MEXICO CITY—Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the end of an era in which he was Mexico’s most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend.
It’s also seen by many in Mexico as a delicately timed maneuver aimed at limiting political fallout for President Enrique Pena Nieto, already deeply unpopular in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump’s tough rhetoric on Mexico.
Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran speaks to the press about the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the U.S. in Mexico City on Jan. 19, 2017. AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
