El Chapo plays his last cards from prison: “The ineffectiveness of my lawyers cost me my freedom” | USA

“I have been extradited to the United States for over seven years, and I have not seen the sun until this day.” This is how one of the handwritten letters of S Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmánsent from a maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, where he is serving a life sentence after his conviction in 2019. The 67-year-old, one of the world’s most notorious criminals, has repeatedly complained about his treatment by US authorities, describing his prison conditions as “extreme torture, 24 hours a day”.

Disappointed that his requests were not met, the founder The Sinaloa Cartel turned his back on his lawyers and has been representing himself from prison since January. “They had the evidence they needed to stand up to the authorities, but they didn’t, and that made them very ineffective,” he says. Unable to speak or write English, El Chapo relied on one of his lawyers to translate and transcribe his dictated messages in a desperate bid to improve his life behind bars and secure a retrial. “This inefficiency cost Guzmán his freedom,” says the drug trafficker in the third person, now acting as his legal representative.

El Chapo sent hundreds of pages of letters from prison. He sometimes petitions the prison system for more time out of his cell, increased visitation rights with his wife Emma Coronel and their two 13-year-old daughters, or access to materials and English classes. At other times, he scrutinizes the testimony of former associates who testified against him, distancing himself from former allies and the allegations while urging an appeals court to reconsider his case. He also sent letters to Judge Brian Cogan, who sentenced him to life in prison, asking for clemency. Before taking up his own defense, he complained last year that key documents had been withheld and even wrote to the then president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obradorask him for help.

In his latest series of letters, Guzmán questions the credibility of Vicente “Vicentillo” Zambadathe son of his main partner Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the “number one witness” in the United States. “He (himself) said in court that the Mexican and United States governments were running a campaign against Guzmán to inflate his image, only to destroy him,” Guzmán says. “There is too much politics in my business. I am asking you to please rely on Guzmán’s behavior and not what the media is saying,” he pleads. “There is absolutely no excuse for me being held in these cruel and inhumane conditions,” he wrote to the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) earlier this year.

US authorities, however, fear that El Chapo could escape, given the two of him infamous prison escapes in Mexico The last one, in 2015, was attended by a soap tunnel built by his comrades under the maximum security El Altiplano prison with lighting, ventilation and space for Guzmán to escape on a motorcycle. Guzmán now spends only three hours a week outside his cell, has no contact with other inmates or guards except for brief handcuffed transports, and his calls, letters and visits are strictly monitored. Determined to avoid any risk, Washington maintained these high limits. Since opening in 1994, no one has ever escaped Florence, also known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies.

“At night I put earplugs in my ears to sleep, and for nasal allergies I buy medicine here at the police station, but it doesn’t do me any good,” said El Chapo about his health. Guzmán reported that his health problems — depression, headaches and memory loss — had worsened and he sought treatment from a specialist. He says he is allowed to call his daughters and sister every month, although he claims it has been more than six months without any contact and has requested visitation rights for his wife.

“I am writing to you in the most respectful manner. I apologize for bothering you again with my previous request regarding my wife, Emma Coronel,” he wrote to Judge Kogan in April. “My wife is in California and can visit me often,” he added, emphasizing, “she is the only person in my family who could visit me.” However, the judge denied his request, saying his court “does not have the authority” to change visitation restrictions. Undeterred, Guzmán continues to send letters to everyone involved in his case.

El Chapo, who has been convicted of ongoing criminal activity, conspiracy to launder money and several drug-trafficking charges, has some access to the outside world. He can follow the news on two Spanish-language channels. “I often see how President Biden (…) speaks out against discrimination and racism,” he notes. “I’m sure you think he’s a humane person. Otherwise, the president wouldn’t have you in his cabinet, and I’m asking you for a big favor to help me,” Guzmán pleads.

On July 25, the United States announced the capture of El Mayo and Joaquin Guzmán López, son of El Chapo. Reports indicate that Guzman is aware of the latest developments, in particular ongoing conflict between his sons’ faction, Los Chapitos, and that of his former allies, Los Mayos.

Earlier in July, a few weeks before the events that changed Sinaloa, El Chapo submitted a 13-page document to Judge Kogan, demanding that his sentence be overturned. “The law is supposed to apply equally to everyone in this country, regardless of race, nationality, or even if the case is political like mine,” he asserts. He claims his trial was riddled with “inconsistencies,” claiming prosecutors forced witnesses to “lie” and that his defense was ineffective, calling his attorneys “ineffective” 65 times.

In the same document, he denies any alliance with Zambada, stating: “It is clear that there was no partnership between El Mayo and Guzmán.” He also denies initiating the conflict with the Juarez cartel, claiming he was “unjustly accused” of killing Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas. In addition, he dismisses the testimony of Vicentillo and nearly a dozen other figures, such as his Chicago accomplices Pedro and Margarito Flores and Colombian trafficker Juan Carlos “Chupeta” Ramirez, calling them “liars.”

El Chapo — the drug lord who was once called Chicago’s “public enemy number one,” the mastermind of vast tunnels, the dreaded “thief in law” who was once considered untouchable — insists his criminal reputation has been exaggerated. However, after a three-month trial, the jury did not grant his request, and no authorities questioned the verdict that sealed his fate.

Three weeks after the capture of El Mayo and his son, in mid-August, Guzmán formally renewed his appeal in the appeals court. His first attempt was rejected in 2022. The latest document he filed was released last week, a day before Judge Cogan sentenced Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former public security minister who collaborated with the Sinaloa cartel for more than two decades.

In his statement, Guzmán outlines several reasons for seeking a new trial: he claims his extradition was “illegal,” arguing that he should have been tried in other US states where he was charged; he criticizes the “excessive” restrictions during his imprisonment in New York; he claims that critical evidence was excluded from the trial; he accuses the prosecutor’s office of misconduct; and he questions the competence of his defense team. However, the appeals court rejected his request last Tuesday, citing errors in the filing process and late filing. “I appealed directly to the Supreme Court,” Guzmán explained of the delay, “but no one listened to me.”

A day before his latest appeal was rejected, his son Ovidio Guzman, known as “El Raton”, made his second appearance in a Chicago courtroom. It was his first appearance after the sensational takeover of El Mayo. After the hearing, it was revealed that Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán, sons from Guzmán’s second marriage, were consideration of a plea agreementwhich would allow them to avoid trial.

Meanwhile, as a battle between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel plunges the state into chaos, and accusations of treason continue to hang over the latter US strike against Mexican cartelsEl Chapo—now inmate 89914-053—plays his last cards alone as he faces his destiny and legacy behind bars.

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