El Chapo granted permission for psychological exam after his lawyers claim he may not be fit to stand trial

'El Chapo' Guzman.
(Image credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman received permission from a U.S. judge to undergo a psychological examination to determine his mental competence, The Associated Press reports. Last week, the legal team for the former head of the Sinaloa drug cartel filed papers requesting authorization for the examination, claiming that the notorious drug lord had "suffered a marked deterioration in his mental state." "Something is not right with Mr. Guzman," the lawyers warned.

Defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said Wednesday that his client's condition was declining. "His memory is failing," Balarezo said. "He's not remembering things."

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Kelly O'Meara Morales

Kelly O'Meara Morales is a staff writer at The Week. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied Middle Eastern history and nonfiction writing amongst other esoteric subjects. When not compulsively checking Twitter, he writes and records music, subsists on tacos, and watches basketball.