'El Chapo' paid previous Mexican president $100 m reward - preliminary observer

Blamed Mexican medication ruler Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman once paid a $100 million influence to previous Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, a previous partner affirmed on Tuesday that he recently revealed to US specialists.

Alex Cifuentes, who has portrayed himself as Guzman's onetime "right-hand man," talked about the supposed fix under interrogation by one of Guzman's legal counselors in Brooklyn government court. Inquired as to whether he told experts in 2016 that Guzman orchestrated the pay off, he replied, "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Pena Nieto denied taking rewards from Guzman when the claim initially surfaced in November.

Reuters couldn't promptly reach Pena Nieto for input. His previous representative and other previous authorities did not quickly react to messages asking for input.

Pena Nieto was leader of Mexico from December 2012 until November 2018. He recently filled in as legislative head of the express that incorporates Mexico City.

Guzman, 61, has been on preliminary since November. He was removed to the United States in 2017 to deal with indictments of dealing cocaine, heroin and different medications into the nation as pioneer of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Colombian-conceived Cifuentes is one of around twelve observers who have so far affirmed against Guzman subsequent to hitting manages US examiners, in a preliminary that has given a window into the undercover universe of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most dominant medication dealing association.

Different observers at the preliminary have likewise made allegations of abnormal state defilement.

Jesus Zambada, another cartel part, affirmed in November he paid a multimillion dollar influence to an assistant of current Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2005. The associate was not named but rather later Gabriel Regino, an authority in Mexico City when Lopez Obrador was city hall leader, composed on Twitter that an allegation of pay off had risen against him in the preliminary however was false.

Cifuentes prior on Tuesday had additionally affirmed that Guzman requested that a partner pay a $10 million fix to a general. The observer said the reward was never paid and Guzman in this manner requested the partner executed, however the hit was never completed.