Feds Seek Life Sentence Plus 30 Years for Guzman

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's already extremely slim chances of ever leaving an American prison alive grew slimmer on Wednesday when prosecutors confirmed they were seeking a life sentence for the Mexican drug lord—plus 30 years. In a letter to US District Judge Brian Cogan, Justice Department lawyers wrote that "overwhelming evidence" showed that Guzman was a "ruthless and bloodthirsty leader of the Sinaloa Cartel," which seized control of territory through "extraordinary violence, including kidnapping, torture, and murder," NBC reports.

Guzman, 62, is expected to be sentenced by Cogan on July 17, reports CNN. He was found guilty on all 10 counts against him in February. In return for his extradition from Mexico, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. (Last week, Cogan rejected Guzman's request for a new trial, saying there was a "mountain range" of evidence against him.)