Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who recently carried out a shocking prison break in Mexico, appeared on social media on the evening of July 13 local time and threatened to kill US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Donald Trump during the election campaign (Photo: NBC)

The drug lord nicknamed El Chapo (“the short one”) escaped from Mexico’s maximum security prison over the weekend, through a tunnel more than 1.5km long, dug into his cell.

Despite being hunted by Mexican authorities, Guzman and his supporters have recently appeared on social media, calling the Mexican President a “coward”. However, the biggest attention he has given is to US billionaire Donald Trump, who during his campaign for the White House accused Mexico of sending “rapists and criminals” to the US.

In a taunt-filled post on a Twitter account believed to be used by Guzman's son, the kingpin vowed to make the American billionaire "swallow his words".

A post soon followed, claiming someone would be killed, though it was unclear whether the statement was referring to Mr Trump. Former associates who betrayed Guzman could also be targeted.

The “dwarf” also posted a message to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, affirming: “And Mr. @EPN, don’t call me a criminal because I give people jobs, unlike you - a cowardly politician.”

It is not yet clear who posted the comments, but the same account claimed that “no cell can hold” El Chapo.

On another account linked to Ivan Guzman – the “dwarf’s” son – there was a post from last week that seemed to foreshadow the escape: “Good things come to those who wait.”

Immediately after the news of the “dwarf’s” prison break was announced, billionaire Trump took the opportunity to reiterate his proposal to build a “great wall” on the border with Mexico. He also said that the prison break further showed the level of corruption in the neighboring country.

“Can you imagine Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton negotiating with El Chapo?…But Trump would kick him out!”

Polls show the billionaire's approval rating has risen sharply since last month, after he made a statement attacking Mexican immigrants as "the source of all evils" in the US.

In response to “El Chapo’s” death threats, Trump tweeted: “El Chapo and the Mexican drug cartels use the border unchecked, as if it were a vacuum cleaner, sucking drugs and death into the United States. We get the murderers, drugs and criminals, and they get the money.”

However, Mr. Trump said he had contacted the FBI to investigate this death threat.

(According to NBC/Dan Tri)