US court rejects sentence appeal by Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo'

FILE PHOTO: Mexico's top drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted as he arrives at Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, U.S., January 19, 2017, after his extradition from Mexico. U.S. officials/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A U.S. court has rejected an appeal by former Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to review a 2019 ruling that sentenced him to life in prison.

Guzman, who for years led the powerful Sinaloa cartel that is blamed for thousands of deaths in Mexico, had filed habeas corpus petitions - civil suits used to assess whether an imprisonment is lawful - and asked for legal representation in this appeal.