Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, has become the subject of an unusual federal court mystery in Brooklyn, New York, where over 20 handwritten letters purportedly from him have been submitted between April and June 2024. The letters, written in English and signed by Guzmán, have raised questions over their authenticity and the circumstances surrounding their dispatch.

El Chapo, convicted in 2019 for leading a global drug trafficking operation and serving a life sentence without parole at the ADX Florence maximum-security prison in Colorado, is known to be functionally illiterate in Spanish, his native language. His defense team and law enforcement officials have expressed skepticism about the authorship of the letters, citing the quality of the language and inconsistencies in postage. The letters carry return addresses from ADX Florence but were postmarked from Jackson, Mississippi, according to defense lawyer Mariel Colón Miró, who stated that Guzmán’s legal team was not involved and an investigation is underway to determine the source. A law enforcement source described the letters as “complete bull—” and doubted they came from Guzmán himself.

The content of the letters broadly complains about what Guzmán describes as unfair treatment and persecution, requesting repatriation to Mexico. One note dated April 25 asserts, “I did no harm to no one,” and emphasizes good deeds Guzmán claims to have done in his home country. Some messages have sparked public criticism, with Mexican citizens expressing outrage over the former cartel leader’s apparent hope for release. Others have speculated whether the letters contain coded communications allowing Guzmán to maintain control over cartel operations from prison.

One June letter mentioned “Aubrey Gideon,” associated with Greenwood, Mississippi, who has a criminal record and who Guzmán claims represents his “legal petition” in the U.S. further connected to his attorneys. Public records show Gideon has had several legal issues and is a known local figure, but attempts to contact him were unsuccessful. It remains unclear how Guzmán might be communicating with individuals outside his restricted circle, which currently includes only his attorneys and two teenage daughters, as regulated under Special Administrative Measures designed to prevent outside contact.

Guzmán is currently confined under highly restrictive conditions at ADX Florence, where he is held in near-total isolation. In July 2024, he filed a civil rights lawsuit in Colorado seeking relief from these conditions, citing severe lack of human contact, sleep deprivation caused by hot air pumped into his cell throughout the night, and physical ailments such as sinus and throat pain. He also claimed a lack of counseling services to help him cope with the trauma of solitary confinement. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in June, but Guzmán’s court-appointed pro bono attorney, David Lane, announced plans to file a new complaint arguing the isolation violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Previously, Guzmán was housed next to James “Jimmy” Sabatino, a reputed Gambino crime family associate imprisoned for a jewelry heist. Sabatino described the brief companionship they shared despite language barriers, noting signs of mental decline in Guzmán following the death of his mother in 2023. However, prison officials have since separated the two inmates, ending their communication. Sabatino withdrew a formal request for “next friend” status in relation to Guzmán in early 2024.

The letters continue to arrive at the Eastern District of New York court, with recent notes referencing Mexican political figures like Claudia Sheinbaum and asserting that Guzmán has made no escape attempts from the U.S. One letter suggested that Mexico offers a “safe place” for his incarceration. Judge Brian Cogan, who presided over Guzmán’s trial, has dismissed the letters as lacking legal merit and frequently nonsensical, ordering denial of their requests in May.

The origin and purpose of these letters remain unresolved, prompting ongoing investigations into whether Guzmán is directly authoring them or if others are using his name to influence the case or deliver messages. Meanwhile, Guzmán’s isolation and legal challenges highlight the complexities of managing notorious inmates within the federal prison system.