McCaul: Extradite 'El Chapo'

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is encouraging Mexico to consider extraditing alleged drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera — also known as El Chapo — to the United States for prosecution.

“The normal sequence is Mexico, being a sovereign nation, has the first prosecution. But there’s a history here. He escaped from a prison in 2001. There is corruption in that country,” Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“I would ask that the Mexicans consider extraditing him to the United States, where he would be put into a super-max prison under tight security where he cannot escape,” McCaul said.

(Also on POLITICO: Drug lord: The capture of 'El Chapo')

Guzmán was apprehended in a beachfront condo Saturday by Mexican marines and police, aided by U.S. law enforcement agencies.

“This is an exceptional case," McCaul said. "This is the largest, biggest drug lord we’ve ever seen in the world. I think extradition to the United States where there are multiple indictments in multiple cities — in San Diego, New York, in Texas and Chicago — where we can deal with him in a secure safe way and bring him to justice."

McCaul praised both countries for their cooperation in capturing Guzmán.

(POLITICO's Sunday show recap in 90 seconds)

“This is a significant victory for both Mexico and the United States," McCaul said. "This is the world’s most notorious drug lord that got taken down. He’s really the godfather of the cartels that has brought so many drugs into the United States, killed so many people in Mexico and around the world. To bring him to justice finally after so many decades is a great victory."