Nearly two years after his extradition from Mexico, notorious cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera faces an American jury today in the most significant criminal trial in decades.
The man once considered the world's biggest drug trafficker is accused of heading a criminal enterprise that spanned continents and triggered waves of bloodshed throughout his native Mexico.
His long‑awaited trial before US District Court Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn federal court begins with opening statements under unprecedented security measures, including armed escorts for the anonymous and jurors.
Even before the start of a trial that could last four months, heavily armed federal marshals and officers with bomb‑sniffing dogs stood guard outside the courthouse.
Metal detectors greeted visitors at the entrance to the courtroom. The Brooklyn Bridge shuts down each time a police motorcade ‑‑ including an ambulance and a SWAT team ‑‑ shuttled Guzman to and from the Manhattan federal lockup.
[Source: CNN]
