Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio wasted little time using the recent prison escape of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to criticize the Obama administration.

After spending over a year behind bars at the Altiplano maximum-security prison, El Chapo managed to break out of a maximum security prison on Saturday. The kingpin is notorious for reigning over the Sinaloa cartel, a multibillion-dollar global drug empire that supplied much of the marijuana, cocaine and heroin sold in the streets of the U.S. The U.S. Justice Department has also described the Sinaloa cartel as "one of the world's most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels," reports CNN.

It is believed Guzman had help from prison officials to escape. So far, 49 people have been questioned in connection with the incident.

On Tuesday morning, Rubio issued a statement blasting President Obama for failing to seek Guzman's extradition to the U.S. last year when he was arrested. According to Rubio, Guzman might have been tried, convicted and held in a more secure facility if he was prosecuted in the U.S. However, The Washington Post reports that U.S. officials had tried to push for extradition, but they were denied by Mexico City.

Rubio -- who serves as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women's Issues -- also suggests the U.S. should help Mexico find and capture the fugitive and then request extradition as part of the deal.

"When Guzman is arrested again, the U.S. should pursue his extradition in accordance with our treaty with Mexico governing such cases," the Republican Florida senator said.

Rubio added, "It is not clear to me why the Obama Administration did not formally request his extradition after his previous arrest in 2014. This is the second time Guzman has escaped from prison, and not only is he wanted for major crimes in the U.S., but we have the capabilities to bring him to justice."