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Trial of alleged drug kingpin 'El Chapo' to get underway

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán is facing the possibility of life imprisonment.
Credit: Alfredo Estrella, Getty Images
Drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted into a helicopter at Mexico City's airport on Jan. 8, 2016, following his recapture during an intense military operation in Los Mochis, in Sinaloa State.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The trial for accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán begins Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court.

Guzman, 61, is facing the possibility of life imprisonment in the U.S. on 17 charges, including drug trafficking, conspiring to murder rivals, money laundering and weapons offenses.

“El Chapo” earned worldwide notoriety for twice pulling off daring escapes from prison. He now must try to win an acquittal from a jury weighing evidence he helped lead the world’s largest drug cartel.

On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge denied Guzman's motion for permission to "greet and embrace" his wife before the court hears opening statements.

The trial is expected to last two to four months.

Note: USA TODAY contributed to this story.

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