Tag: El Chapo

Commentary: Birthright Citizenship Puts America in Jeopardy

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Today’s challenge, game show Jeopardy-style: “They have a particular status in common: Anwar al-Awlaki, Yaser Esam Hamdi, the twin daughters of El Chapo, Chinese children born to US surrogates, and children born in the US to illegal immigrants.”

After seeing the first two names, a contestant would probably be preparing to hit the button to answer something like “What is Islamic terrorism?” – until they finished reading the entire list. The last item would clinch it, and then the fastest button-pusher would confidently offer the politically-correct answer: “What is birthright citizenship?”

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Mexican Drug Kingpin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Sentenced to Life Behind Bars

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  Former Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has received a sentence that will see him spend the rest of his life in prison. Judge Brian Cogan sentenced Guzman Wednesday to life in prison plus 30 years in a federal court in New York. The 62-year-old was convicted in February of trafficking tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana as a top leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. As head of one of Mexico’s largest and most violent drug-dealing groups, prosecutors said Guzman was involved in multiple murder conspiracies. Guzman was finally captured in 2016 after two daring escapes from Mexican maximum-security prisons. He was extradited to the U.S. in January 2017 to face trial. Guzman gained notoriety in the 1980’s after digging tunnels beneath the U.S.-Mexico border that allowed him to transport larger amounts of drugs more quickly that his competitors. He consolidated power in the 1990s and 2000s through deadly wars with rivals. Before his sentencing, Guzman complained about his solitary confinement in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center and that he did not get a fair trial. “My case was stained and you denied me a fair trial when the while world was watching,” he said. “When I was…

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U.S. Rep. Mark Green Updates Constituents at Brentwood Town Hall

Chris Butler

BRENTWOOD — U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican representing Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, held a town hall meeting in Brentwood Friday and updated constituents about what he’s done since he took office in January. About 50 people attended. Green told audience members he’s sponsored or co-sponsored the following bills during his short tenure in Congress: • A bill that would protect Gold Star families during federal government shutdowns. Gold Star families have lost family members fighting the War on Terror and receive federal benefits. • A bill that targets drug cartels. Green said there are three drug cartels that operate like terrorist organizations, and they also intimidate law enforcement. Green did not identify the three cartels. Green’s bill would formally label these cartels as terrorist organizations, he said. Green went on to say “the resources of the federal government can pounce on them and seize their financial assets.” U.S. Republican President Donald Trump is still considering whether to go along with the bill, Green said. • A bill to keep the U.S. Supreme Court limited to nine justices. • A bill pertaining to notorious drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The federal government seized $14 billion of “El Chapo’s” assets.…

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Claims in El Chapo Case Highlight Perils of ‘Googling Juror’

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Claims of jury misconduct in the trial of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman have drawn new attention to the digital-age challenge courts face in preventing jurors from scouring media accounts or conducting their own research before rendering a verdict. It’s a phenomenon that has been called the “Googling juror.” “Everyone has the world at his fingertips,” said Guzman attorney Jeffrey Lichtman. “Twenty years ago, you didn’t have to worry about that.” Lichtman told The Associated Press on Thursday that there are now serious questions surrounding Guzman’s conviction this month on drug-smuggling and conspiracy charges, and that he plans to ask U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to bring in all 12 jurors and six alternates to question them about reports that several flouted admonitions to avoid media accounts of the case. One juror anonymously told VICE News this week that at least five members of the panel had followed media reports and Twitter feeds during the three-month-long trial and were aware of explosive — and potentially prejudicial — material that had been excluded from the proceedings. “It’s clear we have to get them back into court and get some answers about some massive misconduct,” Lichtman said. The U.S. attorney’s office…

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Potential ‘El Chapo’ Jurors Excused for Safety Fears

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Reuters   The pool of potential jurors for the U.S. drug trafficking trial of accused Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman continued to shrink on Tuesday, with two people who expressed fears about their safety and one self-described “fan” of the defendant cut from the running. A total of 10 potential jurors were excused from the case during the second day of jury selection in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Guzman, 61, watched from a table in the courtroom with his lawyers, wearing a dark suit and tie in place of the open-collared dress shirt he sported Monday. Guzman formerly led the Sinaloa Cartel, based in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, which became one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. He was extradited to the United States from Mexico on Jan. 19, 2017, after escaping twice from Mexican prisons before being captured again. A total of 27 people have so far been dismissed as potential jurors, out of nearly 60 who have been questioned. The 12 jurors and six alternate jurors eventually chosen will remain anonymous and be escorted to and from court by armed federal marshals during the trial, which is expected to…

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