Under strictest security measures, the trial of Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has begun in New York. The opening speeches, however, have been postponed due to the failure of a jury.

As the "New York Post" reported, a "timid and agitated" jury presented a certificate stating that she could not attend the trial. New York Judge Brian Cogan spent the remainder of the morning interviewing potential replacement candidates.

How long it will take until a replacement is found, is so far unclear. In the pouring rain, early in the morning dozens of reporters and onlookers had come to the court to get a seat in the hall.

The US judicature accuses the Guzmán, for example, because of his height of a little over 1.60 meters "El Chapo" (The Short), drug trafficking, money laundering and leading a criminal organization - the Mexican drug cartel Sinaloa. He is said to have smuggled tons of cocaine and heroin into the United States, making billions. He should also be responsible for up to 3000 murders.

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Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán: Escaped twice, now in court

Judging by Judge Brian Cogan, it can take several months to reach a verdict. The twelve jurors in "El Chapos" trial were determined Wednesday after days of deliberations. Several candidates were dismissed by the jury service for fear of their lives. One candidate suffered a panic attack. The names of all jurors are kept anonymous under strict security measures. They are partially isolated from the outside world and accompanied every day by armed federal police officers to the court.

16 witnesses are loaded

If convicted, Guzmán faces life imprisonment. (Read a detailed analysis here.) The death penalty is barred by agreement between Mexico and the United States.

Since his delivery to the US in January 2017, Guzmán is in a high-security prison in Manhattan. In Mexico, the drug lord had previously achieved several spectacular prison outbreaks.

About a dozen prosecutors work on the case. Sixteen witnesses - including Mexican and Colombian dealers in US prisons - have positioned them to testify against "El Chapo". Guzmán has hired several star defenders. The Brooklyn Court is considered an institution in the fight against organized crime. However, the drug war in Mexico continues to rage without "El Chapo".