Case 1:09-cr-00466-BMC-RLM Document 648 Filed 07/10/19 Page 1 of 5 PageID #: 14072

U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney

Eastern District of New York
GMP/MPR 271 Cadman Plaza East
F. #2009R01065 Brooklyn, New York 11201

July 10, 2019

By ECF

The Honorable Brian M. Cogan

United States District Judge
Eastern District of New York
225 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, New York 11201

Re: United States v. Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera

Criminal Docket No. 09-0466 (S-4) (BMC)

Dear Judge Cogan:

The government respectfully submits this letter in advance of the sentencing of

the defendant Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced
on July 17, 2019 at 9:15 a.m.

I. Background

On February 12, 2019, following an eleven-week trial, a jury found Guzman

guilty of all ten counts in the above-referenced indictment (“Indictment”). These counts
charged the defendant with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise (“CCE”) (Count One),
in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(a)-(b); substantive drug and drug
conspiracy offenses (Counts Two through Eight), in violation of multiple provisions of Title
21, United States Code, as set forth in the Indictment; the unlawful use of a firearm (Count
Nine), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(i), 924(c)(1)(A)(ii),
924(c)(1)(A)(iii) and 924(c)(1)(B)(ii); and money laundering conspiracy (Count Ten), in
violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B),
1956(a)(2)(A), 1956(a)(2)(B) and 1956(h). See Presentence Report (“PSR”) at ¶¶ 1-36. With
respect to the CCE, the jury found that the defendant was a principal leader of the Sinaloa
Cartel (the “Cartel”), trafficked 150 kilograms or more of cocaine and obtained $10,000,000
or more in gross receipts within a twelve-month period—findings that trigger the statutory
mandatory penalty of life imprisonment. See 21 U.S.C. § 848(b); PSR ¶¶ 2, 163. Of the 27
violations charged as part of the CCE, the jury found the defendant committed 25 of them.
Among these, the jury found that the defendant conspired to murder victims who posed a threat
to the Sinaloa Cartel. Specifically, the murder conspiracy targets included informants (or
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people the defendant or his co-conspirators believed to be informants), rival cartel members,
law enforcement officers, close associates who betrayed the Sinaloa Cartel in some fashion,
and even family members. See PSR ¶¶ 83-89. During the course of trial, the government
presented evidence that the defendant ordered the murders of or, in some instances, personally
tortured and murdered 26 individuals and groups of individuals.

In addition to the CCE charged in Count One, the jury found the defendant guilty
of unlawfully using a firearm in relation to drug trafficking (Count Nine), one or more of which
firearms was brandished and discharged, and one or more of which was a machinegun, in
violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(iii) and 924(c)(1)(B)(ii).
Specifically, the jury found that the defendant had discharged firearms and had used a
machinegun in the course of committing his drug crimes, the latter of which carries an
enhanced penalty of thirty years’ imprisonment.

The overwhelming evidence at trial showed that the defendant was a ruthless
and bloodthirsty leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Fourteen cooperating witnesses testified that the
defendant was one of the Cartel’s principal leaders. Testimony showed that the Sinaloa Cartel
was one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, and that it was able to
seize control of vast swaths of territory throughout Mexico. It did so by wielding extraordinary
violence, including kidnapping, torture and murder, as a tool to enforce discipline against its
members and those who acted against the Cartel’s interests, as well as through extensive public
corruption. The defendant’s army of sicarios frequently carried out this violence on the
defendant’s direct orders; sometimes he carried out this violence himself. Testimony also
showed that from the 1980s until his arrest, the defendant was relentless in devising new
methods to evade law enforcement detection to enable him to transport multi-ton quantities of
cocaine from South America to the United States for distribution. See PSR ¶¶ 54-61, 75. In
addition to cocaine, the defendant oversaw the shipment of heroin, cocaine base, ephedrine,
methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. See PSR ¶ 90. Over the course of
trial, the evidence showed that the defendant was responsible for the importation or attempted
importation into the United States of at least 1,213,100 kilograms of cocaine, 1,440 kilograms
of cocaine base, 222 kilograms of heroin, 49,800 kilograms of marijuana and quantities of
methamphetamine.

The defendant maintained his position as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel for 25
years, in part, through unyielding obstruction of justice. The defendant ordered the killing,
kidnapping and torture of individuals whom he believed were cooperating with law
enforcement against his personal interests and the interests of the Sinaloa Cartel. See PSR
¶ 98. He also fled from justice for many years following his 2001 escape from prison in
Mexico, which he undertook upon learning that he could soon be extradited to the United
States. Indeed, in the years following his 2001 escape, he narrowly escaped capture during
multiple large-scale law enforcement operations, escaped prison a second time in 2015 and
bribed law enforcement and political officials on numerous occasions. See PSR ¶¶ 99-100.
Testimony further showed that the defendant planned to escape from prison again only months
before his extradition to the United States in January 2017. See PSR ¶ 52.

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II. The Guidelines Calculation of Life Plus Thirty Years’ Imprisonment Is Correct
With respect to the applicable sentence, the government agrees with the
Guidelines calculation set forth in the PSR, which yields a total offense level of 66 and an
applicable Guidelines range of life imprisonment. See PSR ¶ 169. Moreover, because the jury
found the defendant guilty of all three sentencing enhancements under the CCE in Count One,
the statutory mandatory minimum sentence is life imprisonment. See PSR ¶ 163. Because the
jury convicted the defendant of unlawful use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking and
found that the offense involved a machinegun, the defendant’s statutory mandatory minimum
sentence with regard to Count Nine is 30 years, which must run consecutively to the sentence
on Count One. See PSR ¶ 169.
Even if the Court had discretion to impose a sentence of less than life
imprisonment, a life sentence would still be warranted under the sentencing factors outlined in
Section 3553(a). The horrific nature and circumstances of the defendant’s offense, his history
and characteristics and the fact that the defendant committed some of the most serious crimes
under federal law make a life sentence warranted. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(1)-(2). A life sentence
is warranted to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant, who has spent three
decades committing crimes unabated and obstructing justice to avoid taking responsibility for
those crimes. Id. A life sentence is just punishment for this defendant and will provide general
deterrence to drug kingpins who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a)(2)(A)-(B). The government respectfully requests that the Court find that it would
impose a sentence of life imprisonment even if the statute did not require such a sentence.
III. Victim Notification and Restitution
As noted above, the defendant conspired to murder numerous persons and
groups of persons during his tenure as one of the principal leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. See
PSR ¶¶ 83-89, 97. To the extent practicable, the government has made notification to the
victims of those murder conspiracies whom it was capable of locating. See PSR ¶ 97. At least
one of the victims who survived a murder plot initiated by the defendant intends to make a
victim-impact statement at the sentencing hearing on July 17.
The government has also attempted to contact these same victims to apprise
them of their right to restitution. See 18 U.S.C. § 3771(a)(6) (victims have “[t]he right to full
and timely restitution as provided in law”); PSR ¶ 198 (noting that the Court may order
restitution to any victims of Count One under 18 U.S.C. § 3663). All but one of the victims
the government was able to contact indicated that they would not seek restitution in this case.
The government is awaiting a victim loss affidavit from the single victim who has indicated
s/he would like to seek restitution. 1
While the Court may find restitution to victims is warranted at sentencing, it is
not necessary for the Court to establish a restitution amount at sentencing. The Court needs

1
Notably, many of the victims the government notified are cooperating
witnesses for the government. While the statute governing victim restitution does not exclude
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only to determine a restitution amount within 90 days following sentencing. See 18 U.S.C.
§ 3664 (“If the victim’s losses are not ascertainable by the date that is 10 days prior to
sentencing, the attorney for the Government or the probation officer shall so inform the court,
and the court shall set a date for the final determination of the victim’s losses, not to exceed
90 days after sentencing. If the victim subsequently discovers further losses, the victim shall
have 60 days after discovery of those losses in which to petition the court for an amended
restitution order.”); Dolan v. United States, 560 U.S. 605, 608 (2010) (“We hold that a
sentencing court that misses the 90-day deadline nonetheless retains the power to
order restitution—at least where, as here, the sentencing court made clear prior to the
deadline’s expiration that it would order restitution, leaving open (for more than 90 days) only
the amount.”). Under Dolan, as long as the Court orders restitution at sentencing in an amount
to later be determined, it can then amend the judgment at a later date (even after the statutory
90-day period expires). See id. The Court may amend the judgment based on written
submissions by the parties, rather than holding a hearing. See United States v. Pickett, 612
F.3d 147, 148 (2d Cir. 2010) (“On March 27, 2009, the government submitted a letter that
presented the evidence of loss, and on May 1, 2009—ninety-eight days after Pickett’s
sentencing hearing—the District Court adopted the loss figures set forth in the government’s
letter and entered an amended judgment imposing restitution in the amount of $2,400,800.”).
Accordingly, the government requests that the Court order restitution for the
murder conspiracy victims in an amount to be later determined by the Court. Within 90 days
of sentencing, the government will submit proposed restitution amounts for any identifiable
victims seeking restitution.
IV. The Court Should Dismiss the Drug Conspiracy Counts Without Prejudice

To avoid a potential double jeopardy issue, the government respectfully moves

the Court to dismiss Counts Two through Four—the narcotics distribution conspiracy counts,
which constitute lesser-included offenses of the CCE charged in Count One—so as not to
impose double punishment for the same underlying criminal conduct. See United States v.
Miller, 116 F.3d 641, 678 (2d Cir. 1997) (“Given the Supreme Court’s recent decision
in Rutledge v. United States, 517 U.S. 292, 116 S. Ct. 1241, 134 L.Ed.2d 419 (1996), ruling
that ‘[a] guilty verdict on a [21 U.S.C.] § 848 charge necessarily includes a finding that the
defendant also participated in a conspiracy violative of [21 U.S.C.] § 846, conspiracy is
therefore a lesser included offense of CCE,’ . . . the government concedes, and we agree, that
Miller’s conviction for narcotics conspiracy should be reversed, and that count of the
indictment against him should be dismissed.”). In the event the conviction on Count One is
reversed or vacated on appeal, the Court may reinstate the convictions on Counts Two through
Four and sentence the defendant pursuant to those three counts. See Rutledge, 517 U.S. at 305
(“[F]ederal appellate courts appear to have uniformly concluded that they may direct the entry

cooperating witness-victims from being awarded restitution, courts in this district have found
that cooperating witnesses may waive their right to restitution. See United States v. Agate,
613 F. Supp. 2d 315, 326 (E.D.N.Y. 2009).

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of judgment for a lesser included offense when a conviction for a greater offense is reversed
on grounds that affect only the greater offense.”); see, e.g., Rutledge v. United States, 230 F.3d
1041, 1049 (7th Cir. 2000) (concluding that district court may reinstate vacated conspiracy
conviction); United States v. Cabaccang, 481 F.3d 1176, 1183 (9th Cir. 2007) (“However, if
the greater offense is later reversed on appeal, the appellate court should reinstate the
previously vacated convictions on the lesser-included offenses.” (internal quotation marks
omitted)). Accordingly, the government requests that the Court dismiss Counts Two through
Four without prejudice to reinstatement following appeal.

V. Conclusion

For the reasons discussed above, the Court should sentence the defendant to the
statutory mandatory minimum of life imprisonment with thirty years’ imprisonment to run
consecutively, the defendant should be ordered to pay restitution, with the amount to be
determined within 90 days of the defendant’s sentencing hearing, and the Court should dismiss
Counts Two through Four without prejudice to reinstatement following appeal.

Respectfully submitted,

RICHARD P. DONOGHUE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
Eastern District of New York
271 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, New York 11201

ARTHUR G. WYATT, CHIEF

Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section
Criminal Division,
U.S. Department of Justice

OF COUNSEL:

ARIANA FAJARDO ORSHAN

United States Attorney
Southern District of Florida

cc: Counsel of Record (by ECF)