<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/drug-lord-escape-artist-el-chapo-convicted-by-us-jury-197026">Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman</a>, Mexico's most notorious kingpin, shipped tonnes of drugs around the world, escaped two maximum-security prisons and became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.

The 61-year-old now faces the prospect of life in prison.

Jurors on Tuesday found Guzman guilty of all 10 counts, including running a criminal enterprise, in a trial that began in November in New York.

The audacious exploits of "El Chapo," or "Shorty," captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for some in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel.

Beyond putting Guzman's personal life and drug dealings on public display, the case has also highlighted Mexico's longtime fight to bring down its chief adversary in the bloody war on drug trafficking.

In January 2016, after some three decades running drugs, Guzman was caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa.

Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexico's then-president, Enrique Pena Nieto, by escaping from prison through a mile-long (1.6-km-long) tunnel dug straight into his cell and equipped with a motorbike - his second time escaping a Mexican penitentiary.

Just days after his 2016 capture, Guzman's larger-than-life reputation was sealed when US movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord, which the Mexican government said was "essential" to his capture a few months later.

"I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him at the drug lord's mountain hideout.

Mexico's government extradited Guzman in January 2017, a day before Donald Trump took office as US president on vows to tighten border security to halt immigration and drug smuggling.

Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began taking shape when he staged his first jailbreak in 2001 by bribing prison guards, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande.

However, many in towns across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of hit men who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations.

Violence began to surge in 2006 as the government launched a war on drug trafficking that splintered criminal groups and sent killings spiralling. Mexico has registered more than 250,000 homicides since then, including a record number of killings last year.

Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tonnes of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's border with the United States.

In February 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone.

ELUSIVE KINGPIN

Security experts concede the 5-foot-6-inch (1.68 meter) gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmanoeuvre, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the drug trade for over a decade.

Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics and mistakes, forging alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years.

Mexican soldiers and US agents came close to Guzman on several occasions, but his layers of bodyguards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses.

In preparing for a raid in 2014, US officers restricted information to a small group for fear of corruption among Mexican law enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration agent Victor Vasquez testified in Guzman's trial.

SINALOA ROOTS

Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early 20th century.

He ascended in the 1980s, working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States.

The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had actually been aiming at Guzman.

Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. During his eight-year prison stay, Guzman smuggled in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media.

After escaping, Guzman expanded his turf by sending in assassin squads with names such as "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers," in reference to the rival Zetas gang.

Guzman hid near his childhood home, agents said, but rumours abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants and paying for all the diners.

In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in an ostentatious ceremony in a village in Durango state.

The state's archbishop subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living there. Guzman's bride, Emma Coronel, gave birth to twins in Los Angeles in 2011.

She attended nearly every day of her husband's trial in New York, at one point donning a red blazer that matched his own.

WAGING WAR

Between 2004 and 2013, Guzman's gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the US border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the world's most dangerous places.

In one such attack, 14 bodies were left mutilated under a note that read, "Don't forget that I am your real daddy," signed by "El Chapo."

Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers, arming its crew with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.

In 2008, hit men working for a rival murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old student. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave.

In the 1990s, Guzman became infamous for hiding several tonnes of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the following decade, his crew took drugs in tractor-trailer trucks to major US cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, indictments say.

Forbes magazine put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin, shipped tonnes of drugs around the world, escaped two maximum-security prisons and became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin, shipped tonnes of drugs around the world, escaped two maximum-security prisons and became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives. The 61-year-old now faces the prospect of life in prison. Jurors on Tuesday found Guzman guilty of all 10 counts, including running a criminal enterprise, in a trial that began in November in New York. The audacious exploits of "El Chapo," or "Shorty," captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for some in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel. Beyond putting Guzman's personal life and drug dealings on public display, the case has also highlighted Mexico's longtime fight to bring down its chief adversary in the bloody war on drug trafficking. In January 2016, after some three decades running drugs, Guzman was caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa. Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexico's then-president, Enrique Pena Nieto, by escaping from prison through a mile-long (1.6-km-long) tunnel dug straight into his cell and equipped with a motorbike - his second time escaping a Mexican penitentiary. Just days after his 2016 capture, Guzman's larger-than-life reputation was sealed when US movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord, which the Mexican government said was "essential" to his capture a few months later. "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him at the drug lord's mountain hideout. Mexico's government extradited Guzman in January 2017, a day before Donald Trump took office as US president on vows to tighten border security to halt immigration and drug smuggling. Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began taking shape when he staged his first jailbreak in 2001 by bribing prison guards, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande. However, many in towns across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of hit men who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations. Violence began to surge in 2006 as the government launched a war on drug trafficking that splintered criminal groups and sent killings spiralling. Mexico has registered more than 250,000 homicides since then, including a record number of killings last year. Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tonnes of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's border with the United States. In February 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission dubbed him the city's first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone. ELUSIVE KINGPIN Security experts concede the 5-foot-6-inch (1.68 meter) gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmanoeuvre, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the drug trade for over a decade. Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics and mistakes, forging alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years. Mexican soldiers and US agents came close to Guzman on several occasions, but his layers of bodyguards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses. In preparing for a raid in 2014, US officers restricted information to a small group for fear of corruption among Mexican law enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration agent Victor Vasquez testified in Guzman's trial. SINALOA ROOTS Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early 20th century. He ascended in the 1980s, working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States. The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had actually been aiming at Guzman. Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. During his eight-year prison stay, Guzman smuggled in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media. After escaping, Guzman expanded his turf by sending in assassin squads with names such as "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers," in reference to the rival Zetas gang. Guzman hid near his childhood home, agents said, but rumours abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants and paying for all the diners. In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in an ostentatious ceremony in a village in Durango state. The state's archbishop subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living there. Guzman's bride, Emma Coronel, gave birth to twins in Los Angeles in 2011. She attended nearly every day of her husband's trial in New York, at one point donning a red blazer that matched his own. WAGING WAR Between 2004 and 2013, Guzman's gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the US border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the world's most dangerous places. In one such attack, 14 bodies were left mutilated under a note that read, "Don't forget that I am your real daddy," signed by "El Chapo." Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers, arming its crew with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns. In 2008, hit men working for a rival murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old student. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave. In the 1990s, Guzman became infamous for hiding several tonnes of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the following decade, his crew took drugs in tractor-trailer trucks to major US cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago, indictments say. Forbes magazine put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth.

The rise and fall of 'El Chapo,' Mexico's most wanted gangster

The world's most infamous cartel boss <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapo-drugged-and-raped-teenage-girls-witness-claims-194807">Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman</a>, who rose from poverty in rural Mexico to amass billions of dollars, was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career.

Jurors in federal court in Brooklyn convicted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/el-chapo-dreamed-of-biopic-for-years-before-capture-says-trial-witness-190401">Guzman</a>, 61, head of the Sinaloa Cartel, on all 10 counts brought by US prosecutors.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-rise-and-fall-of-el-chapo-mexicos-most-wanted-gangster-197028">The rise and fall of 'El Chapo,' Mexico's most wanted gangster</a>

Richard Donoghue, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said he expected Guzman to receive life without parole when sentenced on June 25. "It is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return," Donoghue told reporters.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexican-drug-lord-el-chapo-faces-biggest-us-drugs-trial-175595">Guzman</a>, one of the major figures in Mexican drug wars that have roiled the country since 2006, become almost legendary for escaping from Mexican high-security jails twice and avoiding massive manhunts. He cultivated a Robin Hood image among the poor in his home state of Sinaloa.

Guzman sat and showed no emotion while the verdict was read. Once the jury left the room, he and his wife Emma Coronel, put their hands to their hearts and gave each other the thumbs up sign. His wife shed tears.

Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty," was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017 after he was arrested in Mexico the year before.

Though other high-ranking cartel figures had been extradited previously, Guzman was the first to go to trial instead of pleading guilty.

The 11-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered an unprecedented look at the inner workings of the Sinaloa Cartel, named for the state in northwestern Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village.

The US government said Guzman trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels.

Small in stature, Guzman's smuggling exploits, the violence he used and the sheer size of his illicit business made Guzman the world's most notorious drug baron since Colombia's Pablo Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993.

Guzman's lawyers say he was set up as a “fall guy” by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a powerful drug lord from Sinaloa who remains at large.

Jeffrey Lichtman, a lawyer for Guzman, told reporters after the verdict that the defence faced an uphill fight, given the amount of evidence the government presented, and the widespread perception that Guzman was already guilty.

"This was a case that was literally an avalanche, avalanche of evidence," Lichtman said. "Of course we're going to appeal."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapos-hometown-sceptical-much-will-change-after-verdict-197062">El Chapo's hometown sceptical much will change after </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapos-hometown-sceptical-much-will-change-after-verdict-197062">verdict</a>

DRUG WARS

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was elected last year after promising a change to the deadly military-led war against drug gangs, suggesting a negotiated peace and amnesty for non-violent drug dealers, traffickers and farmers.

The most detailed evidence against Guzman came from more than a dozen former associates who struck deals to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors.

They told jurors how the Sinaloa Cartel gained power in the 1990s, eventually coming to control almost the entire Pacific coast of Mexico.

Guzman made a name for himself in the 1980s by building cross-border tunnels that allowed him to move cocaine from Mexico into the United States faster than anyone else.

The witnesses, who included some of Guzman's top lieutenants, a communications engineer and a onetime mistress, described how he built a sophisticated organization reminiscent of a multinational corporation.

He sent drugs northward with fleets of planes and boats, and had detailed accounting ledgers and an encrypted electronic communication system run through secret computer servers in Canada, the court heard.

Guzman's attempt to take territory from a rival cartel was one of the main reasons for an explosion of drug violence in Mexico. The government has registered more than 250,000 homicides since it launched an aggressive war on cartels in 2006. A report by the US Congressional Research Service last year estimated 150,000 of those deaths were tied to organised crime.

A former bodyguard testified that he watched Guzman kill three rival drug cartel members, including one victim who he shot and then ordered to be buried even as he was still gasping for air.

US District Judge Brian Cogan told the jurors after the verdict that it was up to them to decide to talk to the media, but that he would advise against it. “Once that door is open, it can’t be closed again,” he said.&nbsp;

Estimates of how much money Guzman made from drugs vary. In 2009, Forbes Magazine put him on its list of the world’s richest people, with an estimated $1 billion. It later dropped him from the list, saying it was too difficult to quantify his assets.

The US Justice Department said in 2017 it sought forfeiture of more than $14 billion in drug proceeds and illicit profits from Guzman.

The most shocking allegation of corruption during the trial came from Guzman's former top aide Alex Cifuentes, who accused former Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto of taking a $100 million bribe from Guzman. A spokesman for the ex-president has denied the claim.

In one of the trial's final days, Guzman told the judge he would not testify in his own defence. The same day, he grinned broadly at audience member Alejandro Edda, the Mexican actor who plays Guzman in the Netflix drama "Narcos."

Despite his ties to government officials, Guzman often lived on the run. Imprisoned in Mexico in 1993, he escaped in 2001 hidden in a laundry cart and spent the following years moving from one hideout to another in the mountains of Sinaloa, guarded by a private army.

He was seized again in 2014, but pulled off his best known escape the following year when he disappeared into a tunnel dug into his cell in a maximum security prison.

But the Mexican government says he blew his cover through a series of slip ups, including an attempt to make a movie about his life. He was finally recaptured in January 2016.

Despite Guzman's downfall, the Sinaloa Cartel still has the biggest US distribution presence of Mexican cartels, followed by the fast-growing Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Together, they are the biggest producers of drugs sold on US streets.

The world's most infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who rose from poverty in rural Mexico to amass billions of dollars, was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career.

The world's most infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who rose from poverty in rural Mexico to amass billions of dollars, was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career. Jurors in federal court in Brooklyn convicted Guzman, 61, head of the Sinaloa Cartel, on all 10 counts brought by US prosecutors. Also read: The rise and fall of 'El Chapo,' Mexico's most wanted gangster Richard Donoghue, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said he expected Guzman to receive life without parole when sentenced on June 25. "It is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return," Donoghue told reporters. Guzman, one of the major figures in Mexican drug wars that have roiled the country since 2006, become almost legendary for escaping from Mexican high-security jails twice and avoiding massive manhunts. He cultivated a Robin Hood image among the poor in his home state of Sinaloa. Guzman sat and showed no emotion while the verdict was read. Once the jury left the room, he and his wife Emma Coronel, put their hands to their hearts and gave each other the thumbs up sign. His wife shed tears. Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty," was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017 after he was arrested in Mexico the year before. Though other high-ranking cartel figures had been extradited previously, Guzman was the first to go to trial instead of pleading guilty. The 11-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered an unprecedented look at the inner workings of the Sinaloa Cartel, named for the state in northwestern Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village. The US government said Guzman trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels. Small in stature, Guzman's smuggling exploits, the violence he used and the sheer size of his illicit business made Guzman the world's most notorious drug baron since Colombia's Pablo Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993. Guzman's lawyers say he was set up as a “fall guy” by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a powerful drug lord from Sinaloa who remains at large. Jeffrey Lichtman, a lawyer for Guzman, told reporters after the verdict that the defence faced an uphill fight, given the amount of evidence the government presented, and the widespread perception that Guzman was already guilty. "This was a case that was literally an avalanche, avalanche of evidence," Lichtman said. "Of course we're going to appeal." Also read: El Chapo's hometown sceptical much will change after verdict DRUG WARS President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was elected last year after promising a change to the deadly military-led war against drug gangs, suggesting a negotiated peace and amnesty for non-violent drug dealers, traffickers and farmers. The most detailed evidence against Guzman came from more than a dozen former associates who struck deals to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors. They told jurors how the Sinaloa Cartel gained power in the 1990s, eventually coming to control almost the entire Pacific coast of Mexico. Guzman made a name for himself in the 1980s by building cross-border tunnels that allowed him to move cocaine from Mexico into the United States faster than anyone else. The witnesses, who included some of Guzman's top lieutenants, a communications engineer and a onetime mistress, described how he built a sophisticated organization reminiscent of a multinational corporation. He sent drugs northward with fleets of planes and boats, and had detailed accounting ledgers and an encrypted electronic communication system run through secret computer servers in Canada, the court heard. Guzman's attempt to take territory from a rival cartel was one of the main reasons for an explosion of drug violence in Mexico. The government has registered more than 250,000 homicides since it launched an aggressive war on cartels in 2006. A report by the US Congressional Research Service last year estimated 150,000 of those deaths were tied to organised crime. A former bodyguard testified that he watched Guzman kill three rival drug cartel members, including one victim who he shot and then ordered to be buried even as he was still gasping for air. US District Judge Brian Cogan told the jurors after the verdict that it was up to them to decide to talk to the media, but that he would advise against it. “Once that door is open, it can’t be closed again,” he said. Estimates of how much money Guzman made from drugs vary. In 2009, Forbes Magazine put him on its list of the world’s richest people, with an estimated $1 billion. It later dropped him from the list, saying it was too difficult to quantify his assets. The US Justice Department said in 2017 it sought forfeiture of more than $14 billion in drug proceeds and illicit profits from Guzman. The most shocking allegation of corruption during the trial came from Guzman's former top aide Alex Cifuentes, who accused former Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto of taking a $100 million bribe from Guzman. A spokesman for the ex-president has denied the claim. In one of the trial's final days, Guzman told the judge he would not testify in his own defence. The same day, he grinned broadly at audience member Alejandro Edda, the Mexican actor who plays Guzman in the Netflix drama "Narcos." Despite his ties to government officials, Guzman often lived on the run. Imprisoned in Mexico in 1993, he escaped in 2001 hidden in a laundry cart and spent the following years moving from one hideout to another in the mountains of Sinaloa, guarded by a private army. He was seized again in 2014, but pulled off his best known escape the following year when he disappeared into a tunnel dug into his cell in a maximum security prison. But the Mexican government says he blew his cover through a series of slip ups, including an attempt to make a movie about his life. He was finally recaptured in January 2016. Despite Guzman's downfall, the Sinaloa Cartel still has the biggest US distribution presence of Mexican cartels, followed by the fast-growing Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Together, they are the biggest producers of drugs sold on US streets.

Drug lord, escape artist 'El Chapo' convicted by US jury

Gravitas: A look back at the life of drug boss 'El Chapo' Guzman

People in the hometown of infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were sceptical much would change after he was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career.

People expressed resignation that nothing would change in Culiacan, the capital of Mexico's Pacific Coast state of Sinaloa.

Local resident, Gildardo Velazquez said, "nobody is stopping narcotrafficking even though they captured him, even if they've given him life in prison, which they think he deserves. I don't think it will change anything here in Mexico, on the contrary, it will continue."

Meanwhile, El Chapo's lawyer held a news conference in Mexico City to say that his legal team will continue to fight his imprisonment in the United States by taking his case to various international courts.

"We will put this forward in the international courts, in the international criminal court in The Hague, in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in Amnesty International, and before the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN," said the lawyer, Juan Pablo Badillo.

Jurors in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday convicted Guzman, 61, head of the Sinaloa Cartel, on all 10 counts brought by US prosecutors.

Richard Donoghue, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said he expected Guzman to receive life without parole when sentenced on June 25.

Guzman, one of the major figures in Mexican drug wars that have roiled the country since 2006, become almost legendary for escaping from Mexican high-security jails twice and avoiding massive manhunts. He cultivated a Robin Hood image among the poor in his home state of Sinaloa.

Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty," was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017 after he was arrested in Mexico the year before.

People in the hometown of infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were sceptical much would change after he was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career.

People in the hometown of infamous cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were sceptical much would change after he was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a violent, colourful, decades-long career. People expressed resignation that nothing would change in Culiacan, the capital of Mexico's Pacific Coast state of Sinaloa. Local resident, Gildardo Velazquez said, "nobody is stopping narcotrafficking even though they captured him, even if they've given him life in prison, which they think he deserves. I don't think it will change anything here in Mexico, on the contrary, it will continue." Meanwhile, El Chapo's lawyer held a news conference in Mexico City to say that his legal team will continue to fight his imprisonment in the United States by taking his case to various international courts. "We will put this forward in the international courts, in the international criminal court in The Hague, in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in Amnesty International, and before the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN," said the lawyer, Juan Pablo Badillo. Jurors in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday convicted Guzman, 61, head of the Sinaloa Cartel, on all 10 counts brought by US prosecutors. Richard Donoghue, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said he expected Guzman to receive life without parole when sentenced on June 25. Guzman, one of the major figures in Mexican drug wars that have roiled the country since 2006, become almost legendary for escaping from Mexican high-security jails twice and avoiding massive manhunts. He cultivated a Robin Hood image among the poor in his home state of Sinaloa. Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty," was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017 after he was arrested in Mexico the year before.

El Chapo's hometown sceptical much will change after verdict

News of the conviction of Mexico's legendary crime boss Joaquin "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapo-likely-heading-for-colorado-prison-where-no-one-has-escaped-197084">El Chapo</a>" Guzman travelled quickly on Tuesday to his rugged home state, where people said they felt pain for a man some described as a fallen folk hero and community benefactor.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/drug-lord-escape-artist-el-chapo-convicted-by-us-jury-197026">Guzman was found guilty </a>of smuggling tonnes of drugs into the United States over a decades-long career built on deadly intimidation and bloody turf wars as he moved illicit shipments across continents at lightning speed.

Reaction in his native state of Sinaloa, home to remote mountain villages and sunny beaches along Mexico's Pacific coast, ranged from lament to resignation that little will change now that Guzman is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

"Trafficking drugs will continue," said Gildardo Velazquez in Culiacan, the state's humid capital. "Nobody can stop it. Even now that they'll give him the life sentence they think he deserves, it's not going to change anything here."

Some others expressed sadness at the news of Guzman's conviction in a far-away New York federal courtroom.

"The truth is this hurts," said a grey-haired man wearing a baseball cap, who described himself as a native of Badiraguato, Guzman's hometown, but declined to provide his name.

"We know that he's helped a lot of people, building roads, schools, churches. People here will suffer now due to lack of support."

Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty" in Spanish, will not be formally sentenced until June 25, though prosecutors said they expect him to receive a life sentence without the chance of parole.

Rising from the same humble origins in Sinaloa as many other top Mexican capos, Guzman cemented his status as a criminal sensation by breaking out of prison twice, first in 2001 and again in 2015. He was recaptured in early 2016, and a year later was extradited to the United States to face trial.

Despite the bloody details that emerged from the 11-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, many locals continued to laud him as a modern-day Robin Hood, overlooking the murder and mayhem he left behind.

Others expressed fear that lawlessness across Mexico may grow as former rivals fight over the spoils in the aftermath of Guzman's conviction on all 10 counts brought by U.S. prosecutors.

"I think it might be counterproductive," said Carlos, a young man wearing headphones who declined to give his surname.

"There's more people that want everything that El Chapo controlled." 
 
&nbsp;

News of the conviction of Mexico's legendary crime boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman travelled quickly on Tuesday to his rugged home state, where people said they felt pain for a man some described as a fallen folk hero and community benefactor.

News of the conviction of Mexico's legendary crime boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman travelled quickly on Tuesday to his rugged home state, where people said they felt pain for a man some described as a fallen folk hero and community benefactor. Guzman was found guilty of smuggling tonnes of drugs into the United States over a decades-long career built on deadly intimidation and bloody turf wars as he moved illicit shipments across continents at lightning speed. Reaction in his native state of Sinaloa, home to remote mountain villages and sunny beaches along Mexico's Pacific coast, ranged from lament to resignation that little will change now that Guzman is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. "Trafficking drugs will continue," said Gildardo Velazquez in Culiacan, the state's humid capital. "Nobody can stop it. Even now that they'll give him the life sentence they think he deserves, it's not going to change anything here." Some others expressed sadness at the news of Guzman's conviction in a far-away New York federal courtroom. "The truth is this hurts," said a grey-haired man wearing a baseball cap, who described himself as a native of Badiraguato, Guzman's hometown, but declined to provide his name. "We know that he's helped a lot of people, building roads, schools, churches. People here will suffer now due to lack of support." Guzman, whose nickname means "Shorty" in Spanish, will not be formally sentenced until June 25, though prosecutors said they expect him to receive a life sentence without the chance of parole. Rising from the same humble origins in Sinaloa as many other top Mexican capos, Guzman cemented his status as a criminal sensation by breaking out of prison twice, first in 2001 and again in 2015. He was recaptured in early 2016, and a year later was extradited to the United States to face trial. Despite the bloody details that emerged from the 11-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, many locals continued to laud him as a modern-day Robin Hood, overlooking the murder and mayhem he left behind. Others expressed fear that lawlessness across Mexico may grow as former rivals fight over the spoils in the aftermath of Guzman's conviction on all 10 counts brought by U.S. prosecutors. "I think it might be counterproductive," said Carlos, a young man wearing headphones who declined to give his surname. "There's more people that want everything that El Chapo controlled."

'This hurts': On El Chapo's home turf, some lament Mexican drug lord's conviction

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/drug-lord-escape-artist-el-chapo-convicted-by-us-jury-197026">Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman,</a> the Mexican found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of running a criminal enterprise that smuggled drugs into the United States, is likely headed to a "supermax" prison where repeating his past escapes would be nearly impossible.

No one has broken out of Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado since it opened in 1994 to house the most dangerous inmates in the US prison system.

"ADX is the kind of prison that was designed for a high-profile inmate like El Chapo," Larry Levine, a former federal inmate who is the director and founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, said in a phone interview.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapos-hometown-sceptical-much-will-change-after-verdict-197062">Guzman, 61, the leader of the Sinaloa Carte</a>l who escaped twice from maximum-security Mexican prisons before his most recent capture in 2016, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/el-chapo-us-drug-trial-jury-ends-second-day-without-verdict-195655">faces a possible life prison sentence</a> at a hearing scheduled for June 25 in New York.

US authorities have been tight-lipped about where Guzman will be imprisoned. But it has been widely anticipated that, if convicted, he would be sent to ADX Florence, ever since his extradition to the United States in January 2017.

"For someone like Guzman, the chances of escape from a facility like that are nil," said L. Thomas Kucharski, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

'ALCATRAZ OF THE ROCKIES'

Officials from the US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

ADX Florence, located in a complex of prisons in a remote area about 115 miles (185 km) south of Denver, is nicknamed "Alcatraz of the Rockies" after the prison in San Francisco Bay that held gangster Al Capone in the 1930s and other notorious criminals.

ADX Florence inmates are held in specially designed "control units" that function as prisons within prisons.

"It's like a self-contained area within a self-contained area within a self-contained area," Levine said.

The prisoners are confined to single-person cells for 22 or more hours a day, depriving them of virtually all contact with the outside world.

ADX Florence's most infamous inmates include Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York; convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, according to the BOP website.

Special restrictions are designed to ensure some inmates have no means of exerting influence or threats beyond prison walls, which is useful for US authorities to control those with sway over militant groups or criminal enterprises.

Not all of the facility's prisoners are famous for their crimes. Some were transferred there because they attacked guards or inmates at other facilities, Levine said.

In fact, about 90 per cent of the more than 400 inmates are there because of discipline issues, according to a report released last October by the District of Columbia Corrections Information Council.

Inside their cell, the most highly guarded inmates have a television with content designed to provide them with education, psychological help and religious services, the report said.

Each cell has a narrow window, 42 inches (107 cm) tall and angled toward the sky, and inmates cannot see each other from inside their units, it said.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the Mexican found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of running a criminal enterprise that smuggled drugs into the United States, is likely headed to a "supermax" prison where repeating his past escapes would be nearly impossible.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the Mexican found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of running a criminal enterprise that smuggled drugs into the United States, is likely headed to a "supermax" prison where repeating his past escapes would be nearly impossible. No one has broken out of Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado since it opened in 1994 to house the most dangerous inmates in the US prison system. "ADX is the kind of prison that was designed for a high-profile inmate like El Chapo," Larry Levine, a former federal inmate who is the director and founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, said in a phone interview. Guzman, 61, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel who escaped twice from maximum-security Mexican prisons before his most recent capture in 2016, faces a possible life prison sentence at a hearing scheduled for June 25 in New York. US authorities have been tight-lipped about where Guzman will be imprisoned. But it has been widely anticipated that, if convicted, he would be sent to ADX Florence, ever since his extradition to the United States in January 2017. "For someone like Guzman, the chances of escape from a facility like that are nil," said L. Thomas Kucharski, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. 'ALCATRAZ OF THE ROCKIES' Officials from the US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. ADX Florence, located in a complex of prisons in a remote area about 115 miles (185 km) south of Denver, is nicknamed "Alcatraz of the Rockies" after the prison in San Francisco Bay that held gangster Al Capone in the 1930s and other notorious criminals. ADX Florence inmates are held in specially designed "control units" that function as prisons within prisons. "It's like a self-contained area within a self-contained area within a self-contained area," Levine said. The prisoners are confined to single-person cells for 22 or more hours a day, depriving them of virtually all contact with the outside world. ADX Florence's most infamous inmates include Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York; convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, according to the BOP website. Special restrictions are designed to ensure some inmates have no means of exerting influence or threats beyond prison walls, which is useful for US authorities to control those with sway over militant groups or criminal enterprises. Not all of the facility's prisoners are famous for their crimes. Some were transferred there because they attacked guards or inmates at other facilities, Levine said. In fact, about 90 per cent of the more than 400 inmates are there because of discipline issues, according to a report released last October by the District of Columbia Corrections Information Council. Inside their cell, the most highly guarded inmates have a television with content designed to provide them with education, psychological help and religious services, the report said. Each cell has a narrow window, 42 inches (107 cm) tall and angled toward the sky, and inmates cannot see each other from inside their units, it said.

'El Chapo' likely heading for Colorado prison from where no one has escaped

Jurors in the US trial of accused Mexican drug cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman ended their second day of deliberations on Tuesday without reaching a verdict.

The 12 jurors in federal court in Brooklyn began their deliberations shortly after 9 am and were sent home at 4:15 pm. They are expected to resume at 9:30 am on Wednesday.

Guzman, 61, is accused of leading Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, which became one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. He twice escaped from prison in Mexico and will face the possibility of life in a US prison if convicted.

On Tuesday afternoon, the jurors asked to hear a phone call in which a man, who prosecutors say is Guzman, discusses selling methamphetamine in the United States, as well as part of one witness's testimony about importing ephedrine into Mexico to manufacture methamphetamine. The call was played for them, and court stenographers read them a transcript of the testimony.

The jurors had asked on Monday whether ephedrine is considered methamphetamine, and was instructed by US District Judge Brian Cogan to refer to the evidence in the case.

Jurors also asked for the entire testimony of Colombian drug trafficking brothers Jorge and Alex Cifuentes, both of whom testified at length against Guzman. Because their testimony spanned several days, Cogan said he would give them written transcripts, which are expected to be ready on Wednesday.

The 11-week trial, which featured testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered the public an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the cartel, named for the state in northwest Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village.

Prosecutors said he trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels.

The defence argued that Guzman was set up as a "fall guy" by Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a drug kingpin from Sinaloa who remains at large.

At least three jurors are immigrants, three are Spanish speakers and several have ties to law enforcement.

Almost all of them had heard of Guzman before the trial began but said they could be impartial. The only exception was a woman from Ethiopia who said she had "no clue" who he was.

Jurors in the US trial of accused Mexican drug cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman ended their second day of deliberations on Tuesday without reaching a verdict.

Jurors in the US trial of accused Mexican drug cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman ended their second day of deliberations on Tuesday without reaching a verdict. The 12 jurors in federal court in Brooklyn began their deliberations shortly after 9 am and were sent home at 4:15 pm. They are expected to resume at 9:30 am on Wednesday. Guzman, 61, is accused of leading Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, which became one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. He twice escaped from prison in Mexico and will face the possibility of life in a US prison if convicted. On Tuesday afternoon, the jurors asked to hear a phone call in which a man, who prosecutors say is Guzman, discusses selling methamphetamine in the United States, as well as part of one witness's testimony about importing ephedrine into Mexico to manufacture methamphetamine. The call was played for them, and court stenographers read them a transcript of the testimony. The jurors had asked on Monday whether ephedrine is considered methamphetamine, and was instructed by US District Judge Brian Cogan to refer to the evidence in the case. Jurors also asked for the entire testimony of Colombian drug trafficking brothers Jorge and Alex Cifuentes, both of whom testified at length against Guzman. Because their testimony spanned several days, Cogan said he would give them written transcripts, which are expected to be ready on Wednesday. The 11-week trial, which featured testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered the public an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the cartel, named for the state in northwest Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village. Prosecutors said he trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels. The defence argued that Guzman was set up as a "fall guy" by Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a drug kingpin from Sinaloa who remains at large. At least three jurors are immigrants, three are Spanish speakers and several have ties to law enforcement. Almost all of them had heard of Guzman before the trial began but said they could be impartial. The only exception was a woman from Ethiopia who said she had "no clue" who he was.

'El Chapo' US drug trial jury ends second day without verdict

A witness in the trial of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-el-chapo-trial-ex-hitman-tells-of-kingpins-gruesome-tactics-192586">Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman</a> told the US government the Mexican drug kingpin drugged and raped girls as young as 13, according to court documents unsealed Saturday.

Longtime associate Alex Cifuentes told authorities a woman would send Guzman photos of young girls to choose from, with a fee of $5,000 per girl.

Cifuentes used this service himself three or four times, having sex with girls as young as 15-years-old, the government said in the documents, adding he "witnessed the defendant do the same on multiple occasions, with girls as young as 13 years old."

The former Sinaloa cartel leader, 61, would allegedly sometimes drug the girls with "a powdery substance" with Cifuentes' help before raping them.

But Cifuentes, who lived with Guzman in 2007 and 2008, did not mention any of this in four days of testimony during the trial, which ended on Thursday after three months of hearings.

"Joaquin denies the allegations, which lack any corroboration and were deemed too prejudicial and unreliable to be admitted at trial," Guzman's lawyer, Eduardo Balarezo, said in an emailed statement.

"It is unfortunate that the material was publicly released just prior to the jury beginning deliberations."

On Monday, the jury will begin deliberating whether Guzman is guilty of trafficking hundreds of tons of drugs into the US. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

The documents were published following a legal claim by US media, which throughout the trial fought the secrecy surrounding the case.

Cifuentes, 50, was arrested in Mexico in 2013 then deported from Colombia to the US. Currently, in prison, he is cooperating with the government in exchange for a reduced sentence.

A witness in the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman told the US government the Mexican drug kingpin drugged and raped girls as young as 13, according to court documents unsealed Saturday.

A witness in the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman told the US government the Mexican drug kingpin drugged and raped girls as young as 13, according to court documents unsealed Saturday. Longtime associate Alex Cifuentes told authorities a woman would send Guzman photos of young girls to choose from, with a fee of $5,000 per girl. Cifuentes used this service himself three or four times, having sex with girls as young as 15-years-old, the government said in the documents, adding he "witnessed the defendant do the same on multiple occasions, with girls as young as 13 years old." The former Sinaloa cartel leader, 61, would allegedly sometimes drug the girls with "a powdery substance" with Cifuentes' help before raping them. But Cifuentes, who lived with Guzman in 2007 and 2008, did not mention any of this in four days of testimony during the trial, which ended on Thursday after three months of hearings. "Joaquin denies the allegations, which lack any corroboration and were deemed too prejudicial and unreliable to be admitted at trial," Guzman's lawyer, Eduardo Balarezo, said in an emailed statement. "It is unfortunate that the material was publicly released just prior to the jury beginning deliberations." On Monday, the jury will begin deliberating whether Guzman is guilty of trafficking hundreds of tons of drugs into the US. He faces a life sentence if convicted. The documents were published following a legal claim by US media, which throughout the trial fought the secrecy surrounding the case. Cifuentes, 50, was arrested in Mexico in 2013 then deported from Colombia to the US. Currently, in prison, he is cooperating with the government in exchange for a reduced sentence.

El Chapo drugged and raped teenage girls, witness claims

A former hitman for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has offered gruesome testimony in a US court about acts of torture and killings of rivals allegedly committed by the ex-Sinaloa boss.

It was the first time that the federal court heard details of executions carried out by El Chapo himself. The jury had heard other witnesses relate killings ordered by the once powerful drug lord.

While Guzman is not on trial for murder, federal prosecutors want to depict him as a violent and ruthless man ready to do anything to protect his business. He faces trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges that could see him jailed for life in the United States.

The former hitman, Isaias Valdez Rios -- who goes by "Memin" or "Memo" -- told the court on Thursday that he saw Guzman kill a member of the rival Arellano Felix cartel.

The victim had been tortured before he arrived at El Chapo's camp on the plane of Ismael "Mayo" Zambada, who led the Sinaloa organisation with Guzman.

"He had burns made with an iron on his back, his shirt was stuck to his skin. He had burns made with a car lighter all over his body. His feet were burned," said the 39-year-old Valdez Rios.

According to the hitman, who later became Guzman's secretary and pilot, El Chapo became angry when he saw the condition of the man, so he left him locked in a chicken coop for days.

The witness said that after two interrogations, Guzman shot the man, uttering his signature kill phrase: "F*** your mother!" But the kill shot was unsuccessful and the man was still breathing, said Valdez Rios, who worked for seven years in the Mexican army's special forces unit before joining Guzman's organization.

"So we put him in a hole and buried him," Valdez Rios told the court, adding that he had seen El Chapo torture and kill two other members of the Zetas drug cartel.

First, the kingpin beat them nearly to death with a thick tree branch in a wooded area, he said. "They were completely like rag dolls -- their bones were totally broken. They could not move. And Mr Joaquin was still hitting them with the branch and his weapon too," he said.

Near a bonfire that had been lit, Guzman "put the rifle to the head of one guy, fired" and again used his profane kill phrase, the witness said. "Then he did the same to the other guy." The pair were then thrown into the fire, he told the court.

Valdez Rios was arrested in 2014 and has been in a US prison ever since. He is facing a sentence of 10 years to life, but is hoping to see that reduced in exchange for his cooperation with prosecutors.

A former hitman for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has offered gruesome testimony in a US court about acts of torture and killings of rivals allegedly committed by the ex-Sinaloa boss.

A former hitman for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has offered gruesome testimony in a US court about acts of torture and killings of rivals allegedly committed by the ex-Sinaloa boss. It was the first time that the federal court heard details of executions carried out by El Chapo himself. The jury had heard other witnesses relate killings ordered by the once powerful drug lord. While Guzman is not on trial for murder, federal prosecutors want to depict him as a violent and ruthless man ready to do anything to protect his business. He faces trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges that could see him jailed for life in the United States. The former hitman, Isaias Valdez Rios -- who goes by "Memin" or "Memo" -- told the court on Thursday that he saw Guzman kill a member of the rival Arellano Felix cartel. The victim had been tortured before he arrived at El Chapo's camp on the plane of Ismael "Mayo" Zambada, who led the Sinaloa organisation with Guzman. "He had burns made with an iron on his back, his shirt was stuck to his skin. He had burns made with a car lighter all over his body. His feet were burned," said the 39-year-old Valdez Rios. According to the hitman, who later became Guzman's secretary and pilot, El Chapo became angry when he saw the condition of the man, so he left him locked in a chicken coop for days. The witness said that after two interrogations, Guzman shot the man, uttering his signature kill phrase: "F*** your mother!" But the kill shot was unsuccessful and the man was still breathing, said Valdez Rios, who worked for seven years in the Mexican army's special forces unit before joining Guzman's organization. "So we put him in a hole and buried him," Valdez Rios told the court, adding that he had seen El Chapo torture and kill two other members of the Zetas drug cartel. First, the kingpin beat them nearly to death with a thick tree branch in a wooded area, he said. "They were completely like rag dolls -- their bones were totally broken. They could not move. And Mr Joaquin was still hitting them with the branch and his weapon too," he said. Near a bonfire that had been lit, Guzman "put the rifle to the head of one guy, fired" and again used his profane kill phrase, the witness said. "Then he did the same to the other guy." The pair were then thrown into the fire, he told the court. Valdez Rios was arrested in 2014 and has been in a US prison ever since. He is facing a sentence of 10 years to life, but is hoping to see that reduced in exchange for his cooperation with prosecutors.

At El Chapo trial, ex-hitman tells of kingpin's gruesome tactics

Accused Mexican drug lord <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/el-chapo-dreamed-of-biopic-for-years-before-capture-says-trial-witness-190401">Joaquin "El Chapo" </a>Guzman once paid a $100 million bribe to former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, an ex-Guzman associate testified on Tuesday that he previously told US&nbsp;authorities. 
&nbsp; 
Alex Cifuentes, who has described himself as Guzman`s onetime right-hand man, discussed the alleged bribe under cross-examination by Jeffrey Lichtman, one of Guzman's lawyers, in Brooklyn federal court. Asked if he told authorities in 2016 that Guzman arranged the bribe, he answered, "That's right."

Reuters could not immediately reach Pena Nieto or his former spokesman for comment. He has previously denied taking bribes.

The allegations are among the most explosive to emerge from Guzman`s trial, which began in November and has so far featured the testimony of lower-level corruption.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexican-drug-lord-el-chapo-faces-biggest-us-drugs-trial-175595">Guzman,</a> 61, was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges of trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the country as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Cifuentes testified that he had told US&nbsp;prosecutors that Pena Nieto initially reached out to Guzman, asking for $250 million. Cifuentes told the prosecutors that the bribe was paid in October 2012, when Pena Nieto was president-elect, he testified.

Cifuentes also said testified that Guzman once told him he had received a message from Pena Nieto saying he did not have to live in hiding anymore.

Lichtman had promised jurors in his opening statement last November they would hear how Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada bribed Pena Nieto and another former president as part of a scheme to frame Guzman. He said Zambada was the real boss of the cartel.

Pena Nieto at the time called the claim "completely false and defamatory." 
US&nbsp;District Judge Brian Cogan, however, refused to allow Guzman`s lawyers to question Zambada`s brother about the alleged bribes last year.

It was unclear how Cifuentes` testimony, which appeared to implicate Guzman, could be used to defend him, though Lichtman homed in on inconsistencies in Cifuentes` memory. Cifuentes admitted that at a meeting last year, he told prosecutors he was no longer sure of the exact amounts of the bribes but did not elaborate.

Pena Nieto was president of Mexico from December 2012 until November 2018. He was once a rising star in Mexico’s long-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI. He was the former governor of the state of Mexico, the country’s most populous, and married a glamorous telenovela actress just a couple years before winning the presidency.

But the president ended his term a much-diminished figure, pummeled by conflict-of-interest scandals, rampant crime and a lacklustre economy.

While Pena Nieto himself was barred by law from running for a second term in 2018, his centrist party suffered a historic defeat at the polls as leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won in a landslide, relegating the PRI to the role of a marginal player in the new Congress.

Captured by Pena Nieto`s government in February 2014, Guzman broke out of prison for a second time some 17 months later, escaping through a mile-long tunnel dug right into in his cell.

The jailbreak humiliated the government and battered the president`s already damaged credibility, though Pena Nieto personally announced news of the kingpin`s third capture when he was again arrested in northwestern Mexico in January 2016.

Colombian-born Cifuentes is one of about a dozen witnesses who have so far testified against Guzman after striking deals with US&nbsp;prosecutors, in a trial that has provided a window into the secretive world of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world`s most powerful drug trafficking organization.

Cifuentes earlier on Tuesday had also testified that Guzman asked an associate to pay a $10 million bribe to a general. The witness said the bribe was never paid and Guzman subsequently ordered the associate killed, though the hit was never carried out. 
&nbsp;

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman once paid a $100 million bribe to former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, an ex-Guzman associate testified on Tuesday that he previously told US authorities.

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman once paid a $100 million bribe to former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, an ex-Guzman associate testified on Tuesday that he previously told US authorities. Alex Cifuentes, who has described himself as Guzman`s onetime right-hand man, discussed the alleged bribe under cross-examination by Jeffrey Lichtman, one of Guzman's lawyers, in Brooklyn federal court. Asked if he told authorities in 2016 that Guzman arranged the bribe, he answered, "That's right." Reuters could not immediately reach Pena Nieto or his former spokesman for comment. He has previously denied taking bribes. The allegations are among the most explosive to emerge from Guzman`s trial, which began in November and has so far featured the testimony of lower-level corruption. Guzman, 61, was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges of trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the country as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Cifuentes testified that he had told US prosecutors that Pena Nieto initially reached out to Guzman, asking for $250 million. Cifuentes told the prosecutors that the bribe was paid in October 2012, when Pena Nieto was president-elect, he testified. Cifuentes also said testified that Guzman once told him he had received a message from Pena Nieto saying he did not have to live in hiding anymore. Lichtman had promised jurors in his opening statement last November they would hear how Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada bribed Pena Nieto and another former president as part of a scheme to frame Guzman. He said Zambada was the real boss of the cartel. Pena Nieto at the time called the claim "completely false and defamatory." US District Judge Brian Cogan, however, refused to allow Guzman`s lawyers to question Zambada`s brother about the alleged bribes last year. It was unclear how Cifuentes` testimony, which appeared to implicate Guzman, could be used to defend him, though Lichtman homed in on inconsistencies in Cifuentes` memory. Cifuentes admitted that at a meeting last year, he told prosecutors he was no longer sure of the exact amounts of the bribes but did not elaborate. Pena Nieto was president of Mexico from December 2012 until November 2018. He was once a rising star in Mexico’s long-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI. He was the former governor of the state of Mexico, the country’s most populous, and married a glamorous telenovela actress just a couple years before winning the presidency. But the president ended his term a much-diminished figure, pummeled by conflict-of-interest scandals, rampant crime and a lacklustre economy. While Pena Nieto himself was barred by law from running for a second term in 2018, his centrist party suffered a historic defeat at the polls as leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won in a landslide, relegating the PRI to the role of a marginal player in the new Congress. Captured by Pena Nieto`s government in February 2014, Guzman broke out of prison for a second time some 17 months later, escaping through a mile-long tunnel dug right into in his cell. The jailbreak humiliated the government and battered the president`s already damaged credibility, though Pena Nieto personally announced news of the kingpin`s third capture when he was again arrested in northwestern Mexico in January 2016. Colombian-born Cifuentes is one of about a dozen witnesses who have so far testified against Guzman after striking deals with US prosecutors, in a trial that has provided a window into the secretive world of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world`s most powerful drug trafficking organization. Cifuentes earlier on Tuesday had also testified that Guzman asked an associate to pay a $10 million bribe to a general. The witness said the bribe was never paid and Guzman subsequently ordered the associate killed, though the hit was never carried out.

'El Chapo' paid ex-Mexican president $100 million bribe, says trial witness

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was interested in directing a movie about his life story as early as 2007, long before his well-known meeting with US actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo in 2015, jurors in Guzman's US trial heard on Monday.

Alex Cifuentes, Guzman's self-described one-time 'right-hand man,' said he learned about a planned movie project while living with Guzman in the mountains of his boss` home state of Sinaloa from 2007 to 2009.

Colombian-born Cifuentes is one of about a dozen witnesses who have so far testified against Guzman after striking deals with U.S. prosecutors, in a trial that has provided a window into the secretive world of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organization.

On trial in federal court in Brooklyn since November, Guzman, 61, was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges of trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the country as leader of the cartel.&nbsp;

The alleged kingpin's silver screen dreams first surfaced after Penn wrote a story for Rolling Stone magazine in 2016 about travelling with Del Castillo to meet Guzman at a forest hideout, not long after Guzman had escaped from a Mexican prison through a tunnel.

Del Castillo, who once played a drug trafficker in a well-known Mexican TV soap, revealed soon after the article was published that the meeting came about because Guzman's lawyers had reached out to her about a possible movie.

When Guzman was eventually recaptured in 2016, Mexico's then-Attorney General Arely Gomez said his contact with 'actresses and producers' was an 'important aspect that helped locate him.'

Cifuentes own wife first urged Guzman to make a biopic around 2007, Cifuentes said on Monday. Cifuentes said Guzman hired a Colombian producer and planned a book tie-in, and the project got as far as a draft that was shown to his lawyers.

In his testimony, Cifuentes also offered jurors a glimpse of Guzman's life as a fugitive in the mountains. On a typical day, Cifuentes said, Guzman got up at noon, received messages from his personal secretary and then made calls while strolling under the trees.

Cifuentes said that Guzman ordered him to kill the cartel's communications expert, Christian Rodriguez, after learning that he was cooperating with the FBI.&nbsp;

Cifuentes said he was unable to track down Rodriguez, who now lives in the United States and testified at the trial last week because he did not know his last name.&nbsp;

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was interested in directing a movie about his life story as early as 2007, long before his well-known meeting with US actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo in 2015, jurors in Guzman's US trial heard on Monday.

Accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was interested in directing a movie about his life story as early as 2007, long before his well-known meeting with US actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo in 2015, jurors in Guzman's US trial heard on Monday. Alex Cifuentes, Guzman's self-described one-time 'right-hand man,' said he learned about a planned movie project while living with Guzman in the mountains of his boss` home state of Sinaloa from 2007 to 2009. Colombian-born Cifuentes is one of about a dozen witnesses who have so far testified against Guzman after striking deals with U.S. prosecutors, in a trial that has provided a window into the secretive world of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organization. On trial in federal court in Brooklyn since November, Guzman, 61, was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face charges of trafficking cocaine, heroin and other drugs into the country as leader of the cartel. The alleged kingpin's silver screen dreams first surfaced after Penn wrote a story for Rolling Stone magazine in 2016 about travelling with Del Castillo to meet Guzman at a forest hideout, not long after Guzman had escaped from a Mexican prison through a tunnel. Del Castillo, who once played a drug trafficker in a well-known Mexican TV soap, revealed soon after the article was published that the meeting came about because Guzman's lawyers had reached out to her about a possible movie. When Guzman was eventually recaptured in 2016, Mexico's then-Attorney General Arely Gomez said his contact with 'actresses and producers' was an 'important aspect that helped locate him.' Cifuentes own wife first urged Guzman to make a biopic around 2007, Cifuentes said on Monday. Cifuentes said Guzman hired a Colombian producer and planned a book tie-in, and the project got as far as a draft that was shown to his lawyers. In his testimony, Cifuentes also offered jurors a glimpse of Guzman's life as a fugitive in the mountains. On a typical day, Cifuentes said, Guzman got up at noon, received messages from his personal secretary and then made calls while strolling under the trees. Cifuentes said that Guzman ordered him to kill the cartel's communications expert, Christian Rodriguez, after learning that he was cooperating with the FBI. Cifuentes said he was unable to track down Rodriguez, who now lives in the United States and testified at the trial last week because he did not know his last name.

'El Chapo' dreamed of biopic for years before capture, says trial witness

Drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's defense told his New York trial Tuesday that his cartel bribed Mexican presidents, painting the absent co-defendant as a ruthless criminal who murdered in cold blood.

Opening statements finally got underway after two jurors were dismissed from the lineup, forcing lawyers and the judge to re-interview potential candidates before the full panel could be sworn in.

One woman was struck after complaining that the trial was causing her health problems, along with a man who said he would not be able to support himself financially during the trial. Two replacements were subsequently found.

Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, is on trial in New York after twice escaping from prison in Mexico. He faces 11 trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges in what is expected to be a more than four-month trial.

He is accused of leading the Sinaloa cartel and turning it into the largest criminal organization on the planet. He is considered the world's largest drug trafficker since the death of Colombia's Pablo Escobar.

But in opening statements, the defense alleged that Guzman's co-defendant who remains at large, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was the real culprit.

"The truth is he (Guzman) controlled nothing, Mayo Zambada did," Jeffrey Lichtman told the US federal court in Brooklyn.

Zambada, he alleged, bribed everybody, "including the very top, the current president of Mexico and the former," he added in reference to Mexico's outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto and his predecessor, Felipe Calderon.

Both Calderon and Pena Nieto swiftly denied taking any bribes from the Sinaloa cartel, the former calling the allegation "absolutely false and reckless" and the latter saying it was "completely false and defamatory."

Gold-plated Ak-47&nbsp;

"Mayo can get people arrested and get the Mexican army and police kill who he wants," Lichtman added.

Instead, Guzman, who has been in solitary confinement in America and whose trial is accompanied by massive security, is a "scapegoat," the lawyer claimed.

"Why does the Mexican government need a scapegoat? Because they're making too much money being bribed by the leaders of drug cartels."

The 12 jurors who will determine the 61-year-old defendant's guilt or innocence have an enormous and onerous task before them.

During jury selection last week, several potential jurors were dismissed because they feared for their lives, as was another who suffered a panic attack.

Their names will be kept anonymous. They will be partially sequestered, escorted to and from court every day by armed US Marshals.

Prosecutors contend that Guzman spent a quarter of a century smuggling cocaine into the United States.

They say that from 1989 to 2014, the Sinaloa smuggled 340,892 pounds (154,626 kilograms) of cocaine into the United States, as well as heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, raking in $14 billion.

"Money, drugs, murder; a vast global narcotics trafficking organization. That is what this trial is about and that is what the evidence in this case will prove," Assistant US Attorney Adam Fels told the court.

Guzman, he alleged in his opening statements, had his "own private army" of hundreds of men armed with assault rifles, as well as his own diamond-encrusted pistol branded with his initials and a gold-plated AK-47.

'In his own words'&nbsp;

US prosecutors have spent years piecing together a case that they hope will end with Guzman spending the rest of his life behind bars in a maximum-security US prison, accumulating more than 300,000 pages and at least 117,000 recordings in evidence against Guzman.

While he is not on trial for murder, They contend that he ordered or committed at least 33 homicides. "You'll see how Guzman pulls the trigger," the prosecutor told jurors.

Prosecutors promised to discuss "this global narco empire in his own words" and from witnesses detailing how he would receive $10 million from a single shipment of cocaine.

More than a dozen of the several hundred witnesses expected to testify are in witness protection programs or are already in jail, housed in special wings to protect them from reprisals.

"You'll have the chance to read his text messages, evidence of drug deals, killings, corruption," Fels said.

"He was indeed the boss of his organization," the prosecutor added, saying Guzman "used planes, trains, automobiles, fishing vessels, trucks, even submarines," to traffic drugs to the United States.

Guzman arrived in New York in January 2017. He twice escaped from prison in Mexico, once hidden in a laundry cart and the second time slipping down a tunnel that reached his prison shower.

In New York, he spends 23 hours a day in his cell. The only visitors he is allowed are his lawyers and daughters, from whom he is separated by thick glass.

Drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's defense told his New York trial Tuesday that his cartel bribed Mexican presidents, painting the absent co-defendant as a ruthless criminal who murdered in cold blood.

Drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's defense told his New York trial Tuesday that his cartel bribed Mexican presidents, painting the absent co-defendant as a ruthless criminal who murdered in cold blood. Opening statements finally got underway after two jurors were dismissed from the lineup, forcing lawyers and the judge to re-interview potential candidates before the full panel could be sworn in. One woman was struck after complaining that the trial was causing her health problems, along with a man who said he would not be able to support himself financially during the trial. Two replacements were subsequently found. Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, is on trial in New York after twice escaping from prison in Mexico. He faces 11 trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges in what is expected to be a more than four-month trial. He is accused of leading the Sinaloa cartel and turning it into the largest criminal organization on the planet. He is considered the world's largest drug trafficker since the death of Colombia's Pablo Escobar. But in opening statements, the defense alleged that Guzman's co-defendant who remains at large, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, was the real culprit. "The truth is he (Guzman) controlled nothing, Mayo Zambada did," Jeffrey Lichtman told the US federal court in Brooklyn. Zambada, he alleged, bribed everybody, "including the very top, the current president of Mexico and the former," he added in reference to Mexico's outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto and his predecessor, Felipe Calderon. Both Calderon and Pena Nieto swiftly denied taking any bribes from the Sinaloa cartel, the former calling the allegation "absolutely false and reckless" and the latter saying it was "completely false and defamatory." Gold-plated Ak-47 "Mayo can get people arrested and get the Mexican army and police kill who he wants," Lichtman added. Instead, Guzman, who has been in solitary confinement in America and whose trial is accompanied by massive security, is a "scapegoat," the lawyer claimed. "Why does the Mexican government need a scapegoat? Because they're making too much money being bribed by the leaders of drug cartels." The 12 jurors who will determine the 61-year-old defendant's guilt or innocence have an enormous and onerous task before them. During jury selection last week, several potential jurors were dismissed because they feared for their lives, as was another who suffered a panic attack. Their names will be kept anonymous. They will be partially sequestered, escorted to and from court every day by armed US Marshals. Prosecutors contend that Guzman spent a quarter of a century smuggling cocaine into the United States. They say that from 1989 to 2014, the Sinaloa smuggled 340,892 pounds (154,626 kilograms) of cocaine into the United States, as well as heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, raking in $14 billion. "Money, drugs, murder; a vast global narcotics trafficking organization. That is what this trial is about and that is what the evidence in this case will prove," Assistant US Attorney Adam Fels told the court. Guzman, he alleged in his opening statements, had his "own private army" of hundreds of men armed with assault rifles, as well as his own diamond-encrusted pistol branded with his initials and a gold-plated AK-47. 'In his own words' US prosecutors have spent years piecing together a case that they hope will end with Guzman spending the rest of his life behind bars in a maximum-security US prison, accumulating more than 300,000 pages and at least 117,000 recordings in evidence against Guzman. While he is not on trial for murder, They contend that he ordered or committed at least 33 homicides. "You'll see how Guzman pulls the trigger," the prosecutor told jurors. Prosecutors promised to discuss "this global narco empire in his own words" and from witnesses detailing how he would receive $10 million from a single shipment of cocaine. More than a dozen of the several hundred witnesses expected to testify are in witness protection programs or are already in jail, housed in special wings to protect them from reprisals. "You'll have the chance to read his text messages, evidence of drug deals, killings, corruption," Fels said. "He was indeed the boss of his organization," the prosecutor added, saying Guzman "used planes, trains, automobiles, fishing vessels, trucks, even submarines," to traffic drugs to the United States. Guzman arrived in New York in January 2017. He twice escaped from prison in Mexico, once hidden in a laundry cart and the second time slipping down a tunnel that reached his prison shower. In New York, he spends 23 hours a day in his cell. The only visitors he is allowed are his lawyers and daughters, from whom he is separated by thick glass.

Mexican presidents accused as defense opens El Chapo trial

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman goes on trial in New York on Monday, accused of running the world's biggest drug cartel and spending a quarter of a century smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the United States.

The mammoth trial in Brooklyn, which will cost millions of dollars and is expected to last more than four months, will see one of the world's most notorious criminals face the US justice system.

Prosecutors spent years piecing together a sweeping case against Guzman, who was extradited in 2017 after twice escaping prison in Mexico -- first hidden in a laundry cart, then slipping down a tunnel that reached his prison shower.

Experts say the government has a near water-tight case likely to send Guzman, 61, to a maximum-security US prison for the rest of his life, after jury selection kicks off on Monday. But at what price?

The Sinaloa cartel that Guzman founded in 1989 is still hugely powerful. His co-defendant Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada remains at large, and violent drug trafficking continues unabated in Mexico.

Last year, Mexico witnessed a record 29,000 murders. In the United States, opioid addiction has spiraled into an epidemic. In 2016, an average of 174 Americans died every day from drug overdoses.

Jury selection will be conducted in the tightest security reserved only for the most dangerous defendants. US District Court Judge Brian Cogan will preside over the process behind closed doors.

- 'Most expensive trial in history' -

The 12 jurors, with six alternates, will remain anonymous. US Marshals will escort them to and from the federal court every day.

These ordinary men and women will determine whether Guzman -- the diminutive father of two whose nickname means "shorty" -- is guilty or not of 11 trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges.

According to the indictment, the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman is accused of leading from 1989 to 2014, became "the largest drug trafficking organization in the world... with thousands of members."

US prosecutors contend that from 1989 to 2014, the cartel smuggled at least 340,892 pounds (154,626 kilograms) of cocaine into the United States, as well as heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, raking in $14 billion.

Guzman pleads not guilty, but the government has presented so much evidence -- more than 300,000 pages and at least 117,000 audio recordings -- that the defense complains they haven't had enough time to review it all.

"It's probably set up to be the most expensive trial in the history of the US," says Rob Heroy, a North Carolina lawyer who has defended other Mexican drug barons. The price tag includes protection programs for at least some of the several hundred witnesses expected to testify.

Even Guzman's lawyers are in the dark as to all the former associates, hired hands or rivals who have turned informants.

- Informants -

Some of the informants have already been absorbed into the US witness protection program, given new identities. Others are already in jail, housed in special wings to protect them from reprisals.

Guzman has been held in solitary confinement in New York since Mexico extradited him in January 2017, one day before Donald Trump took office. He spends 23 hours a day in his cell.

The only visitors he is allowed are his lawyers and twin, seven-year-old daughters, from whom he is separated by thick glass.

The judge has banned his 29-year-old beauty queen wife, Emma Coronel, from visiting. Instead, she has attended almost all his pre-trial hearings, waving and blowing him kisses from the gallery.

Arrested for the first time in Guatemala in 1993, El Chapo spent more than seven years in a Mexican prison before his first escape in 2001.

Re-arrested by Mexican marines in February 2014, he escaped again 14 months later.

Guzman was re-captured in January 2016 after a visit from Hollywood actor Sean Penn and a Mexican actress, who wanted to make a film about his life, allowed Mexican authorities to trace his whereabouts.

This time, Mexico decided to wash their hands and put him on a plane.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman goes on trial in New York on Monday, accused of running the world's biggest drug cartel and spending a quarter of a century smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the United States.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman goes on trial in New York on Monday, accused of running the world's biggest drug cartel and spending a quarter of a century smuggling more than 155 tons of cocaine into the United States. The mammoth trial in Brooklyn, which will cost millions of dollars and is expected to last more than four months, will see one of the world's most notorious criminals face the US justice system. Prosecutors spent years piecing together a sweeping case against Guzman, who was extradited in 2017 after twice escaping prison in Mexico -- first hidden in a laundry cart, then slipping down a tunnel that reached his prison shower. Experts say the government has a near water-tight case likely to send Guzman, 61, to a maximum-security US prison for the rest of his life, after jury selection kicks off on Monday. But at what price? The Sinaloa cartel that Guzman founded in 1989 is still hugely powerful. His co-defendant Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada remains at large, and violent drug trafficking continues unabated in Mexico. Last year, Mexico witnessed a record 29,000 murders. In the United States, opioid addiction has spiraled into an epidemic. In 2016, an average of 174 Americans died every day from drug overdoses. Jury selection will be conducted in the tightest security reserved only for the most dangerous defendants. US District Court Judge Brian Cogan will preside over the process behind closed doors. - 'Most expensive trial in history' - The 12 jurors, with six alternates, will remain anonymous. US Marshals will escort them to and from the federal court every day. These ordinary men and women will determine whether Guzman -- the diminutive father of two whose nickname means "shorty" -- is guilty or not of 11 trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges. According to the indictment, the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman is accused of leading from 1989 to 2014, became "the largest drug trafficking organization in the world... with thousands of members." US prosecutors contend that from 1989 to 2014, the cartel smuggled at least 340,892 pounds (154,626 kilograms) of cocaine into the United States, as well as heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, raking in $14 billion. Guzman pleads not guilty, but the government has presented so much evidence -- more than 300,000 pages and at least 117,000 audio recordings -- that the defense complains they haven't had enough time to review it all. "It's probably set up to be the most expensive trial in the history of the US," says Rob Heroy, a North Carolina lawyer who has defended other Mexican drug barons. The price tag includes protection programs for at least some of the several hundred witnesses expected to testify. Even Guzman's lawyers are in the dark as to all the former associates, hired hands or rivals who have turned informants. - Informants - Some of the informants have already been absorbed into the US witness protection program, given new identities. Others are already in jail, housed in special wings to protect them from reprisals. Guzman has been held in solitary confinement in New York since Mexico extradited him in January 2017, one day before Donald Trump took office. He spends 23 hours a day in his cell. The only visitors he is allowed are his lawyers and twin, seven-year-old daughters, from whom he is separated by thick glass. The judge has banned his 29-year-old beauty queen wife, Emma Coronel, from visiting. Instead, she has attended almost all his pre-trial hearings, waving and blowing him kisses from the gallery. Arrested for the first time in Guatemala in 1993, El Chapo spent more than seven years in a Mexican prison before his first escape in 2001. Re-arrested by Mexican marines in February 2014, he escaped again 14 months later. Guzman was re-captured in January 2016 after a visit from Hollywood actor Sean Penn and a Mexican actress, who wanted to make a film about his life, allowed Mexican authorities to trace his whereabouts. This time, Mexico decided to wash their hands and put him on a plane.

Mexican drug lord El Chapo faces biggest US drugs trial

Drug kingpin Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman appeared in a US&nbsp;court on Friday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world&#39;s largest drug-trafficking organisation during a decades-long criminal career.

El Chapo (Spanish for &quot;Shorty&quot;), who twice made dramatic escapes from Mexican prisons and was one of the world&#39;s most wanted drug lords, was accompanied by two lawyers during the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn.

The extradition came on the eve of Donald Trump&#39;s inauguration, a coincidence some officials said was an olive branch to the incoming US&nbsp;president who declared he would kick Guzman&#39;s &quot;ass&quot; on taking office.

The Mexican attorney general&#39;s office rejected claims the move was related to Trump&#39;s swearing-in, noting that Guzman faces 10 pending cases in Mexico following his US&nbsp;sentence.

Guzman, 59, wore a blue jump suit and had no visible expression on his face as he entered the courtroom and listened to questions from a judge. He did not appear to be wearing handcuffs. Guzman&#39;s lawyers declined to comment to reporters.

After US&nbsp;Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman if he understood the charges against him, Guzman responded through a Spanish interpreter, &quot;Well, I didn&#39;t know until now.&quot;

An additional hearing was scheduled for Feb&nbsp;3.

The indictment in Brooklyn against him, with 17 criminal counts, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, Robert Capers, the US&nbsp;attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at a news conference earlier in the day.

US&nbsp;prosecutors have more than 40 witnesses ready to testify against Guzman, Capers told reporters, adding that the eventual trial will likely last &quot;many&quot; weeks.

Leading the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman oversaw perhaps the world&#39;s largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation, playing a key role in Mexico&#39;s decade-long drug war that has killed over 100,000 people.

Guzman arrived in a small jet at Long Island&#39;s MacArthur Airport after nightfall on Thursday from a prison in Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua, where his cartel rules.

A few hours earlier, Guzman, who stands 5 feet six inches, was bundled out of the Mexican cell block with his hands cuffed above his bowed head, Mexican television footage showed.

(Reuters)

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's cartel smuggled billions of dollars worth of cocaine across Mexico's border into the United States

Drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman appeared in a US court on Friday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world's largest drug-trafficking organisation during a decades-long criminal career. El Chapo (Spanish for "Shorty"), who twice made dramatic escapes from Mexican prisons and was one of the world's most wanted drug lords, was accompanied by two lawyers during the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn. The extradition came on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, a coincidence some officials said was an olive branch to the incoming US president who declared he would kick Guzman's "ass" on taking office. The Mexican attorney general's office rejected claims the move was related to Trump's swearing-in, noting that Guzman faces 10 pending cases in Mexico following his US sentence. Guzman, 59, wore a blue jump suit and had no visible expression on his face as he entered the courtroom and listened to questions from a judge. He did not appear to be wearing handcuffs. Guzman's lawyers declined to comment to reporters. After US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman if he understood the charges against him, Guzman responded through a Spanish interpreter, "Well, I didn't know until now." An additional hearing was scheduled for Feb 3. The indictment in Brooklyn against him, with 17 criminal counts, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, Robert Capers, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at a news conference earlier in the day. US prosecutors have more than 40 witnesses ready to testify against Guzman, Capers told reporters, adding that the eventual trial will likely last "many" weeks. Leading the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman oversaw perhaps the world's largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation, playing a key role in Mexico's decade-long drug war that has killed over 100,000 people. Guzman arrived in a small jet at Long Island's MacArthur Airport after nightfall on Thursday from a prison in Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua, where his cartel rules. A few hours earlier, Guzman, who stands 5 feet six inches, was bundled out of the Mexican cell block with his hands cuffed above his bowed head, Mexican television footage showed. (Reuters)

Mexico drug lord 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty in US court

Mexico is aiming to extradite imprisoned drug lord Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman to the United States early next year, the country&#39;s national security chief said Friday.

&quot;We hope (to do it) in January or February,&quot; National Security Commissioner Renato Sales Heredia told the television channel Televisa, giving the government&#39;s clearest estimate of when it could send the Sinaloa drug cartel chief to the United States.

Guzman&#39;s lawyer Jose Refugio Rodriguez countered: &quot;He can have his own personal opinion. I think it will be very difficult for it to happen between now and January.&quot;

Refugio Rodriguez told Televisa that his client has instructed him to &quot;fight to the end&quot; and that he can win the case if it &quot;is not handled politically.&quot;

The foreign ministry approved Guzman&#39;s extradition in May, but the man who was once considered the world&#39;s most powerful drug trafficker has filed court injunctions.

A judge began reviewing the case on September 26 and it is unclear when he will issue his ruling, but Guzman can appeal a decision against him in a higher court.

Guzman is facing two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on charges that include murder and money laundering.

His sons, meanwhile, have made waves lately, with authorities accusing them of being behind an ambush on a military convoy last month that killed five soldiers.

Refugio Rodriguez gave Televisa a letter from Archivaldo Ivan and Jesus Alfredo Guzman dated October 2 in which they deny their involvement in the attack.

&quot;We have nothing to do with the massacre against military personnel,&quot; says the letter from the sons, both of whom have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as members of the Sinaloa cartel.

&quot;We have never fought with the government, nor do we want to. This would practically mean digging our own graves.&quot;

With Guzman in prison since January, his cartel has faced attacks from rivals.

Members of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, which is battling Guzman&#39;s gang for supremacy in Mexico, briefly kidnapped Jesus Alfredo in August, according to US and Mexican officials. He was released within days and the reasons behind the abduction are unknown.

Officials say his criminal group is also being challenged in its northwestern home state of Sinaloa by the Beltran Leyva drug cartel.

Major US trial

Guzman was captured in February 2014 after 13 years on the lam, but he escaped a year later from the Altiplano maximum-security prison near Mexico City through a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel, humiliating President Enrique Pena Nieto.

After he was recaptured in January in his northwestern home state of Sinaloa, he was sent back to the same prison.

But he was abruptly transferred in May to another prison in Ciudad Juarez, a city bordering Texas once known for its cartel turf wars.

Pena Nieto had balked at extraditing Guzman before his escape in July 2015, preferring to put him on trial in Mexico.

But after he was recaptured, the president ordered the attorney general&#39;s office to speed up the extradition process.

Guzman&#39;s extradition would set up a major trial in the United States for a man whose cartel has been accused of murdering countless people in Mexico while providing tons of cocaine and other drugs to users in the United States.

(AFP)

Sinaloa drug cartel chief's lawyer believes sending his client over to the US between now and January would be 'difficult'

Mexico is aiming to extradite imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States early next year, the country's national security chief said Friday. "We hope (to do it) in January or February," National Security Commissioner Renato Sales Heredia told the television channel Televisa, giving the government's clearest estimate of when it could send the Sinaloa drug cartel chief to the United States. Guzman's lawyer Jose Refugio Rodriguez countered: "He can have his own personal opinion. I think it will be very difficult for it to happen between now and January." Refugio Rodriguez told Televisa that his client has instructed him to "fight to the end" and that he can win the case if it "is not handled politically." The foreign ministry approved Guzman's extradition in May, but the man who was once considered the world's most powerful drug trafficker has filed court injunctions. A judge began reviewing the case on September 26 and it is unclear when he will issue his ruling, but Guzman can appeal a decision against him in a higher court. Guzman is facing two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on charges that include murder and money laundering. His sons, meanwhile, have made waves lately, with authorities accusing them of being behind an ambush on a military convoy last month that killed five soldiers. Refugio Rodriguez gave Televisa a letter from Archivaldo Ivan and Jesus Alfredo Guzman dated October 2 in which they deny their involvement in the attack. "We have nothing to do with the massacre against military personnel," says the letter from the sons, both of whom have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as members of the Sinaloa cartel. "We have never fought with the government, nor do we want to. This would practically mean digging our own graves." With Guzman in prison since January, his cartel has faced attacks from rivals. Members of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, which is battling Guzman's gang for supremacy in Mexico, briefly kidnapped Jesus Alfredo in August, according to US and Mexican officials. He was released within days and the reasons behind the abduction are unknown. Officials say his criminal group is also being challenged in its northwestern home state of Sinaloa by the Beltran Leyva drug cartel. Major US trial Guzman was captured in February 2014 after 13 years on the lam, but he escaped a year later from the Altiplano maximum-security prison near Mexico City through a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel, humiliating President Enrique Pena Nieto. After he was recaptured in January in his northwestern home state of Sinaloa, he was sent back to the same prison. But he was abruptly transferred in May to another prison in Ciudad Juarez, a city bordering Texas once known for its cartel turf wars. Pena Nieto had balked at extraditing Guzman before his escape in July 2015, preferring to put him on trial in Mexico. But after he was recaptured, the president ordered the attorney general's office to speed up the extradition process. Guzman's extradition would set up a major trial in the United States for a man whose cartel has been accused of murdering countless people in Mexico while providing tons of cocaine and other drugs to users in the United States. (AFP)

Mexico aims to extradite drug lord 'El Chapo' early next year

The son of drug lord Joaquin &quot;El Chapo&quot; Guzman has been released following his abduction earlier this week from a Mexico bar, a member of the Sinaloa cartel leader&#39;s family said. 
 
Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, 29, was freed along with the five other men with whom he was kidnapped, a relative who requested anonymity for security reasons said. 
 
&quot;They were negotiating all this time, but now are free and well,&quot; the source said, adding that some of the captured men were already back in Sinaloa state. 
 
Guzman Salazar, one of Guzman&#39;s sons from his first marriage, was attending a celebration early on Monday at a restaurant and bar in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta when gunmen in pick-up trucks swooped in and kidnapped five of his six companions. 
 
The younger Guzman, himself a key operator in the Sinaloa cartel who is wanted for arrest under a 2009 warrant, was identified by the Jalisco state prosecutor&#39;s office based on security camera footage. 
 
Notified by AFP about the reported release, the Mexico Attorney General&#39;s office said simply that it is &quot;still working on the investigation.&quot; 
 
Authorities had said they suspected the gunmen who seized the men were from the Jalisco New Generation cartel, an upstart rival of the Sinaloa cartel. 
 
The governors of western Jalisco and Sinaloa states, where the rival gangs are based, have warned of possible reprisals. 
 
The elder Guzman is the jailed boss of the powerful Sinaloa cartel and one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. 
 
He is now in a maximum security federal prison in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez and fighting extradition to the United States.

(AFP) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Guzman Salazar was at a restaurant in a Mexican resort city on Monday when gunmen swooped in and kidnapped him and five others

The son of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been released following his abduction earlier this week from a Mexico bar, a member of the Sinaloa cartel leader's family said. Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, 29, was freed along with the five other men with whom he was kidnapped, a relative who requested anonymity for security reasons said. "They were negotiating all this time, but now are free and well," the source said, adding that some of the captured men were already back in Sinaloa state. Guzman Salazar, one of Guzman's sons from his first marriage, was attending a celebration early on Monday at a restaurant and bar in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta when gunmen in pick-up trucks swooped in and kidnapped five of his six companions. The younger Guzman, himself a key operator in the Sinaloa cartel who is wanted for arrest under a 2009 warrant, was identified by the Jalisco state prosecutor's office based on security camera footage. Notified by AFP about the reported release, the Mexico Attorney General's office said simply that it is "still working on the investigation." Authorities had said they suspected the gunmen who seized the men were from the Jalisco New Generation cartel, an upstart rival of the Sinaloa cartel. The governors of western Jalisco and Sinaloa states, where the rival gangs are based, have warned of possible reprisals. The elder Guzman is the jailed boss of the powerful Sinaloa cartel and one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. He is now in a maximum security federal prison in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez and fighting extradition to the United States. (AFP)

Drug lord El Chapo's son released in Mexico, says relative

A son of drug lord Joaquin &quot;El&nbsp;Chapo&quot; Guzman was among a group kidnapped from a bar in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

Seven gunmen in pickup trucks swooped on the upscale bar and restaurant&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;around dawn and abducted several victims.&nbsp;Investigators said it was likely part of a settling of scores between rival drug cartels.

&quot;Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, 29, is the son of Joaquin (Guzman) Loera, this has been confirmed,&quot; and he is among those being held, regional public prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer told a news conference.

He said Guzman Salazar was one of the four people who have so far been identified among six abducted.&nbsp;He added that &quot;various security agencies&quot; had confirmed that Guzman Salazar was the son of &quot;El&nbsp;Chapo&quot;.

The elder Guzman is the jailed boss of the powerful Sinaloa cartel and one of the most notorious drug lords in the world.&nbsp;Authorities initially said 10 to 12 people had been kidnapped, but after analysing security camera footage and interviewing witnesses, they said there were in fact six men abducted. They had earlier said that one of them may have been another of Guzman&#39;s sons, Ivan &quot;El&nbsp;Chapito&quot; (Little&nbsp;Chapo) Guzman.

&quot;El&nbsp;Chapo&quot; staged a spectacular jailbreak last year only to be recaptured in January.&nbsp;He is now in a maximum security federal prison in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez and fighting extradition to the United States.&nbsp;The chief prosecutor said only fake identity documents had been found at the scene of&nbsp;Monday&#39;s&nbsp;kidnapping, in a posh restaurant called La Leche in the Pacific coast city&#39;s chic hotel district.

Prosecutors said initial evidence suggested a rival cartel called Jalisco New Generation was behind the abduction.&nbsp;Jalisco New Generation emerged in Puerto Vallarta in 2010 after the death of the local boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Ignacio &quot;Nacho&quot; Coronel.

It has become one of violence-plagued Mexico&#39;s most powerful drug gangs in recent months by defying the authorities with a series of brazen attacks and ambushes. 
 
(Reuters)

Investigators suspect the abduction took place as part of a rivalry between two drug cartels

A son of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was among a group kidnapped from a bar in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. Seven gunmen in pickup trucks swooped on the upscale bar and restaurant Monday around dawn and abducted several victims. Investigators said it was likely part of a settling of scores between rival drug cartels. "Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, 29, is the son of Joaquin (Guzman) Loera, this has been confirmed," and he is among those being held, regional public prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer told a news conference. He said Guzman Salazar was one of the four people who have so far been identified among six abducted. He added that "various security agencies" had confirmed that Guzman Salazar was the son of "El Chapo". The elder Guzman is the jailed boss of the powerful Sinaloa cartel and one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. Authorities initially said 10 to 12 people had been kidnapped, but after analysing security camera footage and interviewing witnesses, they said there were in fact six men abducted. They had earlier said that one of them may have been another of Guzman's sons, Ivan "El Chapito" (Little Chapo) Guzman. "El Chapo" staged a spectacular jailbreak last year only to be recaptured in January. He is now in a maximum security federal prison in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez and fighting extradition to the United States. The chief prosecutor said only fake identity documents had been found at the scene of Monday's kidnapping, in a posh restaurant called La Leche in the Pacific coast city's chic hotel district. Prosecutors said initial evidence suggested a rival cartel called Jalisco New Generation was behind the abduction. Jalisco New Generation emerged in Puerto Vallarta in 2010 after the death of the local boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel. It has become one of violence-plagued Mexico's most powerful drug gangs in recent months by defying the authorities with a series of brazen attacks and ambushes. (Reuters)

El Chapo's son among six kidnapped in Mexico: Prosecutor

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