The sentencing Wednesday of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to life without parole in a U.S. prison proved supremely satisfying for the U.S. Coast Guard, whose drug interdiction operations provided a significant amount of evidence in the case.
Coast Guard officials said July 10 that the service’s counter-narcotics operations were highlighted by the prosecution during Guzman’s 11-week trial earlier this year, and several Coast Guardsmen served as witnesses.
“With the trial of this convicted leader of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel … you saw the impact of Coast Guard joint operations,” a senior Coast Guard law enforcement official said during a briefing with reporters.
Drug Kingpin ‘El Chapo’ Sentenced to Life in Prison Plus 30 Years