United States Authorizes ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán to Meet with His Lawyer in Maximum-Security Prison

El Chapo Guzmán and his lawyer

United States authorizes meeting

Defense seeks constant communication

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has been granted authorization to meet in person with his lawyer, Israel José Encinosa, inside the ADX Florence maximum-security prison in Colorado, where he is serving a life sentence.

The decision came after the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel reported that he had gone more than ten months without contact with his defense.

Guzmán, extradited from Mexico for drug trafficking-related crimes, is subject to the strictest measures in the U.S. prison system due to his criminal record.

It was his legal team that filed the formal request, arguing the need to maintain direct communication to ensure his right to a proper defense.

Judge Cogan Clarifies Procedure and Jurisdiction

United States Authorizes ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán to Meet with His Lawyer/Photo: Mezcalent

Judge Brian Cogan, who presided over the trial that led to the capo’s conviction, explained that reviewing prison conditions was not under his jurisdiction.

Cogan noted that the procedure required the lawyer himself to submit the request to the relevant prison authorities.

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Finally, the Federal Bureau of Prisons gave the green light for meetings to take place on a regular basis.

The authorization also includes the possibility of making phone calls and holding ongoing in-person conferences between lawyer and client.

Letter from ‘El Chapo’ Denounces Prolonged Isolation

“In fact, the undersigned lawyer has been authorized to meet in person with Mr. Joaquín Guzmán at ADX Florence. Therefore, there are no issues regarding communication between lawyer and client between Mr. Guzmán Loera and the undersigned lawyer,” stated the official letter.

Guzmán’s request reached the authorities through a handwritten letter. In the document, the Mexican drug lord stated that two previous letters and multiple visit requests had been denied.

He noted that the last time he saw his defense was over ten months ago, which he considered a violation of his right to legal communication, reported El Heraldo de México.

The request was initially directed to Judge Cogan, who reiterated that the process had to go through the administrative channels of the Bureau of Prisons.

Extreme Conditions at ADX Florence Prison

The situation once again brings “El Chapo” into the public eye, despite his extreme isolation regime.

ADX Florence, known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” is considered the most secure prison in the United States. There, Guzmán remains in near-total confinement, with minimal outings and constant surveillance.

Judge Cogan, in addition to sentencing the drug lord, has been involved in other high-profile drug trafficking cases.

Among them are the upcoming hearings for Joaquín Guzmán López and Ovidio Guzmán, sons of the Sinaloa Cartel leader.

Legal Cases Surrounding the Guzmán Family

According to court reports, both have considered plea negotiations to avoid life sentences.

“El Chapo’s” defense maintains that constant communication is key to addressing any pending legal matters and coordinating strategies for legal proceedings that could indirectly involve him.

Although his sentence is final, the drug lord remains a figure of interest to prosecutors and authorities in both the United States and Mexico.

The authorized contact with his lawyer marks a change in the restrictive conditions he had been denouncing for months, noted El Heraldo de México.