Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been sentenced to life in prison plus an extra 30 years.
The Mexican drug lord was convicted in February for all 10 counts including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and drug trafficking charges, among others. The Court also ordered El Chapo to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.
As per the New York Post Guzman said in court:
I’ve been forced to drink unsanitary water. I’ve been denied access to fresh air and sunlight. The only sunlight I have in my cell comes through in the air vent.
He continued:
In order to sleep, I have to clog my ears with toilet paper because of the air from the air duct. My wife has not been allowed to this day to visit me, I have not been allowed to hug my daughters.
I have been physically, psychologically, mentally tortured 24 hours a day.
CNN reports Guzman’s lawyer William Purpura said ahead of his client’s final appearance in court:
He has an absolute right of allocution, and I’d be shocked if he did not allocute, speak today and I do anticipate he will speak today. I think he’s going to indicate that he was wrongfully brought to the United States, that he was kept in horrific conditions for a long period of time, but also he wanted to thank the guards at MCC for treating him in a humane manner and also the U.S. Marshals for treating him well during trial.
El Chapo headed the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal organisation formed in the Mexican Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. He’s considered one of the most powerful drug traffickers and one of the most dangerous men in the world.
The full list of charges against the drugs lord includes; engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, cocaine distribution conspiracy, international distribution of cocaine, international distribution of cocaine, international distribution of cocaine, international distribution of cocaine, and use of firearms, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.