Mexican judge blocks fast-track extradition of drug lord Guzman

Guzman was arrested following his latest escape after Mexican marines tracked him to a house in Los Mochis, Sinaloa last Friday. In 2001, Guzman escaped from another high-security prison outside of the city of Guadalajara by bribing guard. The head of the Sinaloa drug cartel also wanted to trademark his name with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property and sell hats and toys emblazoned with his moniker, according to media reports Tuesday.

In phone calls and personal meetings this week, Justice Department officials in Miami, New York and Washington have discussed with senior Mexican law-enforcement officials which city Guzman would be sent to as part of broader extradition negotiations between the two countries.

Asked whether Penn or del Castillo were under investigation, Gomez said a “new line” of inquiry had been opened that could include them or Guzman’s lawyers, and could involve “covering up” for Guzman “or something bigger”.

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico’s government is moving Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman constantly from cell to cell inside the maximum security prison where he is being held, the same lockup the elusive drug lord escaped from through a tunnel six months ago. He is blamed for thousands of deaths in Mexico and the United States, from addiction to gang warfare. “The Attorney General’s Office is investigating this event and others involving contacts that Joaquin Guzman had while he was on the run”.

Ivan Gastelum Avila, known as “El Cholo Ivan”, faces charges of drug trafficking, arms possession and the murder of a soldier in a 2013 confrontation, according to a statement Thursday.

The original request is being reviewed by a federal and circuit court, the source said. The Foreign Ministry has the final say on whether the extradition proceeds.

The government officials said investigators had monitored Penn and Del Castillo, taking photographs of the actors when they landed in Mexico, before their get-together with Guzman.

But his vanity in wanting a movie made of his notorious life is credited with helping authorities track his locale.

The actor also shrugged off a suggestion that he was “taking hits” for agreeing to submit his article to Guzman prior to publication by Rolling Stone.

“I am reminded of press accounts alleging a hundred-million-dollar bounty the man across from me is said to have put on Donald Trump’s life”, wrote Penn in his piece.

He added that the Mexican government will present a “diplomatic note” to US authorities so that no other USA jurisdiction will be able to seek the death penalty, which is outlawed in Mexico, against the extradited drug lord.

In October, the same month Penn interviewed him, authorities said they nearly caught Guzman but he slipped away.

“They paint them as heroes, and attractive and generous”, Sanchez said.

Del Castillo, using the name “Beauty”, answered: “I must confess that I feel protected for the first time”.

“You can argue it’s morally reprehensible. But when you look at it from Sean Penn’s perspective, he simply had a talk with a fugitive”, legal analyst Joey Jackson said. “Thank you! we will hug very soon”, she wrote.

Del Castillo is a Mexican-American who played a drug kingpin in the television series Weeds who El Chapo, 58, was infatuated with and wanted to plan a wine and tequila filled weekend.