White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been criticized for suggesting a border wall would have stopped Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman bringing drugs into the US.

Sanders implied the conviction of the Mexican drug lord – found guilty of 10 charges related to narcotics trafficking in court on Monday – proved the threat posed by cartels south of the border was “real”.

The senior Trump administration official tweeted: “El Chapo’s reign of terror is over. He’ll spend the rest of his life in a maximum security prison. The threat from violent drug cartels is real – we must secure our border.”

El Chapo’s reign of terror is over. He‘ll spend the rest of his life in a maximum security prison. The threat from violent drug cartels is real – we must secure our border https://t.co/1iyRKAi91i

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) February 13, 2019

Yet some commentators ridiculed her attempt to connect the court case with the border wall issue, pointing out Guzman constructed underground tunnels and flew drugs into the US – methods a wall would do nothing to stop.

Others on social media noted his arrest was not the result of a hard border, but co-operation between US and Mexican authorities. The cartel leader was arrested in Los Mochis, Sinaloa in 2016, then extradited to stand trial in Brooklyn, New York.

Take a look:

You are a moron. He dug tunnels under walls and flew the drugs in.

— Kelly Magsamen (@kellymagsamen) February 13, 2019

You are a moron. He dug tunnels under walls and flew the drugs in.

— Kelly Magsamen (@kellymagsamen) February 13, 2019

Nice try. But didn't testimony at El Chapo’s trial prove his operation usually smuggled through legal checkpoints? That doesn't boost your argument for the wall. Use the effort to secure the border in more high-tech ways and humane ways. And fund drug treatment with the $.

— Kristin V. Shaw (@KristinVShaw) February 13, 2019

You know what would stop a guy literally infamous for building tunnels and flying planes across the border? Cooperation with and extradition by Mexico.

The solution to our nation's greatest threat: we should build FOUR walls, a roof, and a cell door for your boss.

— Colin Lee (@colinmlee) February 13, 2019

Pretty sad that I would take El Chapo over Donald Trump at this point

— Greg Hofer (@uncledisheveled) February 13, 2019

LOL, he was arrested IN MEXICO and OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT brought him to the US. What would a wall have done?

— David Pakman (@dpakman) February 13, 2019