Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, leader of the bloody Sinaloa Cartel, has been extradited to the U.S., where he faces murder and drug smuggling charges.
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the world’s most notorious drug lord, was extradited to the U.S. Thursday, one year after his second brazen escape from a maximum-security prison, officials said.
The Mexican government announced it had handed over the cartel kingpin to American authorities. He will stand trial on murder and drug trafficking charges.
Read: Inside the Squalid Lair Where 'El Chapo' Passed the Time Watching DVDs
The infamous head of the bloody Sinaloa Cartel faces federal indictments in six U.S. jurisdictions, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.
#México extradita a #EEUU a Joaquín #ElChapo Guzmán Loera. pic.twitter.com/tga08bjkAP
— El Mañana de Valles (@elmananavalles) January 20, 2017
Guzman, 59, is expected to be prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York, The Associated Press reported. There, he is accused of running a cartel with thousands of members and billions in profits from running drugs, kidnappings and sex slaves while employing hitmen and committing acts of torture.
He is expected to appear Friday in a Brooklyn federal courtroom, CNN reported.
The Mexican Foreign Relations Department said in a statement that Guzman’s extradition was deemed by a judge to be constitutional.
"The criminal Joaquin Guzman was extradited this afternoon to face his pending legal cases," tweeted Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong.
His extradition occurred as President-elect Donald Trump was taking part in pre-inaugural celebrations Thursday in Washington, D.C. While campaigning for the White House in 2015, Trump was embroiled in war of Twitter words with the then-fugitive kingpin, saying he would kick the drug lord’s "ass."
But Trump called the FBI after Guzman’s son tweeted that he would make Trump "eat his words."
Read: Donald Trump Calls FBI After Escaped Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Threatens Him
The surreal saga of “El Chapo” (Shorty) Guzman includes two prison breaks. The latest occurred in 2015 when he escaped through a tunnel that had been dug underneath his cell.
Six months later, in January 2016, he was captured by Mexican marines after leading them on a chase through the sewer systems of the coastal city of Los Mochis, in his native state of Sinaloa.
Guzman and his henchmen then stole cars and engaged in a fierce gun battle with military forces before being captured. Five of Guzman's men were killed.
Read: New Photo Shows 'El Chapo' Shackled and Handcuffed in Prison
Mexican authorities said Guzman's desire to meet with actors and producers, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High star Sean Penn, helped the military capture the fugitive.
Guzman, whose individual net worth is estimated at $1 billion, wanted a biopic to be made of his life, officials said.
Penn had secretly met with the drug lord in October 2015 and conducted a highly controversial interview with the fugitive that was later published in Rolling Stone.
Before his 2015 escape, Guzman had been on the run for more than 13 years after breaking out of another maximum-security facility by bribing guards and officials who allowed Guzman to be smuggled out the front door in a laundry basket.
U.S. officials have long wanted Guzman to be extradited to America.
Watch: Sean Penn Reveals His Biggest Regret Over Interview with 'El Chapo'
