Iván Guzman’s 2 Panoramic View Helicopters

Latin America World

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Infobae

These are the helicopters with a panoramic view that belong to Iván Guzmán, “The King of Cocaine”.

It is  a pair of Robinson R22 Beta II model aircraft for civilian use and without military capacity.

Austere and with barely capacity for two people, this would be two of Iván Guzmán’s helicopters, “El Rey de la Cocaína” of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) who is one of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman Loera’s sons.

An Instagram account that is presumed belongs to “El Chapo’s” son, published  images of two aircraft , one in red and the other under wraps with a  cover, but it can be distinguished that it is the same model.

The story was published on July 12 at 10:00 p.m. Mexico City time and only remained visible for 40 minutes. The helicopters are parked in a deserted place with some palm trees, without any message.

Aviation experts consulted by Infobae Mexico pointed out that it is the Robinson R22 Beta II model, which due to its simplicity has a cost in the market of approximately USD $330,000, and is for civil use, since its simplicity and limited space limits it to very basic flights.
According to the website of the maintenance agency HMU Helicopter Maintenance Unlimited, the aircraft is basically used for training flights, pipeline patrolling and monitoring cattle grazing and is useful for “any operation that requires reliability, low cost of operation and good performance.”

This is what the interiors of the R22 Beta II Helicopter look like (Illustrative photo only, taken from hmu.com.mx)

The R22 accommodates two adults and despite its austerity, the design allows them to enjoy the view because it has panoramic windows. “The noise inside the cabin is reduced with the use of acoustic foams. The high-performance muffler and low speed of the tail rotor tips also help reduce noise during flight, ” the agency describes.

According to the information, it has a Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder engine, equipped with a carburettor to use 100L grade aviation gasoline. This 145 hp engine is repealed at 131 hp for 5 minutes for takeoff and 134 hp for continuous operation.

The engine, lightweight aluminum frame, and aerodynamic shape allow it to achieve a cruising speed of up to 90 knots and an average fuel consumption of only 7-10 gallons per hour. Its maximum
takeoff weight is 1,370 pounds and it has a maximum operating altitude of 14,000 feet.

It is also equipped with a fire extinguisher bracket, a 14-ounce fire extinguisher, an artificial horizon with a landslide indicator, a directional gyroscope, COM1 (communication equipment) and a GPS.

A director of International Operations of the United States Anti-drug Agency (DEA), recently told Infobae Mexico that of the four sons of El Chapo identified as members of the Sinaloa Cartel (Joaquín, Iván, Alfredo and Ovid) is Ivan whom he taught all the tricks that helped him become the most wanted drug trafficker in Mexico and the United States.

The agent stated that Iván was prepared to be “El Chapo’s” successor, his father considered him more intelligent than his other three brothers.

The so-called “Chapitos”, as his other brothers are also called, are heirs to an empire that includes real estate and hotels, among other businesses, are the target of the security forces and had, it seems, enemies outside and inside the organization.

                              Jesús Alfredo, Iván Archivaldo and Ovidio Guzmán (Photo: file)

Despite the fact that his brother Ovidio has been in the headlines since last October for his defiance of the Mexican state that after keeping him in a house they had to release him after a presidential order after the cartel took the city of Culiacán, Iván has begun to be called “The King of Cocaine,” since he is the one who controls the trafficking of drugs and precursors from South America.

Ovidio Guzmán, that day in October 1919 when he was briefly taken into custody which led to the now infamous event know as “The Culiácanazo”. CDS held off the military intervention in Culiácan, Sinaloa as they unleashed their own army and held the city hostage until Ovidio’s release within hours.

Although along with Ovidio, who owns most of the fentanyl laboratories in Culiacán, authorities have identified cocaine as the Guzmán’s chief business.

Iván is in the sights of the US government for introducing large amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and marijuana into the United States through vehicles, trucks, boats, and tunnels. Much of the raw material used by the cartel was imported from Asia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala.

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