiding place of one of the world’s most wanted criminals.

Law enforcement worldwide has been on the lookout for drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán since he staged a brazen escape from a maximum security prison in July this year.

Now speculation is swirling that he is on the lam in the Costa Rica thanks to a tweet by one of his sons, which was picked up by Twitter’s geotagging technology as having originated from the South American country.

Guzmán’s son Alfredo is believed responsible for the August 31 tweet which appeared to show the father and son at a restaurant. Twitter’s geolocator indicated the picture may have been taken in Costa Rica.

The picture on the account was accompanied by the words: "You know who I am seen with", and a smiling emoticon.

It sparked a flurry of speculation that the kingpin had been tracked down, however, authorities have been quick to temper the reports.

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Costa Rica's judicial police director Gerald Campos told reporters the picture may have originated the town on Costa Rica, Sinaloa, which is the hometown of the 58-year-old fugitive's powerful drug ring.

“It's over there in Sinaloa," he said.

"We have no information that this boy, the son of El Chapo, is in the country."

Mexican authorities have confirmed they are investigating the authenticity of the tweet while the US Drug Enforcement Administration has also said it believes Guzmán was most likely to have retreated to his Sinoloa mountain stronghold where he can expect the protection of the local community.

Alfredo Guzmán’s tweet is the latest in a long line of recent brazen social media posts by Mexico’s drug dealers.

Instagram has become flooded with gaudy photos showing off obscene riches of Mexico’s infamous drug peddlers and assasins, featuring shots of gilt and jewel encrusted weapons, luxury sports cars, pet lions and tigers, bikini-clad women, large piles of cash, boats and private planes.

Posted under the hashtags #narco and #narcostyle, the pictures are reportedly part of an online contest between rival drug dealers to show off their success.

Videos posted to the popular photo sharing platform show criminals driving around with piles of cash and automatic weapons. Many are apparently linked to a group known as Los Ántrax, a group known to be the violent enforcers of Guzmán’s Sinaloa cartel.

The group has been linked to a string of murders, assasinations and the torture of the cartel’s enemies.

While Guzman has been keeping a low profile since he escaped from a maximum security prison on July 11, using a tunnel and specially customized motorcycle, the social media trend appears to prove that his sons Alfredo, Ivan and Joaquin “El Chino” Guzmán do not feel the same need to keep their heads down.

Many of the photos are reportedly linked to the three heirs to the Sinoloa gang as well as members of their organisation.

While many of their boasts are centred around showing off their lifestyle, the criminals taking part in the trend are also not shy about showing off their crimes.

One photo posted under the #narcostyle hashtag from an account called @narcoofficial even shows a bullet-ridden police car and a series of cryptic taunts which appear to take credit for the shooting.

News break - September 10