Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' basically ran his cartel from his jail cell

Sinaloa kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman used his prison cell as an office before fleeing the maximum-security prison last month, NBC News reports.

Mexican journalist Anabel Hernandez, who has covered drug trafficking for decades and moved to the US after receiving death threats from Mexican cartels, told Telemundo that all of Guzman's appointments were recorded.

In an interview with Telemundo, Hernandez claims that Guzman still had connections to judges and politicians and held 'work-related' meetings with "similar professionals who were prison inmates."

The majority of her assertions come from court documents Hernandez obtained.

These documents show that Guzman was frequently visited by three lawyers - and a driver who pretended to a lawyer - who relayed messages to Guzman from the Sinaloa cartel.

Guzman, who is the most powerful drug lord in the world, did not see his power diminish during his two stints in prison.

Guzman is known for running both prisons that previously held him.

While detained at Puente Grande Federal Prison, he was allowed to host his family for a vacation inside the prison grounds, held multiple parties for friends, and had women inmates brought to the all-male jail for his enjoyment.