The relationship between Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and his right-hand man blossomed based on their mutual interest in raping minor girls, prosecutors claim in newly unsealed court documents.
The statement was made in a motion filed by federal prosecutors last October to preclude Guzman’s defense team from asking the kingpin’s right-hand man, Alex Cifuentes, about the young girls the duo allegedly had delivered to them for sex.
Guzman, 61, was convicted last month on various drug trafficking charges, following marathon testimony from cooperating witnesses such as Cifuentes.
Defense attorneys wanted to ask Cifuentes about the child sex abuse during his testimony, but also keep out previously reported allegations that Guzman had his assistant drug girls as young as 13 — whom he called his vitamins — so the drug lord could rape them.
“The defendant seeks to limit testimony about his own involvement in this sexual activity that purportedly formed the basis of their relationship.” the papers read.
Guzman’s alleged interest in young girls was first revealed on the eve of jury deliberations, as the initial batch of sealed court documents were made public following arguments by lawyers for the New York Times and VICE News.
A single juror has since admitted to VICE News that the panel saw articles about the child rape — which was kept out of trial testimony — and lied about it to Judge Brian Cogan.
Guzman, through his attorneys, emphatically denied having ever drugged or raped minors.
The documents also address Cifuentes’ “extracurricular interests in the Illuminati, Freemasonry, other planets, other galaxies, UFOs and the idea that there was an impending apocalypse in 2012.”
“The defendant claims that the Court should also permit him to cross-examine CW1 about CW1’s interest in astrology and witch doctors. The defendant makes what amounts to a highly subjective argument — that is, CW1 is ‘mentally instable’ because he has an interest in these purportedly unorthodox or non-mainstream theories,” the papers read, referencing Cifuentes.
“Simply being intrigued by documentaries on the Discovery Channel does not rise to the level of ‘mental instability,’” the motion says. “While it is perhaps not surprising that a member of one of the world’s largest drug conspiracies would also have a fascination with other secret societies like the Illuminati, it is not an indicator of mental illness.”
Ultimately, Cogan denied defense requests to question Cifuentes on any of these topics.
The documents also touch on an immunity deal that Vicente Zambada, the son of Guzman’s partner, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, claims to have had with the DEA.
Prosecutors write that it would be unfair to question Zambada about the alleged deal with US law enforcement, as he failed to provide “any sufficient factual evidence in support of his argument.”
The documents also reference “acts of violence, including kidnapping, torture and murder,” by Chapo, though the actual details of those acts remain redacted.
Guzman faces life behind bars at sentencing, which is currently scheduled for June.