El Chapo Sends New Handwritten Letter Asking U.S. Court to Overturn Conviction and Extradite Him to Mexico

The filings press U.S. judges to undo his 2019 conviction and could force a legal review of evidence and trial conduct.

Overview

Journalist Keegan Hamilton published an eighth handwritten letter from Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán that was submitted to the U.S. federal court in Brooklyn and made public in May 2026.
In the letters Guzmán formally asks the court to annul his 2019 conviction, grant a new trial and approve his extradition back to Mexico.
He argues the 2019 verdict was tainted by judicial abuse and jury intimidation, says the case rested on weak evidence including reliance on a single witness, and denies responsibility for violence attributed to him.
Alongside legal demands Guzmán included humanitarian requests for looser visitation rules so his daughters and his wife Emma Coronel can see him more regularly at ADX Florence.
His submissions face steep hurdles because Judge Brian C. Cogan has previously rejected similar motions, making a shift in his custody or a retrial unlikely without new legal grounds.