El Chapo Consort Who Changed His Face gets Cross-Examined

Two photos provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York show former Colombian drug lord Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, the latest star witness for the government in the trial against accused drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman (U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York via AP).

Associated Press

A key government witness at the U.S. trial of the Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo" has testified about the cold-blooded killings committed to further his own narcotics empire.

Former Colombian kingpin Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia admitted during cross-examination Tuesday that the victims included low-level dealers in the New York City area who crossed his cartel.

Ramirez Abadia has been testifying in federal court in Brooklyn against Joaquin Guzman, the notorious former boss of the Sinaloa cartel.

The witness pleaded guilty in 2010 and was testifying in open court for first time about sending tons of cocaine to Guzman's cartel.

He is known for using multiple plastic surgeries to drastically alter his face in a failed attempt to evade capture.