He made the assurance in a motion requesting that members of the jury should not be kept anonymous and under police protection.

His lawyer, A. Eduardo Balarezo, claimed that the special measures would “create the extremely unfair impression that he is a dangerous person from whom the jury must be protected”.

However, prosecutors said Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán had a history of intimidating witnesses and had “the ability to bring substantial resources to bear, even while confined, in his efforts to subvert justice”.

They pointed out: “He was able to arrange the construction of a tunnel into his prison cell in order to escape.”

The court in New York has not yet decided on the motion.