Extradition Of Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman To US Blocked

Extradition Of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman To US Blocked

A temporary injunction was issued by a federal judge stopping the extradition of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman into the United States. The Mexican drug kingpin is the most wanted criminal in Mexico and the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. He was arrested in a pre-dawn raid at a Mazatlan beach resort.

A US federal prosecutor spokesman said the extradition of Guzman was planned to face trial for arms and drug charges in the US. However, it remains uncertain when the extradition will happen and proceedings may take years to be completed.

The capture of Guzman was considered as a major victory for the government in Mexico in its struggle against organized crime that resulted to the death of over 80,000 people.

The injunction was filed by the lawyers of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman to block his extradition into the US. The potential extradition of Guzman will be evaluated by the Mexican government, according to Mexican attorney general Jesus Murillo. He indicated that a quick resolution to the extradition proceedings may not be happening soon.

Extradition cases may drag on for years. The widespread corruption in the police and court system in Mexico resulted to the turning over of major drug traffickers to the US for prosecution and imprisonment.

Sandra Avila, a suspected Sinaloa trafficker, was extradited into the US five years after her arrest in Mexico. Avila was jailed for more than a year in the US before returning to Mexico. She was imprisoned after a second trial in Mexico.

Guzman is currently imprisoned alone in a cell at the maximum security area of the Altiplano prison. In 2001, he was able to escape from a prison in Mexico. He was continued to lead his drug business from the prison with the aid of a number of jail personnel.

Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman is facing numerous criminal charges in Mexico as well as in Texas, Illinois and New York.

Posted by James Fried on Friday February 28 2014, 1:41 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0