Infamous Mexican drug lord El Chapo’s wife to be released from prison today
The wife of infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is set to be released from prison in the US today.
Emma Coronel Aispuro, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2021 after she pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges related to her husband's narcotics empire. Along with jail time, her sentence included four years of supervised release and a forfeit of almost $1.5 million of proceeds from her criminal activity.
She had been charged with three counts of helping the Sinaloa drug cartel, including conspiracy to launder money and distribute illegal drugs and engaging in financial dealings. She also admitted to acting as a courier between her husband, 66, and other organisation members while he was being held in Mexico's Altiplano prison following his 2014 arrest.
The former beauty queen married the infamous drug lord when she was just 18 (Instagram)The Bureau of Prisons said it would release Coronel on Wednesday from a low-security confinement institution in Los Angeles in a statement on their website. However, a spokesperson said: "For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not elaborate on specific release plans."
Coronel was transferred earlier this year to the residential re-entry facility in Long Beach, California. Prior to this, she had served around 18 months at a federal prison in Texas.
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It is normal for inmates who have shown good behaviour in federal prison to be moved to a halfway house up to six months before their release, according to a Bureau of Prisons official. Her sentencing judge said Coronel had quickly accepted responsibility and agreed to pay the $1.5 million fine, and her three-year sentence was later reduced.
During her sentencing, Coronel, who has dual US-Mexican citizenship, showed deep remorse for her involvement with Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel and the harm she may have caused. Guzman, who escaped prison in Mexico twice, is serving a life sentence at Colorado's Supermax prison after his 2019 conviction for engaging in a criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Coronel was arrested in 2021 on narcotics smuggling charges (AFP via Getty Images)
The glamorous wife of El Chapo stood loyally by his side during his own trial (JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)His escape from the most secure wing of the most secure prison in Mexico drew worldwide attention. Part of the reason it gathered such attention was because it involved a mile-long tunnel dug from a shack outside the prison to the shower inside Guzman's cell.
The tunnel was complete with lighting, ventilation and a motorcycle on rails to aid in his escape. Guzman was recaptured six months later and extradited to the US.
Coronel met Guzman when she was a young beauty queen and married the cartel boss in 2007 at the age of 18. The couple have two daughters together and during his trial, Coronel showed unwavering loyalty to her husband as witnesses painted him to be a vengeful drug trafficker.
Prosecutors called Guzman a "ruthless and bloodthirsty leader" of the Sinaloa Cartel. Members of the cartel, which is still in operation, were sanctioned by the Biden administration in February for their involvement in the illegal and deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine trade, according to US officials.
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