There has been praise and condemnation for Hollywood star Sean Penn this week. Sean Penn has had controversial moments throughout his public life. But this week, the public learned that Penn met with the leader of a brutal Mexican crime group. The Sinaloa group is known for especially vicious killings, torture and drug dealing. The actor interviewed Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in October 2015. Guzman had escaped from a Mexican federal prison in July. It was his second escape. He was on the lam from 2001 to 2014 after the first prison break. He was serving a 20-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking. Rolling Stone magazine published Penn’s interview online January 11. Mexican federal police recaptured El Chapo a day earlier. In his article, Penn explained why he wanted to meet the crime leader. The actor wrote that he wanted to “explore what may be inconsistent” with the American government and media’s descriptions.