NEW YORK _ The jury tasked with deciding Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's fate appears to be having a hard time digesting the drug lord's behemoth Brooklyn trial.
Nearing the end of their third day of deliberations, jurors asked Wednesday for the testimony of three cooperating witnesses in their entirety _ documents numbering in the thousands.
The jury, comprised of eight women and four men, also sent out a note asking for clarification regarding the murder conspiracy charge included in the top count of leading a continuing criminal enterprise.
"If members of a drug cartel are killed from an opposing cartel for personal reasons, does that constitute as a drug trafficking crime?" a note from the jury read.
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan told jurors that a killing carried out for "wholly personal reasons not related to drug trafficking" would not fall within the charge.
In November, Guzman was accused of ordering a hit on a member of an allied cartel after he refused to shake his hand.
The bombshell accusation was revealed by witness Jesus Reynaldo "El Rey" Zambada Garcia, whose testimony jurors have requested.
"Chapo gave him his hand and said, 'See you later, friend.' Rodolfo left him standing with his hand extended," Zambada testified on Nov. 19. "Chapo was really mad."
The Mexican kingpin, who donned a black suit, gray shirt and black tie to his trial Wednesday, gestured a sign of approval to his attorney Jeffrey Lichtman as he left the courtroom.
Guzman has been on trial in federal court in Brooklyn since Nov. 18. He has pleaded not guilty to a 10-count indictment including charges he led the largest drug trafficking organization in the world, trafficked drugs to the U.S. and Canada over a 25-year period, conspired to murder his enemies, and other charges.
He faces life in prison if convicted of the top count.
