El Chapo Trial: “I think he’s guilty. There’s many, many horrendous (things), that he did" says 'Narcos' actor

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat from Daily News-thank you Jose G

JMO: The actor should have been kept away from the trial, it is a circus enough, his giving a presser on the courthouse steps says it all.  Regarding Chapo not testifying—he will live with regret.  He will never leave prison with a beating heart, so why not give him his day to say what he wishes?  He would lose nothing and perhaps feel satisfied he was able to tell his story.

The El Chapo trial got a fix of star power Monday when the actor who plays the drug lord in the Netflix hit “Narcos: Mexico” made a surprise courtroom cameo.

Actor Alejandro Edda arrived before 6 a.m. to score one of the limited seats inside the courtroom gallery for the drug trafficking trial now in its eleventh week in Brooklyn Federal Court.

A beaming smile spread across Chapo’s face when he entered the courtroom and spotted the Hollywood hunk after getting a heads-up from his lawyers.

“My heart was pumping fast,” Edda told reporters of the moment he locked eyes with the notorious narco. “My hands were sweaty.”

The actor, 34, greeted Chapo’s defense team and later said it was “surreal” to spend the morning so close to the real-life kingpin he portrays for the TV drama also starring Diego Luna and Michael Peña.

During the mid-morning break, Edda was introduced to Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel Aispuro in the hallway. They greeted one another with a kiss on the cheek.

As he left the courthouse for the subsequent lunch break, Edda said he believes Chapo should be convicted.

“I think he’s guilty. There’s many, many things, horrendous (things), that he did. I’m not a judge. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know what's going to be the weight on him for this. The only sad part is that I know that he’s not the only one...There’s many bad guys around us,” Edda told reporters.

He said just seeing Chapo in the flesh was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

“He looked at me, waved at me. I was shaking in a way. Inside, I didn’t know what to do. I just paid him my respect, through the distance. It was a surreal moment, I have to be honest, looking at his eyes,” the actor said.

“It’s the guy who everybody talks about doing all these things,” he continued. “This guy’s the leader of a big …cartel … and, having him that close, it shook me. I’m intimidated by it.”

Edda said it would be “amazing” if El Chapo decides to testify in his own defense.

Chapo, whose real name is Joaquín Guzmán Loera, has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy and illegal firearms.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted of running the Sinaloa Cartel.

Coronel, 29, claimed during a Telemundo interview last month that she hasn’t watched any TV shows or movies depicting Chapo’s life. She then said he might be interested in a project after the trial.