"El Chapo": the trial against the former boss of the drug, Joaquín Guzmán, began with the selection of the jury

About two years after being delivered to the United States, the trial of Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán began in New York. The court began Monday to select twelve jurors, who were to decide, for security reasons, anonymously the fate of Guzmán. For starters, about 40 prospective jurors should first be interviewed.

The security around the court in the Brooklyn district of New York was extremely high. In front of the building, dozens of journalists and spectators gathered under the drizzle. "El Chapo" appeared in a blue jacket and a white shirt. The Brooklyn Court is considered an institution fighting organized crime.

The selection of the jury is likely to take several days. The opening speeches are then scheduled for November 13th. Judge Brian Cogan says the trial will take several months.

Guzmán, 61, has won, according to the prosecutor's conviction, drug trafficking and other billions of illegal trade. A dozen prosecutors sit in New York and 16 witnesses put them in situation. Guzmán hired several star defenders.

In 2017, "El Chapo" was delivered to the United States. Since then, he has been held 24 hours a day in Manhattan's maximum security prison, in a 15-square-meter, windowless cell. There are only exceptions during the week when he is allowed to use a treadmill and a bike trainer one hour a day. The result is depression and hallucinations, his lawyers warned. In Mexico, he had previously led several spectacular prisons.

Video review: Guzmán was caught three times and escaped twice

In case of conviction, Guzmán risks life imprisonment. The death penalty is prescribed after an agreement between Mexico and the United States.