ALMOLOYA DE JUAREZ, Mexico — "El Chapo" is now sporting a buzz cut behind bars — and his macho mustache is gone.
Joaquin Guzmán, the recently recaptured Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, got a complete makeover when he was returned to the maximum security Altiplano prison he broke out of last July, as his new mugshot made clear Tuesday.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen Mexican police officers were guarding the exit of the mile-long tunnel that Guzman used to escape from the slammer.
"Nobody is allowed inside without permission," an officer who declined to give his name barked when a NBC News reporter walked over.
Guzmán's dramatic escape was a major embarrassment for Mexican officials and his jailers are now taking extra steps to make sure prisoner number 3870-AJ-08-01-16 stays put until he is extradited to the U.S.
As for Guzmán's tunnel, it too may be history.
"There are plans to cover it," another officer standing watch said. "But they haven't done it yet."
In an interview after his escape with actor Sean Penn for Rolling Stone magazine, Guzmán boasted that his engineers traveled to Germany to study before building the escape tunnel.
Mexican authorities say it sits more than 60 feet underground, has its own ventilation system, lighting and a motorcycle track used to move dirt and materials. He was able to get into the tunnel through a hole in the floor of his shower located inside his prison cell.
Back in 2014, Mexico resisted extraditing Guzmán — who is wanted on federal drug trafficking charges in Chicago, San Diego, Brooklyn, El Paso and Miami — after they captured him. Now it's Guzmán's lawyers who are expected to try and delay his date with American justice.
Juan Pablo Badillo, one of Guzman's lawyers, said his client was physically very weak and complained he was being exposed to "brutal psychological pressure."
"He is in a different, very cold zone (of the prison) and in complete isolation," Badillo said Tuesday outside the Altiplano prison where Guzman is being held. None of Guzman's relatives have visited him yet, Badillo added.
Guzmán was recaptured Friday in the northwestern town of Los Mochis by Mexican marines after six months on the lam. The extradition orders were delivered to his prison on Sunday. The whole process could take up to a year, Mexican officials have said.
When and if that happens, it's not clear which U.S. jurisdiction would get first crack at Guzmán.
Brooklyn has been lobbying heavily for him and Attorney General Loretta Lynch was the U.S. attorney there. But a DOJ official insisted to NBC News no decision has been made yet on which district has the best case against the drug lord.
In the meantime, the Los Angeles-based menswear retailer Barabas was trying to cash-in by posting photos of Guzmán on Facebook wearing their blue and gray print shirts. The photo was taken when Guzmán met secretly with Penn in October along with Mexican film and television star Kate del Castillo who had been considering making a movie about the fugitive's story.
Corky Siemaszko reported from New York City
