Actor Sean Penn shot down what he called the “myth” that his controversial sitdown with “El Chapo” was “essential” to the Mexican drug lord’s capture.
“There is this myth about the visit that we made, my colleagues and I with El Chapo, that it was — as the attorney general of Mexico is quoted ‘essential’ to his capture,” Penn said an interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Charlie Rose.
“We had met with him many weeks earlier… on October 2nd, in a place nowhere near where he was captured.”
The notorious coke kingpin was recaptured a week ago.
Penn made headlines when his October interview with the hiding Joaquin Guzman was published in Rolling Stone.
“So as far as, you know, you had nothing to do and your visit had nothing to do with his recapture?” Rose asked the hothead actor.
“Here’s the things that we know: We know that the Mexican government … they were clearly very humiliated by the notion that someone found him before they did,” Penn said. “Well, nobody found him before they did. We didn’t we’re not smarter than the DEA or the Mexican intelligence.
We had a contact upon which we were able to facilitate an invitation.”
Penn told Rose he believes the Mexican authorities released the information about Penn partly because they wanted to see him blamed and to encourage the drug cartel to go after him.
“Are you fearful for your life?” Rose asked.
“No,” Penn said.
The interview will air on “60 Minutes” on Sunday.
