New York, NY — Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Loera has formally requested a US federal court in New York to extradite him to Mexico, nearly seven years after his conviction on multiple drug trafficking charges.
In a handwritten letter dated April 23 and released by the court, the former Sinaloa Cartel leader stated he is ‘fighting for an extradition to Mexico.’ The letter, addressed to the Brooklyn district court, asks that his legal rights be respected.
‘I request that the district courts respect my rights to request my extradition and seek modifications regarding the violation of my sentence, in the interest of fairness under federal law,’ Guzmán wrote.
The drug lord also argued that there is ‘compelling evidence that was not proven’ in his case and that the case should therefore be dismissed. He said he seeks ‘equal treatment under the law’ in the appeals process.
‘I am fighting for a release by extradition back to Mexico. I have written several letters about the fairness of my appeal. This is a formal letter about my petition to the courts regarding the compelling evidence that was not proven so that my case may be dismissed,’ the letter reads.
Guzmán also requested that his rights be restored to return to his country and seek changes to what he considers a violation of his verdict, aiming to obtain justice under Mexican federal laws.
He raised the possibility of authorities from both countries collaborating on policies to facilitate his return to Mexico and thanked the US District Court judge in Brooklyn for considering his request.
In 2019, Guzmán was found guilty by a jury on 10 drug trafficking charges after a nearly four-month trial, which was the largest organized crime trial in US history.
It remains to be seen how US authorities will respond, though the request appears unlikely to succeed given the Trump administration’s expressed lack of confidence in Mexican institutions, including recent accusations against Sinaloa officials for alleged ties to drug trafficking.
