Federal prosecutors are calling BS on El Chapo.
Earlier this month, attorneys for the convicted drug lord claimed their client was enduring "cruel and unusual" prison conditions, so much so that they asked a judge to intervene. El Chapo—legal name Joaquín Guzmán—claimed he was not receiving a sufficient amount of water, sunlight, fresh air, or exercise. He also said he was in need of earplugs, as the loud prison sounds prevented him from getting enough sleep.
"Even those who have been convicted of the most heinous acts deserve not to have their most basic human rights violated," El Chapo’s lawyer Mariel Colon told the National Post. "Since (his extradition) he has not been able to see natural sunlight or breathe fresh air. He’s been inside. He’s been denied any outdoor privileges whatsoever."
In a letter addressed to Brooklyn federal judge Brian Cogan, Colon asked that El Chapo receive a minimum of two hours of outdoor activity per week, a pair of earplugs, and access to extra water bottles.
Judge Cogan has shot down the requests, as prosecutors claim El Chapo is lying about the living conditions at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. According to legal documents obtained by the New York Post, prosecutors say El Chapo has never expressed his concerns to the Bureau of Prisons; and even if he had, it's unlikely his requests would've been granted. Why? Because prosecutors fear the drug kingpin's complaints are part of an escape plan.
El Chapo was previously incarcerated at Mexican prisons, but escaped in 2001 and 2015.
"In this case, any outdoor exercise time would be particularly problematic for this defendant," Cogan wrote. "The defendant has successfully planned and executed elaborate escapes from two high-security penal institutions. As detailed at trial, one of the defendant’s escapes involved the construction of a sophisticated, ventilated tunnel that stretched for over a mile. Certainly, an escape via rooftop, using a helicopter, or any related means would be elementary by comparison."
Prosecutors also claim El Chapo has received six bottles of water every week since April, and that the facility does not allow inmates to use earplugs, as they are used as a "ruse to ignore, or pretend not to hear, the guards' orders."
In February, a jury found El Chapo guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, and weapons charges. The 62-year-old's sentencing is scheduled for June 25. He faces life in prison.
