Convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman unleashed a diatribe against the U.S. government in New York on Wednesday before being sentenced to life in prison, a rant courtroom observers described as “wild.”
Molly Crane-Newman, a New York Daily News reporter, jotted down some of El Chapo’s statements, noting that he spoke for 15 minutes about a “corrupt” U.S. government that subjected him to “psychological, emotional and mental torture.” Guzman claimed that he did not receive a fair trial because he was a victim of his own “fame.”
“When I was extradited to the U.S., I expected to receive a fair trial,” he said in Spanish. “ … and where my fame would not be a determining factor in the administration of justice.”
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) July 17, 2019
But wait — there’s more.
Breaking: Chapo was just sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, to be served concurrently.
“Since the government will send me to a jail where my name will not ever be heard again, I take this opportunity to say: there was no justice here.”
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) July 17, 2019
El Chapo, the so-called “ruthless and bloodthirsty” leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, who “wield[ed] extraordinary violence, including kidnapping, torture and murder, as a tool to enforce discipline against its members and those who acted against the Cartel’s interests,” said he had to put toilet paper in his ears to sleep.
Guzman decried the “most inhumane” jail conditions and the “lack of respect for human dignity.” He said “there was no justice [done] here” and that the U.S. is “no better than any other corrupt country that you to you don’t respect.”
How’s this for a kicker?
“The United States is no better than any other corrupt country that you don’t respect,” Chapo said to Judge Cogan.
“Thank you, sir.”
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) July 17, 2019
Federal prosecutors got what they were asking for at sentencing, as El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on drug trafficking charges. He was also ordered to forfeit $12.6 billion.
Former drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years and must pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture. Follow live updates:https://t.co/6lCrO8cAYF pic.twitter.com/4FN7qIUoSa
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 17, 2019
The El Chapo legal saga appears to be far from over, however. The government has already signaled that it anticipates an appeal.
You can expect an appeal as well as subsequent court actions challenging the trial and the adequacy of the lawyer who represented him. Those challenges are rarely successful. https://t.co/IvD7mvoyjB
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 17, 2019
Guzman’s lawyers previously tried to argue that the jury pool was tainted by misconduct and that, therefore, their client deserved a new trial, but Judge Brian Cogan shot that down as the “textbook definition of a fishing expedition.”
[Image via Ted Psahos/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images]
