Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, the infamous Mexican drug lord, has penned a fresh handwritten note to the federal court in the Eastern District of New York, requesting extradition to Mexico to confront charges there. Legal experts view this move as having virtually no chance of success.
Dated April 23 and officially received by the court on May 1, the letter was filed through the court's Pro Se office in Brooklyn, indicating that Guzmán acted independently, without backing or signature from his legal team.
The letter, written in error-laden English, appeals to notions of "fairness" and claims that his procedural rights were systematically violated during his trial, as reported by Univision.
Guzmán argues that significant evidence in his favor was never introduced during the proceedings, which, in his opinion, should warrant an immediate overturn of his conviction.
The drug lord also suggests that an alleged pending appeal should entitle him to a new trial and urges cooperation between Mexico and the United States to facilitate his return to Mexican soil.
This note is the latest in a series of communications Guzmán has sent from prison. On April 10, he had already sent another letter to Judge Brian Cogan—submitted in court on April 17—citing the First and Eighth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution to demand fair treatment.
In that earlier letter, he wrote: "This is a courteous letter from the Political Constitution of Mexico regarding the authority and laws of the United States on my extradition to grant me fair treatment in this country."
Legal Challenges and Improbable Outcomes
The legal framework makes it nearly impossible for any of these requests to succeed. A Brooklyn jury found Chapo Guzmán guilty on February 12, 2019, of ten charges, including a continuing criminal enterprise, trafficking in cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamines, illegal use of firearms, and money laundering.
Months later, Judge Cogan sentenced Guzmán to life imprisonment plus 30 additional years and ordered the forfeiture of over $12 billion on July 17, 2019.
In December 2022, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict, dismissing all defense arguments. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, effectively exhausting all federal avenues available to the Sinaloan.
Harsh Conditions in Supermax Prison
Guzmán is serving his sentence at ADX Florence in Colorado, notorious as the "Alcatraz of the Rockies," under Special Administrative Measures, an extreme isolation regime that keeps him in a solitary cell for 23 to 24 hours a day without contact with other inmates.
His formal defense, led by attorney Mariel Colón Miró, is concurrently pursuing a civil action in the Denver District, citing constitutional violations and reporting that Guzmán could have been transferred to the Colorado prison as soon as he was sentenced, which indeed occurred.
The defense reports that Guzmán suffers from nighttime tachycardia, chronic sinusitis, earaches, an untreated dental infection for over a year, weight loss, and cognitive decline.
The Brooklyn court has added the letter to his case file but has not issued a public response, and Guzmán's lawyers might challenge the conviction through various channels, although all efforts have been fruitless thus far.
Legal experts agree that this new letter will not alter the drug lord's legal status. During his 2019 sentencing hearing, Guzmán remarked, "It's the most inhumane thing I have ever been through," referring to his incarceration conditions.
Questions About Chapo Guzmán's Extradition Request
Why does Chapo Guzmán want to be extradited to Mexico?
Guzmán is seeking extradition to Mexico to face charges there, claiming that his rights were violated during his U.S. trial, and believes evidence in his favor was not presented.
What are the chances of Chapo Guzmán's extradition request being granted?
Legal experts consider the chances of his extradition request succeeding to be virtually nonexistent due to the legal framework and his existing convictions.
What conditions is Chapo Guzmán facing in prison?
He is held under Special Administrative Measures at ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado, where he is isolated in a solitary cell for most of the day without contact with other inmates.