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Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Will Be In US Court, In Person

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NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) — Mexican drug Lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will face a federal judge in person on Friday.

A judge ruled last week that Guzman would appear in court by video rather than have marshals escort him to and from a high-security New York jail cell. But his lawyers asked the judge to reconsider. A new order was issued Wednesday on the matter.

Prosecutors describe Guzman as the overseer of a three-decade campaign of smuggling, brutality and corruption that fueled an epidemic of cocaine abuse and related violence in the U.S. in the 1980s and '90s. The defense says it hasn't seen any evidence of illegal acts.

To get Mexico to hand him over to the U.S., prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. They're demanding he forfeit $14 billion in assets.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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