'El Chapo' Guzmán Extradition: Drug Lord Would Plead Guilty In US In Exchange For Medium Security Incarceration

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is willing to plead guilty for narcotrafficking accusations in the United States but only if he is sent to a Medium Security prison once he arrives in the country, says his lawyer José Refugio Rodríguez. During an interview with Univision, Guzmán’s lawyer revealed his client has many reasons to battle the extradition but he is willing to accept the translation if his needs are met.

Throughout the interview, Refugio Rodríguez revealed other conditions to be considered for the exile to happen and specified his client is not trying to ask any favors from the U.S., and he is certainly not willing to disclose any information that does not pertain his case. “We are working on the extradition so the U.S. doesn’t think he is a man who is begging for help. The American government needs to know that we have legal reasons to fight for this.”

Other demands mentioned in the proposal include, privacy for Guzmán and no contact with inmates, no conversations about other drug lords and alleged associates, permission to return to Mexico after pleading guilty, and better conditions than the ones he is living in right now in Almoloya’s maximum security prison.

During a recent interview with reporter Ciro Gómez Leyva, Guzmán's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, confessed she was worried about her husband’s health in jail. “I thought he would be better, but he looked much worse. As soon as I walked in, he told me he felt really bad.” Coronel’s belief is that Mexican authorities could be playing with the kingpin’s health, which has been named as the main reason behind this negotiation.

Guzmán’s lawyer added that they are currently in talks with an unnamed lawyer in the U.S., who is helping them understand specific details about the country’s jurisdiction. He also pointed out that his client is seeking for a “reasonable penalty” and won’t move forward until that is promised. Thus far, the possibility of a negotiation for Guzmán’s extradition hasn’t been granted by anyone in the American Government.