Source Says 'El Chapo' Guzman Still in Sinaloa, While Lawyer Alleges Colombians Soldiers out to Kill Him

The “massive manhunt” the Mexican government said it launched to recapture the world's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, has not yielded any results.

However a contact confirmed to teleSUR that the drug trafficker is still in the mountains of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, while his lawyer said a group of Colombian gunmen are trying to murder the cartel boss.

“Why would he risk his liberty going elsewhere? Here in Sinaloa he enjoys massive protection by state and federal security forces. He has all of them on his payroll. He controls the whole mountain range from Jesus Maria (about 40 minutes of the Sinaloan capital Culiacan) all the way up to Badiraguato, where he was born,” said Julio “El Tio” Martinez.

RELATED: Author of 'Narcoland' on El Chapo's Escape and Gov't Corruption

​Recently, one of El Chapo’s sons tweeted from Costa Rica that he and his father were enjoying themselves at a local restaurant.

Guzman and his associate Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada both have families in Jesus Maria and control the whole region, Martinez added.

In the meantime, El Chapo's lawyer Juan Pablo Badillo recently told the Washington Post that “a group of Colombian soldiers armed to the teeth have come to Mexico and are now trying to assassinate his client.”

Badillo added that, “This is a critical moment for him. He’s living under the sword of Damocles.”

The lawyer also told the Washington Post that he has filed two judicial requests, known in Mexico as “amparos” or protections, arguing the government should stop hunting Guzman.

RELATED: Anabel Hernandez: 'El Chapo' Guzman, a Primitive Hero

He claims that belligerent language coming from authorities in Mexico and the United States — phrases like "we’re going to find him and take him off the streets” — sound like death threats, and he wants the authorities to protect his client.

However, Badillo did not mention that a few days before Guzman’s escape from the maximum security prison in Toluca, his defense team managed to get a court injunction to protect the drug lord from being extradited, tortured or killed.

This is the court document obtained by Univision in which protection against torture, being killed when attempted to be arrested, extradition and even death penalty is granted by three Mexican federal judges.

“If the Mexican government were to find Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, they cannot kill or torture him, nor extradite him,” Univision said recently.

RELATED: President Peña Nieto Sanctioned Chapo Guzman's Escape

​The television network revealed a document signed by three federal judges in August which guaranteed these right to the drug lord.

The document was presented to the courts by Badillo, who said he believes Guzman decided to break out of prison due to fear of being extradited, a measure the Mexican government said would not happen in hundreds of years.

According to Univision, Badillo claimed in the petition that if Guzman were to be extradited to the United States, he would be tortured to confess to crimes that U.S. authorities say he committed there.