Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman will not be extradited to the United States, a top Mexican official has declared.
Mexico has “no intention” of passing along the notorious drug cartel leader to face the numerous charges that have been leveled against him in the U.S., said Jesus Murillo Karam, the head of the Attorney General’s Office.
Although many U.S. officials have expressed interest in prosecuting Guzman, there haven’t been any formal requests for the extradition, according to Karam, reported El Diario.
Chicago and New York are among the districts that have charged him with crimes ranging from drug trafficking to murder.
Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa cartel, infamously escaped from prison in the early 2000s after being captured previously, a key point in the discussion of extradition. U.S. officials say that Guzman should be extradited so another escape doesn’t happen.
Mexico itself has eight criminal proceedings against Guzman, who was captured earlier this year.
Mexican officials soured to extradition after they allowed extradition of other drug leaders, such as Jesus Niebla, who would have been locked up for life in Mexico but was given a sentence of only 10 years (plus a $4 million fine) in the U.S.
