Jacob Diaz

The Beltranleva brothers and their defecting allies moved swiftly to avenge Alfredo's arrest, assassinating Guzman's son, Edgar Guzman, who was killed in a grenade attack in Culiacan in May 8, 2008.

The same day Arturo's gunmen killed the commissioner of the federal police, Edgar Mian Gomez, who had served as the spokesman for Alfredo's arrest, as well as other senior government officials.

The result was some of the worst bloodletting seen in Sinaloa.

The killing of Guzman's son and key lieutenants brought massive retaliation from Guzman with both sides suffering losses of hundreds of men.

The break between the Beltranleva brothers and the Sinaloa cartel was officially recognized by the U.S.

government on May 30th.

with President Bush listing Arturo Beltranleva as the leader of his own cartel and designating him and the organization as subject to sanctions under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Act.

Upon Diaz's release, he retrieved his blazer and drove straight to the wooded area between the apartment complex and the neighborhood where he'd hid from the police.

Surprisingly, Diaz's backpack, filthy and moist from the elements, was still tucked in the foliage.

I couldn't believe it, recalls Diaz.

No one had found it.

A few days later, I flew to Mexico City with Yanil and the cash.

Once Diaz arrived in Cuernavaca, he quickly discovered everything had changed.

As soon as I got to Aviles' house, I knew something was going on.

There were armed men patrolling everywhere.

Although Aviles greeted the young American narco warmly, Diaz could tell he wasn't the same laid-back surfer dude.

He had dark rings under his eyes, like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.

Aviles explained that the Beltranlevas were at war with the Sinaloa cartel and that the killings of Chapo Guzman's son had brought massive retaliation.

According to Aviles, hundreds of men had been killed that summer alone.

Chapo's spending a fortune on manpower.