Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Chava Cartas, Netflix’s ‘Facing El Chapo,’ also known as ‘La Captura,’ is a Mexican crime thriller dramatizing the real-life capture of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, AKA El Chapo, and his lieutenant, Jorge Iván Gastélum Ávila, or El Cholo. Much of the story is set after their escape from the Mexican Marines on January 8, 2016, following which they steal a car and try to head to friendlier territory, only to be stopped by two Federal highway officers. Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales haven’t been partners for too long, but after discovering that the car is stolen by one of the most infamous drug lords alive, they work together to get out of the mess, alive, and also bring the criminals to justice.
Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales are Based on the Unnamed Officers Who Stopped El Chapo
Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales are fictionalized recreations of the two Federal highway officers who stopped Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera and Jorge Iván Gastélum Ávila, better known as El Chapo and El Cholo. While the real names of these officers have been classified, likely for security purposes, the movie presents an extensive account of what transpired on January 8, 2016. The names Carmona and Rosales are themselves invented and come from journalist Héctor de Mauleon, who used these names when describing the officers in his 2016 chronicle of the event. Mauleon, along with co-writer Bernardo Esquinca, is also the writer of the film and uses these names as a basis to create two distinct characters.
While the names and backstories of the characters may be a creative construct, some of the broader elements from their real lives have been integrated into this dramatized background. For instance, it is true that the real-life Rosales was nearing retirement when he got involved in the recapturing of El Chapo. On the morning of January 8, 2016, he, along with the real-life Carmona, was approaching the end of their night shift and had been stationed along the Las Brisas-Los Mochi section of Highway 15. When a statewide alert of a stolen vehicle reached them, they acted as soon as they spotted the car and stopped it. As El Cholo first stepped out, the officers quickly spotted his gun and pointed their own towards him, prompting El Chapo to exit the car as well.
Though El Chapo had hoped the officers would be intimidated into letting him go, they refused. Instead, El Chapo and El Cholo were restrained and put into the police vehicle; one of the officers took a photograph of El Chapo and sent it to his superior. The photo was then sent to the head of the Federal Police and the National Commissioner of Security, who then relayed it to the Secretary of the Interior. The official response was swift, with authorities reportedly informing the two officers of a potential threat from about 40 assassins heading their way. In the official letter of indictment, the officers also reported observing several trucks obstructing the road ahead, which only increased the threat.
The Real-Life Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales Survived a Potential Cartel Attack
Interestingly, one of the two officers has provided a first-person account of the capture of El Chapo in the Federal police blog. In it, the officer described feeling as if he was facing certain death, but decided to drive in the other direction, eventually coming across a motel he was familiar with. The officer also recalled being offered numerous rewards by El Chapo in return for being freed. The rewards included ownership of companies and 50 million dollars, but the officer rejected this reward. Based on the events of the movie, this officer is most likely the basis for Hector Rosales, who is given a similar proposition in the film. In the same vein, the real-life Arturo Carmona’s actions are also reimagined for the screen, but with a fictional touch.
Acting upon the advice of the superiors, the two officers drove El Chapo and El Cholo to the outskirts, eventually taking shelter in room 51 of a motel situated on the Los Mochis-San Miguel highway. The detail about them going to a room 51 is also integrated in the movie as a nod to the true story, while other elements have been creatively altered. While the movie gives a personal arc to both Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales while they are in the motel, in real life, they were soon joined by reinforcements from the Federal police, and later from the Navy and the state police. The two officers then reportedly showed El Chapo and El Cholo the presentation order issued against them, before handing them over to the authorities.
The Real-Life Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales Were Promoted and Sent Overseas
While not much is known about the real-life Arturo Carmona and Hector Rosales, given their classified identities and whereabouts, brief details are known about what went on in their lives after their encounter with El Chapo. Reportedly, both officers were decorated and promoted in a private ceremony held at the National Security Commission, towards the end of January, 2016. Following this, the officers were reportedly reassigned to different areas of the country, likely to avoid a potential attack by the cartel. Accordingly, the real-life Carmona was sent overseas for a foreign security role, but eventually returned to Mexico and has maintained a low profile since.
In a report published on Nexos, one Federal officer recalled asking the real-life Carmona why he didn’t accept the cartel’s money, to which he said that he had seen El Chapo filthy, wet, and coming from the sewers, and did not want to end up like this. Even less is known about the real-life Hector Rosales, other than the fact that he extended his retirement and was transferred overseas for protection from threats. While the limited information about the two officers is by design, the movie still paints a realistic account of their heroic role in the capture of El Chapo and El Cholo.
Read More: Facing El Chapo True Story, Explained
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