El Chapo Floods Judge with Complaint Letters from Cell: 'Trial Should Start Over'

colorado, usa - Former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Loera seeks a new trial due to incompetence of his lawyers.

Former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Loera is requesting a new trial due to alleged incompetence of his attorneys. Guzmán, a notorious 67-year-old capo, was sentenced to life in prison plus thirty years in 2019. He is currently serving his sentence at ADX Florence in Colorado, a maximum-security prison also known as Florence Supermax. Guzmán has taken over his own defense after parting ways with his lawyers in January. He has been writing letters to the judge who sentenced him and to the prison director.

In one of his handwritten letters, Guzmán claimed, 'The incompetence of my attorneys has cost me my freedom.' The letters, all written in Spanish as Guzmán does not speak English, are aimed at various requests, including more frequent visits from his wife Emma Coronel and phone calls to his thirteen-year-old twin daughters.

Despite his persistent petitions, Guzmán’s requests have been mostly denied by the authorities. He has been allowed to leave his cell for three hours a week but has no contact with other inmates. He remains under strict surveillance due to flight risk concerns. Guzmán has been complaining about his prison conditions, describing them as 'torturous 24/7.'

Meanwhile, Guzmán has been following the ongoing power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel from his cell. Reportedly, a conflict has erupted between his sons' faction, Los Chapitos, and Los Mayos. Guzmán recently filed a thirteen-page document demanding the annulment of his sentence, claiming his trial was riddled with 'inconsistencies.'

However, his plea for a new trial was rejected by the Court of Appeals, citing procedural errors.