The Mexican drug magnate known as El Chapo has sought to assure a judge that he will not kill any jurors at his forthcoming trial in New York.

Joaquín Guzmán is named in court documents as “the principal leader” of the Sinaloa cartel, who twice escaped from Mexican prisons and directed hitmen to silence potential witnesses and anyone who provided information or assistance to law enforcement.

El Chapo at Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, Mexico. He escaped by tunnelling out of the showers ASSOCIATED PRESS

Extradited to the US a year ago, he faces charges of drug smuggling, money laundering and a demand that he forfeit $14 billion as the illegal proceeds of his narcotics trafficking.

Prosecutors have demanded that his case be heard by an anonymous and partially sequestered jury, sitting with an armed guard. “The defendant has demonstrated the ability to bring