Drug lord 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty in New York courtroom

Mexican drugs lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has pleaded not guilty in New York after being charged with running the world's largest drug-trafficking organization.

Guzman, who once apparently carried a gold-plated AK-47 rifle, wore a blue prison uniform for his court appearance in Brooklyn following his extradition from Mexico .

There was no obvious expression on the 59-year-old's clean-shaven face.

There are 17 criminal charges against him, carrying a minimum sentence of life behind bars.

While leading the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman topped what may have been the world's largest transnational cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation.

More than 100,000 people were killed during a decade-long drugs war in Mexico.

The US attorney for New York's Eastern District, Robert Capers, told reporters the eventual trial was likely to last for "many" weeks, and that more than 40 witnesses were ready to testify.

Mr Capers said: "Who is Chapo Guzman? In short, he's a man known for no other life but a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now he'll have to answer to that."

In contrast, federal public defender Michael Schneider told reporters: "I haven't seen any evidence that indicates to me that Mr Guzman's done anything wrong.

"Most of you probably haven't seen any evidence like that either."

In addition to promising a rigorous defence, Guzman's lawyers said they would look into whether his extradition from Mexico had been properly handled.