The ghost writer of Chapo Guzmán's letters: a mystery in the New York court
El exlíder del Cartel de Sinaloa, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, también conocido como 'El Chapo', ha estado enviando 23 cartas a un juez estadounidense, Brian Cogan, desde abril hasta julio de 2024, solicitando su extradición a México y quejas sobre el trato injusto en prisión. Sin embargo, investigaciones realizadas por EL PAÍS revelan que al menos dos de estas cartas fueron escritas por un ciudadano estadounidense llamado Aubrey Gideon, quien se hizo pasar por Guzmán. Las cartas, que incluyen declaraciones sobre la presidenta mexicana Claudia Sheinbaum y afirmaciones contradictorias sobre su historial criminal, han sido rechazadas por el juez debido a su falta de claridad y base legal. Los sellos postales de las cartas contradicen la ubicación de la prisión donde se encuentra Guzmán, generando sospechas sobre la autenticidad de las cartas.
A mysterious figure has emerged in the ongoing legal battle of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison. Between April 10 and July 13, Guzmán sent 23 handwritten letters to Judge Brian Cogan, pleading with him to reconsider his extradition request and expressing dissatisfaction with his treatment in custody. Despite repeated appeals, all have been denied. However, these communications have sparked questions about their authenticity, whether they were truly written by Guzmán himself or if someone else was impersonating him. According to documents obtained by El País, at least two of the letters were actually authored by an American citizen named Aubrey Gideon, who has been using Guzmán’s identity to make requests for mercy before the court. Each letter, purportedly from the drug lord, emphasized the “unfair treatment” he received while incarcerated, his desire to serve his sentence in Mexico, and even claimed that President Claudia Sheinbaum had a “safe place” for his imprisonment south of the border. In one message, Guzmán asserted, “The Mexican government was responsible for all violent crimes; I did not harm anyone... In my country, I was known for good things; the nice things I did in Mexico were wanting my family to eat together and have a wonderful life.” Despite the emotional tone, the judge dismissed multiple letters, noting that some were illegible and lacked legal foundation. His response to five consecutive missives read: “Some of these letters are unintelligible and none have legal basis. Therefore, these requests have been denied.” Yet, each communication contained subtle clues that cast doubt on its true origin. The envelopes, which were recorded in Guzmán’s legal file, bore the address of ADX Florence, the maximum-security federal prison in Colorado where he has been held since 2019. However, the postal seals on the paper containers indicated that the letters were mailed from Jackson, Mississippi, a location nearly 2,000 kilometers away from Guzmán’s actual incarceration site. This discrepancy raised immediate suspicion among legal observers. Over time, the signatures on the letters evolved. Initially signed simply as “Joaquín Guzmán,” they later became “Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán,” and eventually, the more recent ones carried the name “Joaquín El Chapo Loera Guzmán,” with the family names reversed. This detail, however, contradicted Guzmán’s official legal name, which is Guzmán Loera. The name of Aubrey Gideon first appeared in a letter dated June 10, sent from Jackson. In this letter, he claimed to be representing himself under the guise of the former cartel leader, citing his “health situation” in prison and protesting against policies that restricted family visits. “The letters being received in the courts are my legal petition from Aubrey Gideon in Greenwood, MS 38930 [Mississippi], regarding my rights and connection with my attorney in the fight for my freedom in the United States,” he wrote in a handwritten passage in English. In addition, Gideon uploaded a video on June 27 to one of his three Instagram accounts. It shows a hand placing two envelopes into a public blue mailbox commonly used for outgoing mail. One envelope bears the sender's name as “Joaquin El Chapo Loera Guzman,” along with his prisoner number, 89914053, and the address of ADX Florence. This evidence further supports the claim that Gideon was impersonating Guzmán, using his identity to continue making legal appeals.
How each side covered it
The same event, grouped by the political lean of the outlets covering it.
progressive
center
conservative
★
How each side covered it
Support independent, bias-aware news and unlock the social pulse, community voting, and your personalized For You feed.
El exlíder del Cartel de Sinaloa, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, también conocido como 'El Chapo', ha estado enviando 23 cartas a un juez estadounidense, Brian Cogan, desde abril hasta julio de 2024, solicitando su extradición a México y quejas sobre el trato injusto en prisión. Sin embargo, investigaciones realizadas por EL PAÍS revelan que al menos dos de estas cartas fueron escritas por un ciudadano estadounidense llamado Aubrey Gideon, quien se hizo pasar por Guzmán. Las cartas, que incluyen declaraciones sobre la presidenta mexicana Claudia Sheinbaum y afirmaciones contradictorias sobre su historial criminal, han sido rechazadas por el juez debido a su falta de claridad y base legal. Los sellos postales de las cartas contradicen la ubicación de la prisión donde se encuentra Guzmán, generando sospechas sobre la autenticidad de las cartas.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue by highlighting the potential fraud committed by an American citizen impersonating a Mexican drug cartel leader, which could have implications for justice system integrity and international relations. The emphasis on the illegality of the impersonation and the lack of a
Why factuality (65): The article discusses a different aspect of El Chapo's story—the mystery surrounding his letters to a U.S. judge—rather than focusing on his capture. It provides some details about the letters and the possibility of an imposter writing them, but this is not related to the primary source document abo
Why objectivity (70): The tone remains neutral and informative, discussing the controversy around the authenticity of the letters without taking sides. However, there is a slight emphasis on the intrigue and mystery surrounding the situation, which could be seen as slightly more engaging than purely factual reporting.
Ex-Presidente José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero negó tener intención de defraudar y describió las 103 piezas de joyería encontradas en su despacho como 'regalos de cortesía' que no tienen relación con su actividad política. En una entrevista, Zapatero afirmó que no conocía el valor patrimonial de las joyas y que no había pensado en ellas. Sin embargo, fue imputado en el marco del caso Plus Ultra, donde se investiga el rescate de la aerolínea Plus Ultra por 53 millones de euros públicos. Su pagador, Julio Martínez, declaró que Zapatero le informó sobre el rescate antes de que se tomara la decisión en el Consejo de Ministros. Zapatero negó haber participado en el rescate ni haber interactuado con autoridades para facilitarlo.
Bias read (Center): The article presents Zapatero's statements and legal implications without overtly favoring any political side. It reports his defense against allegations of fraud and denies involvement in the Plus Ultra rescue case, while also detailing the legal proceedings against him. The tone remains neutral,聚焦
The article reports on José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's first appearance in the media since his indictment in the Plus Ultra case, which was announced on May 19th. The coverage highlights his live interview discussing the ongoing investigation and recent developments related to the case. The focus is on the legal implications of his indictment and the public interest in his comments.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information regarding Zapatero's legal situation and does not take a clear ideological stance. It focuses on reporting the event rather than promoting a particular viewpoint. While the subject is politically sensitive, the framing remains neutral and objective.
★
Keep the news honest.
ObjectiveNews is reader-funded and ad-free — we show you the bias instead of hiding it. Support independent journalism for €5/month.
Spain
