“El Chapo” extradition process to the US begins
Mexico starts formal extradition process to the US for drug lors Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman
Drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was captured by Mexican authorities, six months after he broke out of prison
Mexico has formally started the extradition process to the US of drug lynchpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to international reports.
58-year-old Guzman, escaped from the maximum security Altiplano prison through a tunnel dug in the showers, in July and was recaptured on Friday.
According to reports, Mexico is also considering whether to investigate Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who interviewed Guzman for Rolling Stone magazine soon after his jail break, with Mexican officials claiming that the secret meeting helped lead them to the fugitive.
In the interview, the result of a seven-hour meeting, Penn and Guzman discuss various topics, including drug trafficking.
The US filed extradition requests in 2014, so that Guzman could face charges of smuggling vast amounts of drugs from Mexico into the country.
The BBC adds that Guzman, who was named Public Enemy Number One by the Chicago Crime Commission in 2013, has been indicted by at least seven US federal district courts. However, it adds, the extradition of "El Chapo" to the US is by no means a foregone conclusion, given that the process can take months.
The paper adds that many people believe he should face justice in Mexico first.
Guzman’s escape in July, was not his first. He was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and escaped from Puente Grande jail in 2001, reportedly in a laundry basket after bribing officials. He was then on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014. Previous extradition requests from the US have been turned down.
