Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' to appear in US court

Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted as he arrives at Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, US, January 19, 2017, after his extradition from Mexico. Picture taken Janaury 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK — Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is scheduled to appear in person in a federal court in New York.

A judge initially ruled that Guzman would appear in court by video on Friday rather than have marshals escort him to and from a high-security Manhattan jail cell. The order was changed after his lawyers asked the judge to reconsider.

Guzman is charged with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has repeatedly been imprisoned and escaped in Mexico. US authorities have pursued him for years.

To get Mexico to hand him over to the US, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. They're demanding he forfeit $14 billion in assets.

Guzman has pleaded not guilty.