Notorious Mexican drug kingpin 'El Chapo' to appear in New York court after being extradited to US

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is set to appear in a New York court on Friday (20 January) after being extradited to the US. A Justice Department spokesman said that the infamous drug lord would appear for an arraignment at the federal court in Brooklyn.

Guzman, who was being held in a maximum security prison near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, arrived at Long Island's MacArthur Airport in a small jet after nightfall Thursday.

The drug lord, who controlled Mexico's notorious Sinaloa Cartel, had fought a legal battle not to be extradited.

He faces charges including money laundering, drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder in cities such as Chicago, Miami and New York in the US.

According to Mexico's court authority, Guzman would be tried in California and Texas. He might also have to appear in courts in the border towns of San Diego and El Paso, which have indictments against him.

US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Capers, would hold a press conference in Brooklyn at around 10:00am local time, giving details of the case against Guzman, Reuters reported.

The extradition of the drug lord came on the eve of Donald Trump's swearing-in as president. The Republican had earlier said that he would kick Guzman's "a*s" on taking office.

Guzman – also known as "Shorty" – has twice tried to escape from the Mexico prison. In 2001, he escaped from a maximum security prison in a laundry cart. Again, in July 2015 he escaped via an elaborate tunnel. However, after almost six months on the run, he was recaptured in Los Mochis, Sinaloa State, in January 2016.