El Chapo’s former bodyguard Cholo Iván complains about mistreatment in US prison

• Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán’s former bodyguard sent a letter of complaint.
• Jorge Iván Gastélum says he is being mistreated in a US prison.
• Cholo Iván says he is being treated unfairly.

El Chapo’s former bodyguard, Jorge Iván Gastélum (better known as ‘Cholo Iván’) declared that he is being mistreated in a US prison. According to the report, he is complaining of harsh and unfair treatment.

In recent months, the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Chapitos have been dealing with blow after blow with arrests and statements against them. One of the latest arrests that drew attention was that of Ana Gabriela Rubio Zea, who was apprehended for being a member of the Sinaloa Cartel connecting them to Chinese suppliers.

EL CHAPO’S FORMER BODYGUARD COMPLAINS ABOUT CONDITIONS IN PRISON

Cholo Iván’s defense team sent a message to the court on Thursday, complaining of conditions in the prison holding the accused drug trafficker, according to EFE.

Lawyer Alfred Guillaume asked the Court of the District of Columbia to order the transfer of Cholo Iván to another area of ​​the Alexandria, Virginia prison where he is being held or to another prison, according to EFE.

What does the former bodyguard want?

According to his account, El Chapo’s former bodyguard, who was extradited from Mexico a month ago, is being held under «unduly harsh conditions that are not up to acceptable standards,» the EFE news agency reported. His lawyer highlighted each of the issues.

According to the letter they made public, Cholo Iván is only allowed to leave his cell for two hours a day, between midnight and two in the morning, to bathe and call his family in Mexico.

Cholo Iván complains of mistreatment in US prison

In addition, Cholo Iván “cannot sleep at night” due to the noise from the constant influx of new inmates and because the lights are on 24 hours a day in his area. The defense added that El Chapo’s bodyguard only has one blanket in his cell and that the air conditioning is very cold, EFE reported.

His lawyer also indicated that prison management refuses to transfer him to another area due to the «high-profile status» he has as an inmate. The defendant continues to fight to improve his conditions in prison.

A high-profile figure?

According to EFE, Cholo Iván, who was extradited to the United States in April, is accused of conspiracy to traffic drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He also faces another 30 years in prison for crimes related to weapons. For this reason, he became a central character in the investigation against the Mexican drug lord.

The defendant helped the El Chapo flee on January 8, 2016 from an operation by the federal forces of Mexico carried out at a home in the town of Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Both escaped through sewage tunnels, but several hours later they surfaced and stole a vehicle, which was intercepted by federal police on a highway, and the two were captured.