Ted Cruz is attacking Academy Award winner Sean Penn for the actor's "glorification" of the killer and reputed Mexican drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.

According to Mother Jones, while speaking before an audience at an addiction policy forum in New Hampshire on Thursday, Cruz took time to discuss everything from the country's drug addiction epidemic to the issue of illegal immigration.

After lamenting how addiction had gravely impacted his own family, leading to the death of his half-sister in 2011 by overdose, Cruz abruptly turned his attention to the issue of "undocumented Democrats" -- though he likely meant "immigrants" -- and the need to erect a massive wall to keep them out.

The winner of the GOP Iowa caucus went on to vilify Penn for his recent meeting with Guzmán, which resulted in a profile piece by the Oscar winner for Rolling Stone.

"You know, Sean Penn seems to think he is a sexy and attractive character," he said. "I so appreciate Hollywood for glorifying vicious homicidal killers. What a cute and chic thing to celebrate. Someone who murders and destroys lives for a living. El Chapo's organization brings vast quantities of drugs into this country, vast quantities of heroin."

Penn later responded to Cruz's attack by telling the magazine in an email, "Ted Cruz is a generically funny and dangerously adept. Clearly, he watches too much television and neglected to read my article before criticizing. It's understood. He's busy trading genius and raising aspirations with Mr. Trump."

Penn met with Guzmán while the drug lord was on the run from Mexican government officials, after he escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time in 14 years. The meeting between the two was brokered by Mexican actress Kate del Castillo.

Guzmán has since been recaptured and now faces possible extradition to the U.S., where he has been named in several federal indictments related to his alleged drug smuggling as leader of the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel.

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