Prison officials charged in drug lord escape

(Vatican Radio) Seven Mexican prison officers have been formally charged with helping the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel to escape from a maximum security prison one week ago.

Listen to James Blears, reporting from Mexico:

Of the 22 prison officers still being questioned, seven have been charged with helping Joaquin "Shorty" Guzmán to escape from the Antiplano maximum security prison in the State of Mexico, which he left via a 1.5km tunnel.  They've been taken to a jail in the City of Guanajuato in the Central State of Querétaro.  Even though there were surveillance cameras,  It took prison officers eighteen minutes to realize that Guzmán was missing from his cell and to belatedly raise the alarm.  By that time...he'd long gone.

The Mexican Ministry of Interior also confirms that an extradition request for Guzmán was received from the United States on June 25th.  But it was NOT granted, because Mexican Authorities insisted he had to answer for his legion of crimes on home soil, and that they thought the risk of a second escape was non-existent.  In 2001 Guzmán  bribed his way out of another máximum security prison and was on the run for 13 years before being re-captured. Now he's escaped all over again.