Prosecutors Request Life Sentence Plus 30 Years for Drug Kingpin El Chapo

Federal prosecutors asked Judge Brian Cogan to sentence Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to life plus 30 years in a sentencing letter filed Wednesday. “The overwhelming evidence at trial showed that the defendant was a ruthless and bloodthirsty leader of the Sinaloa Cartel,” the attorneys wrote, adding that the cartel was one of the “most powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico” and was able to control vast territory in Mexico. “[The cartel] did so by wielding extraordinary violence, including kidnapping, torture and murder, as a tool to enforce discipline against its members and those who acted against the Cartel’s interests, as well as through extensive public corruption.” Prosecutors also said Guzman ordered the “killing, kidnapping and torture of individuals” who threatened him and the cartel, which imported massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. They asked the judge for the life and 30 year sentences to be served consecutively, and said Guzman should also be ordered to pay restitution. The drug lord is slated to be sentenced July 17, according to The New York Daily News.