A lawyer for Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman tried to poke holes in testimony that the notorious Mexican drug kingpin
— by insinuating that he was too short and too old to do so.
The accused leader of the infamous Sinaloa drug cartel saw his slight 5-foot-6 stature come into question as Eduardo Balarezo questioned his ex-bodyguard, Isaias Valdez Rios.
On Thursday, Valdez detailed for Brooklyn federal court jurors how his former boss tortured and murdered at least three members of rival cartels. One man affiliated with the Arellano Felix brothers was shot and then buried alive, while two others from the Los Zetas Cartel were beaten “like rag dolls” for three hours with a giant stick around 2005-2006, he said.
But Balarezo seemed dubious.
“For three hours, Chapo Guzman was beating the hell out of these guys?” an incredulous Balarezo asked Valdez.
He then turned to Chapo and said, “Mr. Guzman, please stand.”
“This 5-foot-6 guy, 60-something years old was just whacking at these guys with a tree branch?” the lawyer continued.
“That’s right,” Valdez replied.
