Mexico’s government has notified recaptured drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman that he is wanted in the United States, therefore it is formally beginning extradition proceedings against him. The Attorney General’s Office said on Sunday in a statement that Guzman was told two arrest warrants from the US are being processed.
The notification was completed by agents of the international police agency Interpol at the maximum security prison where Guzman is being held. The extradition bid marks a reversal from President Enrique Pena Nieto’s refusal to send Guzman across the border prior to his July escape from a maximum-security prison.
Mexico received the US extradition requests last year on a large number of charges, including drug trafficking and homicide. Guzman is wanted in six US states. After judges rule on the extradition, the Mexican foreign ministry has to issue a decision. The timing of the extradition is unclear as Guzman can appeal it.
Guzman’s lawyer Juan Pablo Badillo said the defence already has filed six motions to challenge extradition requests and that he will continue the challenge all the way to the Supreme Court. Guzman was recaptured on Friday, six months after breaking out of a Mexican prison. A Mexican law-enforcement official said on Saturday that a secret interview given by Guzman, to the American actor Sean Penn, helped authorities locate his whereabouts .
