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>> good evening. he is being called the most dangerous cartel leader in the world, head of a notorious mexican drug operation, responsible for the majority of drugs smuggled into this country. and for the second time he just staged a spectacular escape from prison. tonight an international manhunt is under way for joaquin guzman, nicknamed el chapo. one american city today named him public enemy number one. as a former u.s. drug enforcement official put it bluntly today, if guzman isn't caught within 48 hours, we may never find him again. the latest on the hunt tonight from nbc's mark potter. >> reporter: when joaquin guzman, the notorious kingpin known as el chapo, was arrested in february of last year after a 13-year manhunt, mexican authorities bragged they would crack down hard on major drug traffickers, and promised he would never escape from their maximum security prison. but last night he did escape in a daring, highly sophisticated scheme involving a mile-long tunnel beneath the prison wall, a major embarrassment for the mexican government. >> they have no control over the powerful drug cartels that operate in their country, and they have no control over the system of justice and incarceration in their country. >> reporter: authorities say guzman was last seen on a security camera around 9:00 p.m. entering a shower area in his cell at the high security altiplano prison near mexico city. from there they say he slipped out of camera range through a 20-by-20-inch hole, climbed about 10 yards down a ladder, then entered an elaborate tunnel. that tunnel stretched for about a mile and went under the prison. it was supported by wood and pvc pipe, had a ventilation system and a small motor car attached to a rail track. it surfaced in a half built house in a farm field. former drug agents say for a team to dig from the house to a very specific spot in the prison took lots of coordination and expertise. >> they had to have very precise gps system in order to be able to pinpoint the exact location where chapo's cell was at. [ speaking spanish ] >> reporter: mexican officials are questioning dozens of prison workers. authorities are now on a manhunt throughout the country and have also issued an international warrant. president enrique pena nieto, traveling in france, says he is profoundly troubled by the escape. it's widely believed that guzman is the biggest drug trafficker in the world. he escaped from another mexican prison 14 years ago, reportedly in a laundry cart. he is known as the head of the notorious sinaloa drug cartel, which authorities say supplies most of the methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana entering the u.s., and is largely responsible for fueling this country's current heroin epidemic. in chicago, with its huge heroin problem, guzman is listed as public enemy number one. guzman is wanted on trafficking and organized crime charges in several u.s. cities. today the attorney general said the u.s. will do all it can to help mexico recapture chapo guzman. peter? >> mark potter in miami tonight, mark, thank you. el chapo's dramatic escape gave fuel to donald trump and his sharp criticism of the mexican government has stirred up the republican presidential field. and tonight another republican contender is preparing to add his name to the mix. nbc's kelly o'donnell is in wisconsin for us tonight. kelly? >> reporter: good evening, peter. we have an unveiling for you. this is the very first public glimpse of where wisconsin's two-term republican governor scott walker will announce his bid for the white house. and walker's campaign will be his 14th in a 25-year political career in this state. he joins a field that largely because of donald trump had been so unpredictable. for showman candidate donald trump -- >> the word is getting out that we have to stop illegal immigration. we have to. we have to. >> reporter: news of the escaped mexican drug lord presents a new opportunity. trump took to twitter. "unbelievable corruption and usa is paying the price. i told you so!" while trump has been a flashy, loud magnet for crowds and controversy, the republican race is about to take a more conventional turn. >> i didn't inherit fame or fortune. >> reporter: tomorrow candidate number 15, wisconsin governor scott walker enters the gop race. >> leadership that is new and fresh and bold and aggressive. >> reporter: the 47-year-old begins as a top tier contender when other republicans are competing with trump for oxygen. today carly fiorina gave trump some credit. >> i think donald trump taps into an anger that i hear every day. people are angry. >> reporter: but lindsey graham, who likes the arena, is struggling to break out of the pack, called trump a wrecking ball. >> there are some people who love donald trump and say that he is speaking the truth. what i think he is doing is being a demagogue. >> reporter: with governor walker, the harley-davidson loving son of a baptist minister, his kind of controversy led to a republican victory. walker's battle against employee unions and his recall election victory position him to possibly unite social and establishment conservatives. >> what made him a hero to a lot of conservatives, and it also sort of kind of the basis for this message of his that he is not only someone who is going to fight, but he is someone who can win. >> reporter: and one unknown about walker is how he will handle himself on national security and foreign policy. aides tell me he has been studying on that, but he really doesn't have any experience in that area. tomorrow, the former secretary of state hillary clinton will be challenging walker for some of the attention as she gives an economic speech in new york and walker begins his multi-state campaign roll-out. peter? >> and so the field grows. kelly o'donnell in wisconsin. kelly, thank you. overseas now to vienna, where negotiations are down to the wire with world powers trying to strike a historic nuclear deal with iran. but tomorrow's deadline comes after the third extension in two weeks. nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has been in vienna for the talks now for 16 days. andrea? >> reporter: well, it looks as though it is coming together. good evening, peter. after those three missed deadlines, it looks as though it will come together for a possible deal tomorrow. tonight secretary kerry and russia's foreign minister and the others who are bargaining with iran met among themselves for a dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking vienna, working out last-minute glitches, according to diplomats. from his balcony today, iran's foreign minister shouted to iranian reporters below, saying we still have got work to do tomorrow. no deal today. but he added no extension either. secretary kerry was upbeat today on his way to church this morning, saying he remains hopeful. he said things are positive. at issue, whether to keep an arms embargo in iran and if so for how long, and how to limit iran's future research. very apartment important parts of the deal. the agreement is 100 pages long, very technical. it still has to be approved by president obama and iran's leaders and the other leaders as well. but if all goes as planned, iran will limit its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief for its failing economy. peter? >> all right, andrea, thank you very much. what appears to be an all-nighter is going on in brussels, belgium where eurozone leaders are still trying to reach a deal to rescue the economy of greece. the latest deadline there was the end of today, and there is growing fear and uncertainty tonight about the outcome for both greece and beyond. keir simmons is following it all from athens. keir? >> reporter: good evening, peter. it is after midnight here, yet europe's leaders are still locked in talks. it's how serious this crisis now is. politicians have not been able to agree for months, if not years, must now reach a deal, or see the unity of europe threatened. sundown over the ancient city of athens. few here know and many fear what tomorrow will bring. the greek prime minister trying to remain hopeful. >> i'm here ready. we owe that to the peoples of europe. >> reporter: the leaders of europe are locked in talks, desperate to prevent greece from defaulting in billions of dollars of payments to its international lenders and abandoning the euro and its currency. but trust is the currency that is missing. germany's chancellor warned tonight europe's economy is huge, $18.4 trillion a year in goods and services. greece accounts for just a fraction of that, $237 billion. but no country in the eurozone has ever left, and the ripple effect on europe and the world may be unpredictable. unemployment now 25% is likely to get worse if there is no deal. this restaurant owner says he would have to lay off several of his employees and reduce the size of his meals. greece is asking for $59 billion in new assistance. but that too could bring more pain. in return, greece is offering to reduce pension payments and to raise sales taxes on everything from clothes to restaurants, which could hurt the all important tourism industry. >> we are engaging people and asking them how they're feeling about it. i think a lot of people are very nervous. >> they were saying on the news there might only be enough money for one day or one week, you know, to pay pensions. and i thought wow, what does that do then. >> reporter: if that does happen, greece and europe will be in uncharted territory, and the leaders say there are just hours left to prevent it. one proposal is for a time-out for greece, a temporary exit from the european currency. but the u.s. treasury secretary spoke by phone to the prime minister of greece today, urging a deal. secretary lew says it's in the best interest of greece, europe and the global economy for all parties to reach a constructive outcome. peter? >> keir simmons in athens tonight. keir, thanks. closing arguments are expected this week in the movie massacre trial in colorado. lawyers for james holmes have argued that he is not guilty by reason of insanity. but prosecutors insist he knew exactly what he was doing. nbc's jacob rascon has our report. [ gunshots ] >> reporter: three years ago this month, james holmes opened fire inside a packed colorado movie theater, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. this week the jury begins deliberations after more than two months of testimony, more than 250 witnesses, most either survivors -- >> i told him that i loved him and that i would take care of our baby if he didn't make it. >> reporter: or first responders. >> by the time we pulled into the hospital, she stopped talking and she lost conscious -- >> reporter: defense attorneys admit holmes carried out the attacks, but argue he was legally insane or didn't know the difference between right and wrong. showing this video of him walking into a wall, they argued he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity and locked up in a mental institution. >> i do not believe that without the delusion and without being mentally ill, this would have ever happened. >> reporter: the burden is on the prosecution to prove that holmes was in fact sane, trying to use his own words as proof. the shooter's diary detailing months of meticulous planning, detailing various venues and methods of attack. his goal, he writes, "mass murder at the movies." >> the jury is leaning towards sanity because of the overwhelming evidence they heard about the horrific nature of the crime and the preparations taken and made by james holmes. >> reporter: the jury heard chilling testimony from the defendant himself. >> i thought i would kind of make myself more valuable by killing people. >> reporter: the psychiatrist who interviewed him for 22 hours became a key witness for the prosecution. >> whatever he suffered from, it did not prevent him from forming the intent and knowing what he was doing. >> reporter: sandy phillips lost her daughter, jessica ghawi. >> this has been our focus for three years, losing our children, burying our children, dealing with that profound grief. >> reporter: hoping the prosecution will prevail, that holmes will face the death penalty. jacob rascon, nbc news. when "nightly news" continues on this sunday, how improved relations with cuba could affect tens of millions of americans with diabetes. plus, meet the high-scoring grandmothers who prove there is no "i" in team. they take the court by storm. we're back now with hopeful news for the 21 million americans diagnosed with diabetes. it comes in the form of a drug made in cuba that is now used in more than two dozen other countries, but not here in the u.s. doctors are hoping the recent diplomatic breakthroughs will make it possible that that drug can come to america. nbc's harry smith has our report. >> reporter: in cuba, like america, diabetes is a big problem. cuban journalist jose desantos was afraid his battle with the disease would cost him his foot. in america, 70,000 diabetes-related amputations are performed every year. but desantos was given what he calls a magic drug. >> that saved my life. >> reporter: what saved this man's foot wasn't magic, but cuban science. there are 23 biotech labs like this one across cuba, employing more than 20,000 people where they're working on cures for everything from cancer to heart disease. dr. manuel raices claims cuban science differs greatly from the united states. he says cubans create medicines that can help the most people, not make the most profit. >> since i wake up in the morning until i go to bed, i am doing my very best to serve humanity. >> reporter: and the world has taken notice. heberprot, the drug that saved jose's foot, is being used in 26 countries. the cubans say it as an 80% success rate. this is the man who developed it. if this drug becomes available in the united states? >> it's going to be a revolution. >> reporter: a revolution? >> for sure. >> reporter: the decades-old embargo has prohibited the drug's use in the u.s., but that may soon change. a number of american doctors believe heberprot shows real promise, and they would like to see it tested in the u.s. >> this would make an enormous difference in the lives of people that are living with diabetes. >> reporter: the cubans say they are ready to help. >> we would like to work as a team together to solve common problems, to show respect and be respected. >> reporter: for many american diabetics, that can't happen soon enough. harry smith, nbc news, havana. and when we come back, a major new effort to clear tons of debris in this country swept ashore by that devastating tsunami in japan. you're looking at stunning time lapse video of smoke and ash billowing from mexico's most active volcano called colima. officials say it hasn't been this active in more than a century. at least 70 people have been evacuated since it began erupting on thursday, and the airport in that region is now closed. back in this country now, an unprecedented cleanup effort is under way on the coast of alaska. tons of debris there have washed up on shore in the four years since japan's devastating tsunami. here is nbc's gadi schwartz. >> reporter: up and down stretches of the alaska coast, remnants of destruction are still washing ashore four years after japan's devastating tsunami. now an unprecedented cleanup of hundreds of tons of trash. >> we spent probably close to 60 days cleaning these few miles that we did here. so this is a huge, huge problem. this island is really bad. >> reporter: experts estimate 5 million tons of wreckage swept into the ocean, some of it washing up from hawaii to california and the pacific northwest. crews there have worked steadily to clean up the debris. but efforts on the hard to reach coastlines of alaska have proved much more difficult. so far only a few miles of trash have been collected, and the area is so remote, it will take helicopters lifting debris on to this enormous barge to get the tons of wreckage to seattle for recycling. japan is partly funding the cleanup with a $2.5 million grant, but scientists say as much as a million and a half tons of debris could still be floating out there, capable of hitting north american shores for years to come. gadi schwartz, nbc news, los angeles. at wimbledon today, they carved up the court with a precision of surgeons before number one in the world novak djokovic defeated roger federer defending his championship title. the win marks djokovic's ninth grand slam title, his third at wimbledon. it's become his tradition to celebrate a win by plucking some grass from the court and putting it in his mouth. this year he said the grass tasted very, very good. meantime, serena williams is focusing on the u.s. open after winning her sixth wimbledon title yesterday. some box office gold for you now. those unmistakable minions overran the box office this weekend, raking in more than $115 million in the u.s. and canada. that is one of the biggest openings ever for an animated movie. the babbling sidekicks first gained attention playing a supporting role in universal's "despicable me" series. they share the same parent company as nbc news. and when we come back, 90 years old and killing it on the court. meet the grandmothers with game so good, you're going to want to take note. finally tonight, an unlikely basketball team is competing for top honors in a league of their own. grandmothers some 90 years young making their mark on the court, just one basket at a time. and their strategy will stay with you long after the final buzzer. here is nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: when these women get together twice a week, it's not for book club or coffee. >> come on, gang! >> hey, hey, hey! >> reporter: they meet for a workout some might say is better suited to their children, or even great grandchildren. >> left, right. >> reporter: all in their 80s and 90s, this is three-on-three competition league basketball. >> and a dribble at the left. >> reporter: and there is no going easy for age. >> i wish they did. i would have fewer scars. >> reporter: these are the albuquerque cruisin' big dogs, a senior ladies team competing for the national championship starting today in minnesota. >> if we don't come back with a gold, i basically told them we're not coming back. >> reporter: at a time when many of their friends are slowing down, they're on the other end of the spectrum. players like 80-year-old sheila, killing it on the court. >> i just started it six years ago. >> reporter: in your 70s? >> yes. you know, that's the new -- >> reporter: who's counting? >> it's the new 60s. >> reporter: perhaps the most aggressive player is the team's most senior. >> i started when i was 74. >> reporter: kay is 91. you almost don't want to get into the middle of these ladies. they are tough. and they've got game. most joined for love of the game, but stay for friendship and the way it makes them feel. >> the more you don't move, the more you won't be able to. >> so you're going to practice the shuffle. >> reporter: dennis porter, a former college coach. >> he is a tough guy. >> reporter: says he has never been more inspired. >> you see a 90-year-old lady running the court, playing basketball and just having fun. >> reporter: if age is just a number, these women are high scorers. >> we've got bronze. we've got a couple of silvers. we're there for the gold. >> reporter: in it to win it in a league of their own. >> big dogs! >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news, albuquerque. >> america's rooting for big dogs. good for them. that's "nightly news" for this sunday. i'm peter alexander reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, have a great night. nbc bay area news starts now. >> right now at 6:00 three homes burned in the blink of an eye. quick moving flames destroy at least two homes in san jose. we have the latest. good evening to you. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> and i'm terry mcsweeney. in south san jose firefighters have just gotten this three-alarm fire along 101 under control. the fire started about three thank afternoon. spread quickly, engulfing brush along the freeway. took care of three homes as well. two of the homes are at the very least heavily damaged. maybe they're done. firefighters even blocked the lane of the 101 to make sure the fire didn't spread to the trees lining the freeway. this
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