Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman may be behind bars, but the United States has caught a case of El Chapo fever. That much is clear after news of a Netflix series (in addition to another TV show already on the way) unleashed itself. This particular development shows the mysterious allure of the drug lord’s reputation. It also proves that Sean Penn’s “experiential” journalism left a greater effect than the fart cloud he left behind in the Sinaloa mountains. Indeed, Penn’s diary entry spawned from El Chapo’s desire for Hollywood stardom, and now, his moment in the sun shall arrive.
But that’s not the only thing that got greenlit. Mexico has also approved Guzman’s extradition to the United States after his latest arrest, which followed six months on the lam. El Chapo’s capture ended up being worthy of movie footage, and he’s since reportedly asked for extradition due to his undesirable prison conditions, El Chapo may be happy to come to America. However, his legal team isn’t pleased to hear that this will actually happen to their client. They have 30 days to appeal the decision of Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department. The U.S. has guaranteed that no death penalty will apply to the drug lord, as Mexico wouldn’t otherwise agree to the extradition. Now El Chapo’s facing a heap of charges in multiple jurisdictions:
Friday’s ruling covered an extradition request from a Texas federal court related to charges of conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine and marijuana, money-laundering, arms possession and murder, and another extradition request from a federal court in California. In all, Guzman faces charges from seven U.S. federal prosecutors including in Chicago, New York, Miami and San Diego.
The Guardian notes a vow from one of Juan Pablo Badillo’s lawyers to continue filing legal challenges on behalf of his client. The main argument there is that El Chapo is under 24-hour watch, so he won’t be able to escape again, but nothing is a guarantee with this tunnel-obsessed man. The question remains — will the U.S. allow him to watch his life story unfold on the small screen? Penn would probably enjoy contemplating the self-referential aspects of that weirdness.
Now Watch: The Full Story Of El Chapo’s Escape And Recapture
(Via The Guardian & New York Times)