Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman sent what his attorneys describe as an “SOS” message to Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as a result of human rights abuses in the US prison where he is serving his sentence.

El Chapo is serving time at the Colorado “Supermax” prison

El Chapo’s incarceration stems from a 2019 conviction that ended with him locked up in Colorado’s Supermax prison.

He is serving time alongside criminals like Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Additionally, the prison houses two individuals involved in the September 11 attacks, as well as an accomplice in the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. Many people call this particular prison the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.”

The cartel boss alleges a series of inhumane abuses, including no access to sunlight, edible food, or medical attention. He also claims to suffer from a complete lack of human contact. Because of an incarceration agreement between Mexico and the United States, President Obrador is taking El Chapo’s request into consideration.

The drug lord’s attorney reaches out to the Mexican Embassy

The Mexican Embassy in the US confirmed El Chapo’s attorney reached out to them.

“You always have to keep the door open when it comes to human rights,” he said after confirming he’d be reviewing El Chapo’s request. However, certain officials in the Mexican government are not sure whether the drug lord’s plea is even valid.

“Frankly, I don’t see any possibilities for him, but I’m going to review it with the prosecutor’s office,” said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. El Chapo escaped twice from Mexican prisons and, as one of the most high-profile criminals behind bars anywhere in the world, his case requires special consideration.

Mexican authorities arrested his son just a few weeks ago

Additionally, El Chapo’s request comes just a few weeks after his son, Ovidio Guzman, was arrested by Mexican authorities. His arrest, following another in 2019, sparked multiple shootouts in the city of Culican. One particularly disturbing video shows people hiding in a passenger plane sustaining gunfire during takeoff.