Mexico's Foreign Relations Department must still approve the move. According to Mexican law, the Foreign Department will have 20 days to approve the extradition.
In the event of a move to extradite, Guzman's defense will have 30 working days to appeal.
Guzman is currently being held in CEFERESO (Federal Center of Social Adaptation, a Mexican term for prison facility) No. 9, located along the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; he was moved there from Altiplano prison, located in the outskirts of Mexico City, over the weekend. This relocation has raised eyebrows in both Mexico and the US, as CEFERESO No 9 is considered less secure than Altiplano.
Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city just across the border from the US city of El Paso, Texas, is considered a stronghold of Guzman's drug distribution network.
Some Mexican media have speculated that the relocation was a prelude to imminent extradition to the US, where "El Chapo" faces drug charges in seven jurisdictions. This was later denied by Mexican officials.
