Former Sinaloa Cartel leader El Chapo requests transfer to Mexican prison

Former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquín Guzmán, known as El Chapo (Shorty), has appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to consider his deportation back to Mexico.

In 2019, Guzmán was sentenced in the United States to life imprisonment for drug trafficking, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Guzmán, in a letter, said his request was intended to support efforts by his lawyer, who is seeking his transfer to Mexico.

The former cartel boss is currently held at the high-security prison in Florence, Colorado.

Guzmán said he is kept in isolation, not allowed to meet family members or communicate with other inmates.

He also described his trial as unfair, claiming that responsibility for the violence caused by organised crime in Mexico lies with the Mexican government.

In a separate letter, he wanted the opportunity to prove that he has changed.

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered one of the largest criminal organisations in the world.

Guzmán has been described as one of the most well-known and wealthy drug traffickers in history, with Forbes estimating his fortune at around $14 billion.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov