Court agrees to review Chapo's extradition appeal

MEXICO CITY: A Mexican high court has agreed to review an appeal filed by drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to prevent his extradition to the United States, judicial authorities Wednesday.
Guzman's lawyers filed the appeal on November 8 after a lower court rejected his bid to overturn the foreign ministry's decision to extradite him to the United States.
A "collegiate" tribunal, or panel of judges, accepted on Tuesday to review the case, the Judicial Council said on its website.
Guzman's lawyers have said that it could take three to six months for the higher court to issue a ruling, and that they also want the Supreme Court to take the case.
The Sinaloa drug cartel boss was recaptured in January, six months after escaping from a maximum-security prison through a 1.5km tunnel that opened into his cell's shower.
He is facing two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on a slew of charges that include murder and money laundering. — AFP