Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera was extradited to the U. S. by Mexican authorities Thursday, the Justice Department announced.
El Chapo is facing criminal charges related to his leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel and is charged in six separate criminal indictments. The Justice Department said in a statement that it “extends its gratitude to the Government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States.”
The drug lord has escaped Mexican prison several times, and his cartel is responsible for an estimated quarter of the illegal drugs that enter the United States. Forbes previously estimated that El Chapo became a billionaire from these illegal activities.
His extradition comes a day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has previously said, “El Chapo and the Mexican drug cartels use the border unimpeded like it was a vacuum cleaner, sucking drugs and death right into the U. S.”
