There’s a new twist in the case of Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
A federal judge who had presided over legal challenges filed by Guzmán’s lawyers was killed Monday morning (Oct. 17), Mexico’s Office of the Attorney General said (link in Spanish).
Vicente Antonio Zacarías Bermúdez was reportedly shot (Spanish) in the back of the head while exercising near his home in the municipality of Metepec in central Mexico. Bermúdez had also been involved in cases against other drug dealers, including Miguel Treviño, former leader of Los Zetas.
Guzmán was apprehended in January six months after fleeing a high-security prison through a tunnel. After his arrest, Mexican authorities sought to extradite Guzmán to the US, where he faces numerous charges in several courts. The process can be lengthy and complicated, involving numerous potential appeals in different courts. Guzmán’s attorneys have already filed several.
They’ve also said that their client had nothing to do (Spanish) with Bermúdez’s killing. Mexico’s attorney general’s office said it’s investigating the case.