New York judge delays 'El Chapo' hearing

Drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is escorted to a helicopter at Mexico City's airport on January 8, 2016 following his recapture during an intense military operation in Los Mochis, in Sinaloa State. FILE PHOTO | ALFREDO ESTRELLA | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Guzman — who twice escaped from prison in Mexico — is accused of running the Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's biggest drug empires.
  • He is facing 17 charges, and if convicted, he is likely to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison.

NEW YORK

A New York judge has delayed for almost a month the hearing of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals.

Guzman's attorney Eduardo Balarezo had wanted Judge Brian Cogan to push back the hearing to April. But Cogan of his own accord already delayed it from January 19 to February 15.

Balarezo said he needs more time to address the 290,000 pages of documents and thousands of other documents in the case.

The 60-year-old kingpin, accused of running one of the world's biggest drug empires, has been held in solitary confinement since being extradited on in January 2017.

Guzman — who twice escaped from prison in Mexico — is accused of running the Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's biggest drug empires.

He is facing 17 charges, and if convicted, he is likely to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison.