El Chapo Guzmán Seeks Return to Mexico, but U.S. Judge Blocks Request
Posted on 05/05/26 at 22:23
- Judge Denies El Chapo Guzmán’s Extradition Request
- El Chapo Seeks Return to Mexico
- Court Rejects Legal Filings
Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán once again attempted to modify his legal status in the United States, but a federal judge rejected his request to be extradited to Mexico.
The drug trafficker, convicted in 2019, had submitted letters to the court arguing irregularities in his judicial process.
However, Brian Cogan dismissed all petitions, stating they lacked legal validity.
Judge Rejects El Chapo Guzmán’s Extradition Request
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According to EFE, Judge Brian Cogan, who presided over the case against the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, denied Guzmán’s request on Monday.
The drug lord had asked to be transferred to Mexico through a handwritten letter in English.
In the document, dated April 23 and published by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, he stated that he is “fighting for extradition to Mexico.”
He also requested that his rights to seek extradition be respected and that changes be made to his sentence.
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In a second letter written the same day, he asked for access to documents submitted by the U.S. government in his case.
According to Guzmán, those documents did not justify his punishment.
Judge Cogan responded that “some of these documents make no sense and none of them have legal validity.”
For that reason, he ruled that all requests should be dismissed.
El Chapo Questions His Trial
Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán argued that he did not receive a fair trial in the United States.
In his letters, he requested access to his case file to review how the jury reached what he considers an incorrect decision.
He claimed the process undermined the court’s deliberation.
“The verdict of my trial was not fair with my foreign policy,” he wrote.
He also stated that he was not given the opportunity to dismiss his case due to a lack of strong evidence.
The drug trafficker indicated that he has spent more than three years trying to get the court to accept an appeal.
His goal is to obtain a new trial.
Conviction and Case Background
“El Chapo” was found guilty in 2019 by a jury after a trial that lasted nearly four months.
The case was considered one of the largest drug trafficking trials in U.S. history.
The jury convicted him on ten counts.
These included leading a continuing criminal enterprise, international drug trafficking, use of firearms, and money laundering.
Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán is currently being held in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.
Days before his latest request, on April 17, he had already asked the court for an extradition clause to return to Mexico.
At that time, he also accused Brian Cogan of abusing judicial authority and relying on what he described as “inaccurate” evidence.
Despite his efforts, the court has upheld the sentence and continues to reject any modification to his legal status.
