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Agence France-Presse

Actor Sean Penn is drawing fire from critics over his account in Rolling Stone magazine of his clandestine meeting with Mexican drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
In the article, the actor and director says he met Guzman deep in the Mexican jungle in October for a “seven-hour sit-down” because he was “drawn to explore what may be inconsistent” with media and government portrayals of Guzman.
READ MORE: How Mexican beauty Kate del Castillo found herself at heart of real-life drug cartel drama
On the American right, where an all-out war is under way between Republican presidential candidates, Penn’s exploits were greeted with dismay.
US Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican running for his party’s nomination for the White House bid, said Penn’s efforts were outlandish, but not before dishing out a healthy plate of criticism on the star’s acting career.
“Look, I think Sean Penn is not someone I spend a lot of time thinking about. I didn't even know he was still around,” Rubio said.
“If one of these American actors who have benefited from the greatness of this country, who have made money from our free enterprise system, want to go fawn all over a criminal and a drug trafficker in their interviews they have a constitutional right to do it. I find it grotesque,” he continued.
In a stunning admission of his criminal enterprise, Penn says Guzman told him over sips of tequila that “I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world.”
Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff, told CNN that Guzman's “braggadocios action about how much heroin he sends around the world including the United States is maddening.”
Asked whether the US will participate with Mexico on its requests to question Penn, McDonough replied: “It poses a lot of interesting questions for him and others involved in this so-called interview. We'll see what happens.”
Leading media lawyer Floyd Abrams said Sunday that the interview will not likely put Penn in any legal jeopardy as it “doesn't violate any law.”
Watch: Sources say Sean Penn meeting helped drug lord's downfall

Journalists, meanwhile, spared no effort in criticising Penn and his article on everything from its ethical merits to writing style.
Chief among concerns was the fact that the story had been read and approved by Guzman before publication, a move that is highly irregular within the field, although some defended the magazine, on the basis that the scoop was worth it.
Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron tweeted a link to a December story about the dangers and death faced by Mexican journalists, commenting: “Good moment to remember what happens to real journalists who cover Mexican drug traffickers.”
NBC correspondent Luke Russert, son of famed American journalist Tim Russert, sarcastically asked on Twitter: “Is Sean Penn's interview with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the next issue?” referring to the leader of the Islamic State group.
On Fox News, conservative commentator Gayle Trotter accused Rolling Stone and Penn of complacency and a “complete moral inversion of journalism” that amounted to “aiding and abetting a known felon.”
The Internet was abuzz with mockery of some of Penn's more outlandish moments, including when he dispelled that he had released “a minor traveller's flatulence” and experienced nothing but chivalry from Guzman who “pretends not to notice.”
The New York Post tabloid summed up the situation by reposting a now famous photo of Guzman and Penn shaking hands, with the sentence “El Chapo, meet El Jerko,” underneath.


Sean Penn roasted over  ethics of ‘El Chapo’ interview - but encounter was probably not  illegal

Actor Sean Penn (L) shakes hands with Mexican drug lord Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman in Mexico, in this undated Rolling Stone handout photo obtained by Reuters on January 10, 2016. The photo was taken for authentication purposes. REUTERS/Rolling Stone/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. MANDATORY CREDIT. WATERMARK ADDED AT SOURCE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A newspaper shows a picture of drug lord Joaquin Guzman, aka "El Chapo", shaking hands with US actor Sean Penn (L), as seen at a newsstand in Mexico City, on January 10, 2016. The Hollywood-worthy recapture of "El Chapo" took a stunning turn Sunday as authorities sought to question Penn over his interview with the Mexican drug kingpin. A federal official told AFP that the attorney general's office wants to talk with Penn and Mexican actress Kate del Castillo about their secretive meeting with Guzman in October, three months before his capture on January 8. AFP PHOTO / PEDRO PARDO

Actor Sean Penn (left shakes hands with Mexican drug lord Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman in Mexico, in this undated Rolling Stone handout image. Photo: Rolling Stone/Reuters

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