A Mexican judge granted a temporary suspension [El Mundo report, in Spanish] on the extradition of Joaquín “el Chapo” Guzmán to the US on Saturday. The decision comes after Guzmán’s lawyers filed [El Pais report, in Spanish] an appeal arguing that extradition to the US would be unconstitutional. The Mexican foreign ministry had approved [Fox News report] the extradition of Guzmán so that he could be tried in US federal courts. The judge gave a “non-postponable” 48-hour window for the foreign ministry to present an argument that the extradition will comply with the extradition agreement. Furthermore, the judge provided that if the court does not receive the argument, the extradition decision will be reviewed by the justice department in June.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute and import cocaine and kept in Mexico’s highest security prison, Altiplano, in July. Guzmán escaped from prison that month and a federal official announced [JURIST report] that seven of those who were being questioned regarding the prison escape were formally arrested. In August a Mexican judge temporarily suspended [JURIST report] a US extradition order for Guzmán for an unknown reason and the escape increased tension in US-Mexico relations. In January Guzmán was recaptured [JURIST report] in Los Mochis, Mexico after a Mexican-military raid left 5 suspects dead and one Mexican official injured. In May, a judge ruled [JURIST report] and then Mexico’s foreign ministry approved [WP report] Guzmán’s extradition to the US.