Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’ pleads not guilty in U.S. court

NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman appeared in a U.S. court yesterday after his surprise extradition from Mexico and pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world’s largest drug-trafficking organization during a decades-long criminal career.

Guzman, 59, once one of the world’s most wanted drug lords, was accompanied by two court-appointed lawyers during the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn.

Best known by the nickname El Chapo, or “Shorty” in Spanish, the diminutive Guzman was extradited on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, raising speculation about the timing.

Some officials said it was an olive branch to the incoming U.S. president, who had said he would kick Guzman’s “ass” after taking office. But some Mexican officials pointed out that Guzman’s extradition came hours before Barack Obama’s term ended in a nod to the outgoing president.

Either way current and former law enforcement officials on both sides of the border said the move would likely boost security cooperation and smooth the path for improved relations between the neighbors.

The Mexican attorney general’s office rejected claims the move was related to Trump’s swearing-in, noting that Guzman faces 10 pending cases in Mexico following his U.S. sentence.

Guzman, who was once known to carry a gold-plated AK-47 rifle, wore a blue jail uniform. Standing just 5 foot 6 inches (167.6 cm), El Chapo was clean-shaven, without his signature mustache, and his hair was close-cropped.

He did not appear to be wearing handcuffs and had no visible expression on his face as he listened to questions from a judge.