As previously reported, actor and activist Sean Penn recently traveled to Mexico to interview the infamous drug cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman following his daring and remarkable escape from a Mexican prison. "El Chapo" has since been caught and detained by Mexican authorities, and may face extradition to the United States for crimes he has committed during his reign as one of the most powerful players in the illegal drug trade. Sean Penn, following the news of his recapture, told Charlie Rose that his interview was a "failure."
Sean Penn's disappointment over the article comes from the recent capture of Joaquin Guzman (El Chapo) stems from the drug lord's recent capture in Mexico. Penn believes the media attention given to this victory for the Mexican government has distracted for the message and intended purpose of his interview. The Mystic River actor hoped to raise awareness about the "War on Drugs" through his conversation with "El Chapo."
In a conversation with Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes, Mr. Penn said, according to the New York Times, "I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores its purpose, which was to try to contribute to this discussion about the policy in the war on drugs."
He continued, "Let's go to the big picture of what we all want. We all want this drug problem to stop." Later he went on to say, "And how much time have they spent in the last week since this article come out, talking about that? One percent? I think that'd be generous."
He concluded, "Let me be clear. My article has failed."
Many were skeptical of Penn's tactics in tracking down the sought-after drug trafficker, as well as the journalistic and civic ethics in refusing to report the criminal's location or alert the authorities in any way.
