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By Elisha Fieldstadt and Tom Winter
Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán was found guilty Tuesday of crimes spanning more than a quarter of a century, during which prosecutors said he smuggled more than 200 tons of cocaine into the United States.
After an almost three-month trial and six days of deliberations, a New York jury found the alleged Sinaloa cartel leader guilty of each of the 10 charges he was tried on, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and multiple counts of distributing large amounts of narcotics internationally.
Guzmán, 61, now faces life in prison. The U.S. had agreed not to seek the death penalty while trying to extradite him from Mexico, which has abolished capital punishment. He is due to be sentenced June 25.
When the jurors filed into the courtroom with a verdict Tuesday, they all looked down as Guzmán scanned their faces.
After the verdict was read, Guzmán shook hands with his attorneys. As he exited the courtroom, he put his hand on his heart and nodded to his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro.
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan lauded the seven women and five men of the jury, saying that in 13 years on the bench, he hadn’t seen a jury pay so much attention to detail, and how their diligence made him “very proud to be an American.”
More than 56 prosecution witnesses were called to the stand at the heavily-secured federal courthouse in Brooklyn over the course of 35 days.
The jury listened to movie-esque tales of brutal murders of cartel enemies, political payoffs, elaborate schemes to traffic drugs, two brazen escapes that almost became three, and even a love triangle.
In closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury that an “avalanche of evidence” proved that Guzmán lorded over a murderous drug empire. Presenting that evidence took 11 weeks.
Meanwhile, the defense rested after 30 minutes. They countered that the government’s case was only held up by the testimony of criminals who “lie, steal, cheat, deal drugs and kill people” for a living.
Guzmán addressed the courtroom only once during the trial, telling the judge he was electing not to testify in his own defense.
“Señor judge, me and my attorneys have spoken about this,” Guzmán said, “and I will reserve.”
Guzmán was convicted of all 10 counts:
- Engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise
- International cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy
- Cocaine importation conspiracy
- Cocaine distribution conspiracy
- International distribution of cocaine
- International distribution of cocaine
- International distribution of cocaine
- International distribution of cocaine
- Use of firearms
- Conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds
Emily Berk contributed.