The Latest: Analyst: Mexico may fear jailbreak by ‘El Chapo’

MEXICO CITY – The Latest on the sudden transfer of convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to a Mexican prison near the Texas border. (all times local):

2:15 p.m.

A Mexican security analyst says it’s plausible that convicted drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman was transferred to a different prison due to upgrades being done at his current lockup, as the Mexican government is saying.

But Alejandro Hope also says officials may have feared the possibility of another jailbreak.

Hope argues that the longer Guzman remains in a single prison, the more likely he could plot another escape.

The Sinaloa cartel boss was abruptly moved Saturday to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from Texas.

Hope said he doubts the transfer has anything to do with possible extradition, noting that it would be just as easy to put Guzman on a plane from Mexico City.

He notes that although Guzman has “a lot of people” in Juarez, the prison is one of Mexico’s newest.

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11:30 a.m.

A Mexican security official and a lawyer for convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman say he has been transferred to another prison.

The official says the Sinaloa cartel capo was moved from the maximum-security Altiplano lockup near Mexico City to another prison in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. No reason was given for the transfer.

The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Attorney Jose Refugio Rodriguez said Saturday that Guzman was sent to the Cefereso No. 9 prison. He said Guzman’s defence team was not notified beforehand, and one of his lawyers was travelling to Juarez to try to meet with their client.