Captured by third time in Mexico in January 2016 and deported to the United States one year later, Joaquin Guzman Loera wearing 655 days in a prison in the country awaiting his trial.
But the process against “El Chapo” finally began Monday in New York, with the choice of the jury that will decide the future of the man accused of leading the largest organization of drug trafficking in Mexico and the world.
As a leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman accused it will have introduced hundreds of tons of cocaine and other illegal substances to US, making profits of billions of dollars that led him to be considered one of the richest people in the process on the planet.
And it is also linked with the death of dozens of people in clashes with other criminal organizations and the forces of order in Mexico and United States.
“I traffic more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anyone else in the world,” said “El Chapo” to Rolling Stone magazine in an interview published shortly after his capture.
Guzman is also the only man who can boast of having managed to escape on two occasions (2001, 2014) from a federal penitentiary in Mexico
But, of all the offences attributed to him, in what prosecutors in the United States are concentrating to try and imprison’s lifetime who is today the best known drug trafficker in the world?
Drug trafficking with homicide “El Chapo” Guzman, now of 61 years, was sent from Mexico to the United States from January 19, 2017.
But the Government of Mexico granted legal delivery of the drug trafficker under the condition that they do not receive the death penalty, as required by the Treaty on extradition between the two countries.
Justice in the United States had for nearly a decade charges against Guzman Loera in New York, California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Florida.
But the first trial will be that of the Federal Court of the District of Brooklyn, New York.
There he was originally accused of 17 charges of complicity to produce, transport and trading drugs, in addition to killings related to criminal activities.
However, last month the judge in the case, Brian Cogan, told prosecutors they rethink the charges to avoid the trial to continue for longer than necessary.
Instead that prosecutors based their case on multiple cases of homicide – at least 33, according to the latest review – the judge requested that the main charges are those of drug trafficking.
“This is a trial of conspiracy to traffic drugs, not with conspiracy to murder,” said judge Cogan during a hearing Tuesday. “Take the strongest charges and cut out the rest,” he instructed.
So “in an effort to optimize the case”, 17 charges initially raised only prosecutors will seek to try 11 which relate to: Association for manufacture, import and distribute cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines (8)
being a member of a criminal organization
(1) use of firearms for criminal purposes (1)
(1) money laundering among other tests, prosecutors intend to use before the jury the testimony of 16 people, thousands of audio recordings and thousands of documents with evidence.
Guzman Loera could be sentenced to life if you try any of the 11 crimes.
Why judge you are in United States?
“El Chapo” Guzman escaped twice from Mexico’s maximum-security prisons.
After being recaptured by second chance, of January 8, 2016, the Mexican authorities agreed to the extradition of the hood to the United States.
The American justice process it by the effects that occurred in that country, the main destination of the drugs trafficked by the Sinaloa cartel.
But in Mexico the Attorney General of the Republic and the Mexican justice system still have their own cases against Guzmán Loera.
And, under the bilateral agreement on extradition, Mexico reserves the right to process it once it has been tried in the United States.
In theory, once satisfied their sentence in the U.S., the Hood could be returned to Mexico to stand trial.
However, most likely likely to Joaquín Guzmán live until his last days in a United States prison.
