In a recent development, Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, has been released from a US prison after serving almost two years of her three-year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering.
Release Location: Long Beach, California
Emma Coronel Aispuro, a former beauty queen now aged 34, was released in Long Beach, California, as reported by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and confirmed by AFP news agency on Thursday, September 14.
Sentenced in 2021
Her journey through the US criminal justice system began in November 2021 when a US judge sentenced her to three years in prison. It’s important to note that she entered into marriage with the notorious drug kingpin when she was still a teenager.
El Chapo’s Extradition and Life Sentence
In stark contrast to Coronel’s legal ordeal, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman faced extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2017. He was subsequently handed a life sentence in July 2019.
Limited Role in the Cartel
During her trial, both prosecutors and her defense team emphasized that Emma Coronel had not played a substantial role in the core operations of Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel, responsible for trafficking vast quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs into the United States.
Prosecutor Anthony Nardozzi underscored this point, stating, “The defendant’s actual role was minimal.” He further clarified, “She’s not a leader, organizer, boss, or any other type of manager.” Instead, he characterized her as “a cog in the wheel of a very large criminal organization.”
Facilitating El Chapo’s Spectacular Prison Escape
Notably, Emma Coronel had played a key role in facilitating El Chapo’s sensational escape from a Mexican prison in 2015. Her presence at her husband’s trial in New York was consistent, reflecting her unwavering support.
As a dual citizen of both the United States and Mexico, Emma Coronel enjoyed freedom of movement between the two countries until her arrest at Dulles International Airport, just outside Washington, in February 2021.
This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing saga surrounding one of the world’s most infamous drug lords and his wife.