The Latest: Mexican drug lord El Chapo lands in New York

NEW YORK – The Latest on the extradition of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

Extradited Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman (wah-KEEN’ el CHAH’-poh gooz-MAHN’) has landed in New York to face federal drug trafficking and other charges.

A U.S. law enforcement official confirms Guzman arrived Thursday night following a flight from the Mexican border town Ciudad Juarez (see-yoo-DAHD’ wahr-EHZ’).

Guzman is expected to appear in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday.

Guzman has twice escaped maximum-security prisons in Mexico, most recently in 2015 via a mile-long underground tunnel.

A defence lawyer says Guzman was extradited illegally and without notification. He calls the transfer “totally political” on the part of the Mexican government.

Guzman told actor Sean Penn for a story published last year in Rolling Stone he started trafficking drugs at age 15 to survive. He’s in his late 50s now.

U.S. authorities say he ruthlessly ran the Sinaloa (sihn-uh-LOH’-uh) cartel.

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5:50 p.m.

Mexico’s government says it has extradited drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States, where he is wanted on drug trafficking and other charges.

The Foreign Relations Department has announced on Twitter that Guzman was being sent to the U.S. on Thursday, the day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated as U.S. president.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after making a second brazen jailbreak and had fought extradition since then.

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The Associated Press

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