Reactions in the United States to the escape from Mexican prison of a reputed drug lord ranged from disbelief to outrage, with some observers saying it dramatically illustrated the need for captured cartel kingpins to be promptly extradited to the U.S.

A former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration said he was dismayed by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s weekend escape—apparently through a mile-long tunnel—from the Altiplano prison, 55 miles west of Mexico City.