Wife of “El Chapo” Arrested on International Drug Trafficking Charges

In an announcement by the United States Department of Justice, the wife of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, the infamous leader of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested on Monday, on her alleged involvement in international drug trafficking.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, aged 31, a dual U.S-Mexican citizen, was arrested at the Dulles International Airport, with the statement from the Department of Justice adding that she is "scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court tomorrow in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia [via video conference]".

According to court documents, "Aispuro is charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation into the U.S", adding that "Aispuro is alleged to have conspired with others to assist Guzman in his July 11, 2015 escape from Altiplano prison".

After Guzman was re-arrested in Mexico in January 2016, Aispuro "is alleged to have engaged in planning yet another prison escape with others prior to Guzman’s extradition to the U.S. in January 2017".

Guzman Loera was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York in 2019 for his role as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.