#FreedomForSal: Cocaine Cowboy Sal Magluta Appeals for Compassionate Release From Federal Prison
This photo taken on February 13, 2019 shows a view of the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as the ADX or "Supermax", in Florence, Colorado. - He has already managed to escape twice from high-security prisons in Mexico. But this time, crime lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman may find it more difficult to slip away from the "Supermax" prison in Colorado where he is likely headed. The facility, also known as ADX (administrative maximum), has been dubbed the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" because of its remote location and harsh security measures. Jason Connolly / AFP Photo credit should read JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images

After almost 20 years in solitary confinement at the nation's highest-security supermax prison, Salvador "Sal" Magluta asked authorities for his compassionate release. His family supports his appeal by sharing posts online with #FreedomForSal.

In the recently released narco-documentary entitled "Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami," Sal Magluta was portrayed during his prime in the 1970s and '80s as a drug kingpin so rich and powerful that he even openly disregarded the justice system.

He was part of the drug trafficking 100,000 kilos of cocaine in Miami, operating a $2 billion enterprise in the booming area.

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami

In 2002, Sal Magluta was sentenced for money laundering and obstruction of justice to a total of 195 years in federal prison. It was initially set for 205 years, but it was later reduced to 195 years on appeal.

A total of 145 years remains on his sentence, and he is not eligible for release until 2166. But Miami News Times reported that the 66-year-old former drug kingpin was described in court records and anecdotal accounts by family on social media as an elderly man now suffering from chronic kidney disease.

Sal Magluta was also reportedly suffering from ulcerative colitis, Type 2 diabetes, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety. Magluta's family noted that the then drug kingpin's mental and physical health was rapidly deteriorating.

Magluta spent more than a decade in the solitary confinement of ADX Florence in Colorado, the nation's highest-security supermax prison. The federal prison's solitary confinement was a place that the prison's former warden described as a "clean version of hell."

Sal Magluta's Petition

After almost two decades in federal prison, Sal Magluta has petitioned the U.S. District Court Senior Judge Patricia A. Seitz in the Southern District of Florida for a compassionate release.

Magluta asked for home confinement with his 89-year-old mother, his grown son, and his grandkids in the west Miami-Dade suburb of Westchester. The court is reportedly considering the motion.

In the June 16 motion written by the attorneys of Sal Magluta, Richard Klugh, and Martin and Jane Raskin, they have stated that the former drug kingpin has spent decades enduring unthinkable punishment that already surpassed the court's goal during his conviction.

The attorneys also mentioned that Magluta has been rendered physically sick and mentally ill after being incarcerated in the nation's most brutal prison facility.

The legal team of Magluta also emphasized that the further incarceration of the former drug kingpin would be both excessive and inhumane as he was already deeply remorseful for his past actions, and he poses no danger to today's society.

Even the United Nation's Special Rapporteur for Human Rights considered solitary confinement for more than 15 days as a "form of torture."

The Southern Poverty Law Center noted that solitary confinement of incarcerated individuals was considered "inhumane, ineffective, and wasteful." The group also linked confinement to higher suicide rates compared to the general population.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Cocaine Cowboys: How '80s Miami Became America's Drug Capital - From Netflix