The world's most famous drug lord, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, has been extradited to the United States.
Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release that a Mexico City tribunal rejected Chapo's appeal against extradition.
(Watch: "El Chapo" series, an original production by Netflix and Univision)
The Mexican government said Chapo was handed over to U.S. authorities on Thursday. Some reports suggest he is headed for New York. Mexican media reports Chapo was transferred from his prison cell in the border city of Ciudad Juárez to the local airport where he was put on an airplane.
The extradition comes almost a year after the Sinaloa Cartel boss was recaptured in January, following his brazen escape from the maximum security prison of Altiplano.
Last May, the kingpin was transferred to a prison in Ciudad Juárez, near the Texas border. The move sparked rumors that his extradition was imminent. Mexican officials approved the extradition and notified El Chapo of his impending handover to U.S. authorities.
However, the drug lord's counsel was able to block extradition efforts through a series of appeals.
The extradition now comes a day before Donald Trump becomes president and as security and economic cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico seems to hang in the balance.
Chapo is now expected to stand trial in either Texas, California, Illinois, or New York on charges ranging from organized crime, possession of firearms, homicide, and money laundering, to cocaine possession and intent to distribute, according to Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The drug lord faces additional charges in other states and cities throughout the U.S.
The date and location of the trial is not yet known.