Notorious Kingpin 'El Chapo' Appeals For Transfer To Mexico

Convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has submitted formal requests to U.S. court authorities to be transferred back to Mexico, citing “cruel” conditions in his current facility.
Guzman argues that his trial was unfair and that hardcore evidence against him was never proven, according to letters filed in the Eastern District Court of New York.
Serving a life sentence in a Colorado maximum-security prison, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel has repeatedly complained of isolation and a lack of family visits.

The legal saga of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman took a new turn on Monday as court filings revealed the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel has pleaded for a transfer from his United States prison back to his home country of Mexico.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Guzman, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2017 following two high-profile escapes from Mexican maximum-security facilities, is currently serving a life sentence in a high-security Colorado prison for convictions including money laundering and drug trafficking.

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In a series of letters written in English and directed toward the Eastern District Court of New York, Guzman referred to his current imprisonment as “cruel punishment” and insisted that the verdict reached during his trial was not fair.

In his correspondence, Guzman invoked his rights under the first and fifth amendments, claiming that he has been waiting for an appeal for three years without success.

He expressed frustration over unanswered requests for documents related to his sentencing and argued that the evidence presented against him was insufficient.

While the letters explicitly request that authorities recognize his right to be sent back to Mexico, the filings did not clarify whether he intends to serve the remainder of his life sentence in a Mexican facility or if he is challenging the nature of his custody entirely.