This real-life drama sounds like a movie plot, and not just because actor Sean Penn has a key role. The unscripted action includes a secret meeting in Mexico to interview a notorious prison escapee, the drug ring leader nicknamed El Chapo. A day before Penn’s article was published Jan. 9 in Rolling Stone magazine, Mexican soldiers arrested the fugitive narcotics kingpin after a shootout. Mexico's government, which was embarrassed when El Chapo escaped from custody in 2001 and 2015, now seems willing to transfer him north for prosecution on U.S. narcotics trafficking charges.

Several things make this more than a law enforcement story about the American-Mexican war on drugs: (1) The involvement of a U.S. film star acting as a journalist; (2) His access to a high-profile criminal on the run; (3) Rolling Stone's unusual agreement to let the subject – whose real name is Joaquín Guzmán Loera – have pre-publication approval of the article. (He didn't request changes, the New York magazine says.) Those factors raise ethical questions and make Penn a target. Mexico's government isn't pleased, to put it mildly. Some journalists and politicians feel the actor and the magazine acted unprofessionally.

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio calls the interview "grotesque." Andrew Seaman, ethics committee chairman for the Society of Professional Journalists, says: "Allowing any source control over a story's content is inexcusable. [That] discredits the entire story — whether the subject requests changes or not. The writer, who in this case is an actor and activist, may write the story in a more favorable light and omit unflattering facts in an attempt to not to be rejected."

Penn, who has been an outspoken on global and national issues, defended his actions Sunday on "60 Minutes," a CBS News program. (Video excerpts are below.) He says El Chapo spoke to him because he's not a traditional newsman. "When you get the story that every journalist in the world wanted, there's a lot of green-eyed monsters who [are jealous]. He added: "I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores its purpose, which was to try to contribute to this discussion about the policy in the war on drugs." As for El Chapo, he's being held under ultra-tight security and escape precautions.

Sean Penn says: "We all want this drug problem to stop." – On "60 Minutes"

Journalism dean says: "Scoring an exclusive interview with a wanted criminal is legitimate journalism, no matter who the reporter is." – Steve Coll, Columbia University

Publisher says: "We would have done everything that a traditional journalism operation would have done in terms of protecting sources." – Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone founder