A U.S. federal judge in Brooklyn denied a request by former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán to be extradited to Mexico.

The ruling ensures that one of the world's most notorious drug lords remains in U.S. custody, preventing his return to a Mexican legal system where his influence remains significant.

Judge Brian Cogan issued the decision at the Brooklyn Federal Court in the Eastern District of New York. The judge said the request "lacked sense" and failed to meet the necessary legal requirements [1].

According to court records, Guzmán sent two letters to the Brooklyn federal court requesting his transfer [2]. The request followed his conviction and sentencing in the United States, where he is currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment in a high-security facility in Colorado [3].

In his ruling, Judge Cogan said the request was "Carece de sentido" [1]. The court determined that there was no legal basis to justify the movement of the prisoner from the U.S. to Mexico at this stage of his incarceration.

Legal representatives for Guzmán had sought the extradition to allow the former cartel leader to face or resolve legal matters within his home country. However, the U.S. judiciary said the current sentence must be served in full within the American prison system [3].

“"Carece de sentido"”

This decision reinforces the U.S. government's commitment to keeping high-value cartel targets in maximum-security domestic facilities. By denying the extradition, the court prevents the potential security risks and political complications associated with returning a high-profile figure like Guzmán to Mexico, where cartel volatility remains high.