El Chapo bribed Interpol, Mexican officials to keep drugs flowing, informant says

Drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman paid huge bribes to Mexican prosecutors, police, military and even Interpol to ensure smooth operations for his Sinaloa cartel, a key informant said at his US trial on Thursday.

Jesus "El Rey" Zambada, brother of the cartel's co-head, the still-at-large Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, detailed the eye-watering costs of protecting cocaine shipments that originated in Colombia and travelled to the US via Mexico -- with payments amounting to USD 300,000 per month in Mexico City alone.

Zambada, who worked for the cartel from 1987 until his arrest in 2008, was returning to the witness stand on the third day of a trial expected to last about four months.

He told the court that as the head of the organization's operations in the capital city, he personally paid bribes to the attorney general's office, the federal highway police that also operates bridges and airports, federal, state and local police forces, and "Interpol, as well."