Considered one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, Joaquin Guzman was convicted in 2019 of extensive drug trafficking between Mexico and the United States, as well as the illegal use of a firearm and money laundering.
Sentenced in July 2019 in New York to life for his role at the head of the Sinaloa cartel, he saw his appeal rejected in the United States, announced the office of the federal prosecutor of Brooklyn.
In a 44-page court decision, dated Tuesday, Judge Jon Newman considers that the ten arguments raised by El Chapo must be rejected and his conviction confirmed.
Joaquín Guzmán, now 64, was accused of having transported at least 1,200 tons of cocaine to the United States over a quarter of a century. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment, along with a symbolic sentence of thirty additional years in prison for the use of automatic weapons.
During the trial, the prosecution showed that the Mexican had ordered the assassination or put himself to death at least 26 people, sometimes after having tortured them.
They were informants, traffickers from rival organizations, police officers, collaborators and even members of his own family.
Held in solitary confinement
Among their main arguments, El Chapo’s lawyers questioned his conviction because his total isolation since his extradition to the United States in January 2017 had prevented him from preparing his defense.
On the other hand, one of the jurors had confided to having been informed of elements of the case by the press during the trial.
