Mexican officials formally launched the process to extradite drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States, starting what could be a lengthy road full of legal appeals, Fox News reported.

Guzman is currently being held at the maximum-security Altiplano prison- six months after he escaped from that same facility. Mexican officials previously said they were willing to extradite Guzman, but cautioned that the extradition process could take a while.

Close

Now that he has been recaptured, Mexican officials must begin the extradition process again, which will further delay the process. A Mexican federal law enforcement official said the quickest Guzman could be extradited is six months.

The Mexican government determined they were valid within the extradition treaty between the two countries and sent them to federal judges, who gave orders for detention, Fox News reported.