Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the notorious Mexican drug kingpin, has requested U.S. court officials to facilitate his return to Mexico, according to court documents released on Monday. Guzman is currently serving a life sentence, which he has described as “cruel.”
After being extradited to the United States in 2017, following two escapes from Mexican prisons, Guzman is now imprisoned in a high-security facility in Colorado, facing numerous charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
Three letters penned by Guzman, all submitted to the court on Monday, were reviewed by AFP. CBS News also obtained one of these letters, notable for its grammatical errors in English.
In a letter addressed to the Eastern District Court of New York, dated April 23, Guzman expressed the need for the court to acknowledge his “rights to be request back (sic) to my country,” though he did not specify whether he seeks to complete his sentence in Mexico.
In another correspondence dated April 20, Guzman voiced his frustration regarding unanswered requests for documentation related to his sentencing.
He stated that such documents would not validate “my cruel punishment,” asserting that the outcome of his trial was unjust. Guzman also mentioned that he has been awaiting an appeal for three years and referenced protections under the “first to the fifth amendment.”
In previous letters from prison, Guzman has frequently raised concerns about solitary confinement, inadequate living conditions, and the absence of family visits. Earlier this year, he reached out to former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, seeking assistance due to what he described as “psychological torment” he is experiencing in detention.
El Chapo is confined at the “Supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, which is known for housing several high-profile criminals, including Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing, Zacarias Moussaoui, a conspirator in the September 11 attacks, and Terry Nichols, involved in the Oklahoma City bombing. This facility has earned the nickname “Alcatraz of the Rockies” due to its extreme security measures and isolated location.
Recently, Mexican military forces apprehended three associates of El Chapo’s brother, Aureliano Guzman Loera, also known as “El Guano,” in a joint operation with U.S. intelligence. Aureliano Guzman remains a target, with a $5 million bounty placed on him by U.S. authorities.
