Kate del Castillo, a Mexican movie and TV actress, is in hot water after it was discovered that she arranged the controversial interview between actor Sean Penn and Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Del Castillo is currently under investigation for obstruction of justice after authorities found that she brokered the now-famous interview between Penn and El Chapo. The meeting ultimately led to the capture and arrest of Mexico’s most notorious drug lord on Jan. 8, 2016 in Los Mochis in Sinaloa.
According to El Universal, a Mexican newspaper, Del Castillo turned to be a public relations intermediary for El Chapo. Previously, Guzman’s lawyers communicated with Del Castillo for various projects and requests. Her strange relationship with El Chapo led some to believe that she might be part of the underworld organization to some extent.
The actress also received flak from several Mexicans who abhorred the drug war that claimed thousands of lives, because of her controversial statements that seemed to show how much she supported Guzman.
“Today I believe more in ChapoGuzmán than in the governments that hide the truth although it may be painful, who hide the cure for cancers, AIDS, etc, for their own benefit and wealth,” she tweeted.
"Mr. Chapo, wouldn’t it be cool if you began to traffic in what is good,” she wrote. “You would be the hero of heroes. Let’s traffic in love, you know how.”
In the past, Del Castillo had roles in drug-related shows like “The Queen of the South.” She addressed El Chapo on Twitter, urging him to use his wealth for noble purposes. The drug lord responded by sending her flowers. Later, Guzman wanted Del Castillo to produce a movie about his life. New York Times reported that Sean Penn learned about the connection between the two and askedDel Castillo to arrange an interview.
Rolling Stone published Penn’s experience, stating that Del Castillo was his interpreter and even drove for him. Penn, Del Castillo and two friends traveled via a small plane and truck into the mountains of the Golden Triangle, which was a neutral zone at the Sinaloa boundary, the home state of Guzman, and the Durango and Chihuahua states.
The Wrap cited that some people found a lot of red flags with the Rolling Stone story. According to others, the interview, which lasted seven hours, was more of a thrilling adventure for the Hollywood actor than true journalism.
Del Castillo’s publicist refused to comment on the issue.