Sean Penn stunned Hollywood when he organized a secret meeting with the infamous drug lord “El Chapo", or also known as Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, just three months after escaping from prison. He met Penn for an interview in a mountainous Mexican Jungle.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán is the fugitive kingpin of the Sinaloa drug cartel, and is becoming famous for outsmarting Mexican authorities with his record of being a two-time escapee from Mexican jails.

So how did these two come into contact?

Their trusting acquaintanceship began by a Mexican film and television star, Kate del Castillo. Castillo had a strong mistrust in the Mexican government and expressed her thoughts via Twitter. She stated that she would trust Guzmán over the governments because she doesn’t know what the individuals are doing behind the scenes. Where, Guzmán, on the other hand, doesn’t hide his actions.

In one tweet Castillo wrote, "Mr. Chapo, wouldn't it be cool that you started trafficking with love? With cures for diseases, with food for the homeless children, with alcohol for the retirement homes that don't let the elderly spend the rest of the days doing whatever the fuck they want. Imagine trafficking with corrupt politicians instead of women and children who end up as slaves. Why don't you burn all those whorehouses where women are worth less than a pack of cigarettes. Without offer, there's no demand. Come on, Don! You would be the hero of heroes. Let's traffic with love. You know how to. Life is a business and the only thing that changes is the merchandise. Don't you agree?"

Following Castillo’s attempts to reach out to Guzmán, he sent her flowers and their friendship flourished. Guzmán wanted his story to go on film and asked her to produce it. After Penn heard about this relationship, he reached out to Castillo and asked her to organize a meeting for him and El Chapo.

On October 2^nd, 2015, Penn, Castillo and two of El Chapo’s right hand men boarded a plane from Los Angeles to a city in mid-Mexico. The group was taken two a hotel that they were instructed to book. According to Penn in his Rolling Stone article, he was suspicious of his entire surroundings, from cars, drivers, mothers, peasants on the street, and even the curtains on the windows. Though Penn saw no signs of the DEA watching them, he had a gut feeling they were.

Eventually Penn arrived in a single-engine prop plane, where he realized the man sitting next to him, and also his driver to the hotel, was the 29-year-old son of Guzmán, Aldredo Guzmán.

After about two hours in flight, they continued their journey through a mountainous jungle in a two-truck convoy, crossing through various rivers for seven hours. They reached the entrance of Oz, which is the highest peak visibly within reach where they arrived at a military checkpoint. The soldiers saw El Chapo’s son, Alfredo and waved the vehicle through. Finally, they reached a small village within the jungle where cell phones and other technology were of no use.

As Penn arrived to the secret location, the vehicle was parked and group of men hovered as he got out. He received the approval from members of the crew to walk to the trunk and grab his bag, and standing right there was the world’s most famous fugitive, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

After greeting Kate Castillo, Guzmán turned to Penn and extended his hand. Penn took it and Guzmán pulled him in for a warm hug.

Following their encounter, the two spoke for seven hours, covering various topics from Guzmán's early life, his dreams, his thoughts of himself and his history of violence. The two even shared a few laughs.

After Penn's long journey to meet with one of the most potentially dangerous and cunning men in the world, Penn walked away with different insight than expected.

He ended his article with a statement reading, "I had not gotten the kind of in-depth interview I'd hoped to achieve. Not challenged checkers with chess, nor vice versa. But perhaps, at least, retrieved a glimpse from the other side, and what is for me an affirmation of the dumb-show of demonization that has demanded such an extraordinary focus of assets toward the capture or killing of any one individual black hat."

To read the full Rolling Stone article by Sean Penn click below: