Judge grants suspension to Ovidio Guzmán against “fastrack” extradition to the US

A federal judge granted a flat stay in favor of Ovid Guzman Lopez“The Mouse”, which prevents his extradition immediately to the United States.

“The provisional suspension is decreed, so that things remain in the state they currently have and the complainant remains at the disposal of this district court as far as his personal freedom is concerned,” determined the head of the Sixth District Court of Amparo in Criminal Matters in Mexico City, Juan Mateo Brieba de Castro.

“As a consequence of this determination, it remains at the disposal of whose authority it is, for the continuation of the procedure that is followed. The provisional suspension is decreed regarding the act of extradition and its execution, so that it is not executed and the complainant remains in the place where he is at the disposal of this court, only in relation to his personal freedom and is not handed over to the Government of the United States of America,” he added.

Judge Juan Mateo Brieba de Castro, within the suspension incident related to trial 26/2023, set 2:06 p.m. on January 12, 2023 for the incidental hearing to be held.

Ovidio Guzmán López was arrested on January 5 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, and according to the federal security cabinet, he is the leader of the group “Los Menores” or “The Chapitos” inside of the Sinaloa cartel. He is currently imprisoned in Cefereso 1 located in Almoloya, State of Mexico.

In case of being extradited to the United States, Ovidio Guzmán must face in a jury in the Eastern District of New York charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana to that country from 2008 to 2018.

Meanwhile, the same Sixth District Judge of Amparo in Criminal Matters in Mexico City granted the suspension outright for what it does to the act consisting of solitary confinement.

“It must be clarified that this is not the granting of amparo but a simple precautionary measure. The ex officio suspension is decreed in the following terms: The ex officio suspension is decreed with respect to solitary confinement, as well as any of those prohibited by article 22 of the Constitution, for the sole purpose of immediately ceasing the execution of such acts. and under the legal and institutional provisions, the direct complainant is allowed to communicate with relatives or meet with the defenders that he designates as such,” he indicated.

He ordered the Director of the Federal Center for Social Readaptation Number 1 “Altiplano” to be seen, and warned that in case of non-compliance, he will fall into a crime provided for in article 215 of the Federal Penal Code, since it does disobedience, regardless of any other crime they commit.

jorge.monroy@eleconomista.mx