Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former Sinaloa Cartel leader convicted of drug trafficking and violent crimes, has sent multiple handwritten letters to U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan requesting a new trial or repatriation to Mexico.
Details of the Letters
The 69-year-old inmate, serving a life sentence plus 30 years imposed in 2019, begins one recent letter with “Hi, my name is Joaquin Guzman.” He continues, “In today, I’ve wrote several letters on the fairness of my appeal on the next date to get a equal treatment of the law. This is a polite letter on my violation to the courts on the hardcore evidence that wasn’t proven for my case dismiss. I’m asking for the district courts of the rights to request back to my country.”
Guzmán, extradited from Mexico and infamous for escaping prison in 2015, argues in other letters that his First and Eighth Amendment rights were violated through excessive bail and cruel punishment.
Judicial Response
Judge Cogan has dismissed the six letters, stating they “make no sense” and lack legal relevance.
Prior Complaints
Guzmán previously raised concerns over restrictions on family contact, particularly with his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, a former beauty queen, and their two daughters. He claimed prosecutors “have decided to punish me by not letting me talk to my daughters.”
