Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera is known by many as the leader of a powerful and murderous drug cartel that spanned across different continents. He is accused of taking part of at least 30 killings and getting into fatal conflicts with other major cartels which reportedly spiked violence between the years 2008 and 2012.

  However, during his court case, El Chapo’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman claimed that he is not the leader of anything. “He’s blamed for being the leader. The truth is, he was the leader of nothing,” he said. Lichtman argues that during the time he spent in Mexican prisons, there was no change in the flow of drugs in the U.S.

  The criminal’s trial could possibly last up to four months, and it began with intense security measures. For instance, there were armed escorts, heavily armed federal marshals, and officers followed by bomb-sniffing dogs. Additionally, those wishing  to witness the trial had to go through an x-ray machine and a metal detector before entering the courthouse. Furthermore, they had to go through another screening before heading into the courtroom.

  The heavy security might be due to the fact that Guzman is known for his various dramatic prison escapes. For example, in 2001, Guzman averted a 20-year sentence in Mexico by hiding in a laundry cart and escaping the prison. Another of his escapes involved a mile-long underground tunnel in his cell a year after he had been recaptured in 2014.

  The 61 year old has pleaded not guilty. If he is convicted of international drug trafficking, conspiring to murder rivals, gun charges and money laundering, he will be faced with a sentence of life in prison.