Lucio R. Borderland Beat with material from Milenio & EFE
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Rodriguez said that he heard "rumors" that soon the US authorities will present new charges against "El Chapo" in the District Courts of New York and Chicago, where the leader of the Sinaloa cartel will face the strongest accusations and therefore, he would most likely be sent to one of those two states rather than California and Texas.
Although Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman likes that idea of negotiating with the United States, should he be extradited, his Mexican defense is also considering the option of requesting house arrest, should an agreement with the United States not be reached, revealed the attorney José Refugio Rodríguez. The litigant who is the lead attorney of the legal team representing the Sinaloa capo, and the US attorney William Stuttgart, discussed the details of what legal way is better follow to benefit his client.
Rodriguez said that he heard "rumors" that soon the US authorities will present new charges against "El Chapo" in the District Courts of New York and Chicago, where the leader of the Sinaloa cartel will face the strongest accusations and therefore, he would most likely be sent to one of those two states rather than California and Texas.
So far, Joaquin Guzman has not entered into a contact with Stuttgart to represent him in US territory, said Jose Refugio; He said he and El Chapo are consulting with the attorney, and taking into account the advice of the American defense attorney.
The goal would be to negotiate "a sentence that is not too long, a reasonable sentence," with the United States, as well as imprisonment at "a medium-security prison that does not have conditions like the ones here in Mexico," Rodriguez said.
Guzman asked some time ago that an attorney be hired to represent him in the United States, Rodriguez said, adding that he contacted William Stuttgart and they have stayed in touch since May 2014.
"It's through him that we've seen that, instead of going to trial in the United States, ... we should have negotiate," Rodriguez said, noting that the defense's strategy would be to get the best possible conditions for his client instead of fighting it out in court.