El Chapo Begs Judge for Help, Claims U.S. Blocking All Contact With His Lawyer

Locked in a concrete tomb and cut off from the world, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán is pleading for help — again. This time, it’s in a desperate handwritten letter to the judge who sentenced him. And he claims the U.S. government is actively denying him the basic right to speak with his attorney.

From the bowels of ADX Florence — America’s most notorious federal supermax prison — El Chapo scribbled out a message to Judge Brian Cogan, the same man who oversaw his explosive 2019 trial in Brooklyn. The letter, written in Spanish and translated into English, was sent directly from his solitary cell.

“The lawyer wrote to me several weeks ago, but to this day, I haven’t received the two letters that Attorney Encinosa wrote to me,” Guzmán wrote.
“The lawyer has been fighting for about 10 months to get the government’s permission to visit me and speak to me on the phone… but to this day, the lawyer hasn’t been authorized to do so.”

No Contact. No Access. No Answers.

According to El Chapo, it’s been over three weeks since he’s been allowed to speak to anyone on his legal team — particularly his new Miami-based lawyer, José Israel Encinosa.

He also claims the Bureau of Prisons has blocked at least two letters from Encinosa, and denied repeated requests for visits or even phone calls. “It is vital to me,” he emphasized, warning that the silence violates his rights as a U.S. inmate — even one considered among the most dangerous criminals in modern history.

Prison Ghost: The Harsh Reality of El Chapo’s Supermax Life

El Chapo’s life at ADX Florence is more akin to a slow-motion burial than incarceration. Locked alone in a small concrete cell for 23 hours a day, he’s reportedly allowed a single visitor: attorney Mariel Colón, one of the few people cleared to see him under the facility’s extreme security protocols.

Even his wife, Emma Coronel — who served time herself for her role in the Sinaloa Cartel — and his young twin daughters have been barred from visits.

From Kingpin to Concrete Silence

Once the ruthless boss of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzmán ruled a drug empire that extended from Colombia to Chicago. His estimated death toll? Over 34,000 people. His dramatic escapes, elaborate tunnel systems, and deadly influence turned him into both a legend and a global threat.

After his extradition and conviction on charges ranging from drug trafficking to murder conspiracy, Guzmán was slammed with a life sentence plus 30 years. He’s now confined to the most secure prison in the U.S., often called the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.”

Feds Targeted — By El Chapo’s Hackers

Even behind bars, the shadow of Guzmán’s power lingers. Earlier this year, a bombshell DOJ Inspector General report revealed that in 2018 — while the FBI was building its case — El Chapo’s cartel hired a hacker who infiltrated Mexico City’s CCTV network and tapped a federal agent’s phone.

The hacker was allegedly able to track the movements of an FBI assistant legal attaché, monitor phone calls, and spy on U.S. personnel entering and exiting the U.S. Embassy.

“The hacker observed people going in and out of the United States Embassy… and identified people of interest for the cartel,” the audit reported.

The DOJ has since admitted it’s scrambling to implement a “strategic plan” in response to the breach.

What’s Next for El Chapo?

For now, Guzmán waits — alone — in a cell built to break even the most hardened criminals. Whether Judge Cogan intervenes again remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: El Chapo may be locked away, but his war with the U.S. justice system is far from over.