Univision’s new boundary-breaking series “El Chapo” debuts on Sunday, April 23 at 8pm ET/PT; back-to-back episodes will air at 8pm and 9pm ET/PT during the following weeks. The new ripped-from-the-headlines drama explores the life story of one of the world’s most notorious criminals over a span of three decades – from 1985, when he was a low level member of the Guadalajara Cartel, his rise to power and his ultimate downfall. The series, which is currently in production, will air in three separate cycles and marks the first co-production between Story House Entertainment and Netflix. The series will air in Spanish with English-language Closed Captioning available. Versions with English-subtitles will be available when the series premieres globally on Netflix (date to be announced). The series, which is currently in production, will air in three separate cycles and marks the first co-production between Story House Entertainment and Netflix.

On the premiere episode, in 1985, a Guadalajara Cartel underling named Joaquín Guzmán Loera surprised drug trafficking higher-ups by being the first to take an important cocaine shipment from Colombia to the United States in just 48 hours. He managed to do so because he had an ace up his sleeve: he had just built his first tunnel at the U.S. border.

The series stars Marco de la O (Tanto Amor) as Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán; Humberto Busto (Amores Perros) as Attorney Conrado Sol, aka “Don Sol” (an important political party figure); Juan Carlos Olivas (180°) as El Güero (Joaquín’s main partner); Alejandro Aguilar (“Rosario Tijeras”) as Toño (Joaquín's main assassin); Tete Espinoza (“Wenses y Lala”) as Chío (Joaquín’s lover); Rodrigo Abed (Reevolución) as Amado (Mexican capo); Luis Rábago (Principio y Fin) as General Blanco (National Security Advisor); Cristina Michaus (El Tigre de Santa Julia) as Doña Esperanza (Joaquín’s mother); Valentina Acosta (“Señora Acero”) as Alejandra (Joaquín’s first wife); and Juliette Pardau (“De Todas Maneras Rosa”) as Graciela (Joaquín’s second wife). ‘El Chapo’ is created by Silvana Aguirre Zegarra and Carlos Contreras and produced by Daniel Posada. The first season is directed by Jose Manuel Cravioto and Ernesto Contreras.

Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, who has been accused by law enforcement of running the “largest drug trafficking organization in the world,” has long evaded authorities. After being captured by Mexican authorities in February 2014, Guzman escaped from a maximum security Mexican prison in July 2015 by crawling through an opening in the shower of his cell block that led to a mile-long tunnel to freedom. He was recaptured nearly six months later and extradited to the U.S. earlier this year. His next scheduled court appearance is on May 5, 2017.