El Chapo is ‘desperate’, wants quick extradition

Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman wants to be rapidly extradited to the United States out of “desperation” over being sleep-deprived in prison, his attorney said on Wednesday.

The lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said the defence team would seek to negotiate with US authorities and that it would take at least two months for Guzman to be shipped to Mexico’s northern neighbour.

The Sinaloa drug cartel leader made his plea “in a moment of desperation” over his treatment, Mr Rodriguez said, citing concerns for his client’s health. “He can no longer take this situation,” said the lawyer.

Mr Rodriguez, who filed injunctions against his client’s extradition following his January 8 recapture, said lawyers would continue his defence in the Mexican court while they seek to negotiate with US authorities.

Prison authorities acknowledged that Guzman, 58, is awakened every four hours to make sure he is still alive as part of regular security protocols for high-profile inmates.

“We are not violating the rights and guarantees of any intern subjected to this type of security protocol,” Eduardo Guerrero, the head of Mexico’s penitentiary system, told local radio on Tuesday.

Guzman was returned to the Altiplano prison after his January capture, six months after he had escaped from the same penitentiary.