NEW YORK _ A man claiming to be a relative of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera was arrested in Brooklyn Federal Court Thursday and turned over to ICE after marshals discovered an open warrant for his arrest.
The bizarre scene unfolded after the man, Rene Rivera Martinez, was removed from the main courtroom after refusing to move from seating reserved for the kingpin's wife.
"You cannot tell me who my family is," Martinez told marshals when they asked him to move from the courtroom's second row.
About an hour and a half later, the man was led out of the overflow room in handcuffs after marshals discovered a bench warrant for his arrest, a courthouse official confirmed.
The U.S. Marshal Service then turned the man over to ICE, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed.
Martinez failed to turn up for a court appearance at Brooklyn Criminal Court on Jan. 19 on a misdemeanor harassment charges, according to court documents.
"What the f--- is this b----. I'm coming after you, and I know where you work. You f----- up," Martinez allegedly texted a woman.
Guzman has been on trial since November.
Martinez told reporters he was from Milan, Italy, and had houses all over Mexico. He claimed to be related to the Guzman Loera clan.
He said he was in New York to undergo surgery for injuries from a motorcycle crash and that his mother had asked him to attend the trial.
"The family doesn't know him, no relation," Guzman's attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said. "The family disavows him completely _ he is an imposter."
Guzman has pleaded not guilty to a 10-count indictment alleging he trafficked more than 150 tons of illegal drugs into the U.S., conspired to commit murder, and other related charges. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
