El Chapo's wife pleads guilty to helping run drug cartel

[Stevicus]

'El Chapo's' wife pleads guilty to helping run drug cartel (nbcnews.com)

She was arrested in February at Dulles International Airport and has been in jail since.

WASHINGTON — The wife of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman pleaded guilty Thursday to charges in the U.S. and admitted that she helped her husband run his multibillion-dollar criminal empire.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, wearing a green jail uniform, appeared in federal court in Washington and pleaded guilty to three federal offenses as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors.


The charges include knowingly and willfully conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine for several years. She also pleaded guilty to a money-laundering conspiracy charge and to engaging in transactions with a foreign narcotics trafficker.

The 31-year-old was arrested in February at Dulles International Airport in Virginia and has been jailed since then.

Prosecutors have alleged Coronel Aispuro “worked closely with the command-and-control structure” of the Sinaloa cartel and conspired to distribute large quantities of drugs, knowing they would be smuggled into the U.S.

As Mexico’s most powerful drug lord, Guzman ran a cartel responsible for smuggling cocaine and other drugs into the United States during his 25-year reign, prosecutors say. They also said his “army of sicarios,” or “hit men,” was under orders to kidnap, torture and kill anyone who got in his way.

I wonder about this claim that Guzman was Mexico's "most powerful drug lord." How do they measure that? As he's currently incarcerated, it doesn't seem he could be as powerful as the drug lords who are still walking around free.

The prosecutor, Anthony Nardozzi, said his wife had “aided and abetted” the Sinaloa cartel’s objectives to smuggle drugs into the U.S. and helped to import more than 450,000 kilograms of cocaine, 90,000 kilograms of heroin, 45,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and about 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

That's a lot of drugs. I had no idea there was still such a demand for cocaine.

Her arrest earlier this year was a surprise in part because authorities had made no move to arrest her over the past two years, even after she was implicated in her husband’s crimes. During Guzman’s trial in 2019, prosecutors said she helped orchestrate Guzman’s two prison breaks in Mexico.

Nardozzi said Coronel Aispuro “served as a go-between” to deliver messages to cartel members after her husband was arrested and also conspired with Guzman’s sons to “plan and coordinate” his prison escapes.

Coronel Aispuro listened quietly as prosecutors described how they could prove her illegal activity if she chose to go to trial.

“Yes,” she said through a translator, when asked by the judge if she had actually committed the crimes the government described.

 

[Twilight Hue]

'El Chapo's' wife pleads guilty to helping run drug cartel (nbcnews.com)

She was arrested in February at Dulles International Airport and has been in jail since.





I wonder about this claim that Guzman was Mexico's "most powerful drug lord." How do they measure that? As he's currently incarcerated, it doesn't seem he could be as powerful as the drug lords who are still walking around free.



That's a lot of drugs. I had no idea there was still such a demand for cocaine.

I think drugs are more a part of Mexican culture and tradition. It's the export trade that's causing all the problems, violence, and crimes.

Keep it in Mexico.

Otherwise the authorities may have to do to El Chapo what was done to Escobar.

 

[Stevicus]

I think drugs are more a part of Mexican culture and tradition. It's the export trade that's causing all the problems, violence, and crimes.

Keep it in Mexico.

Otherwise the authorities may have to do to El Chapo what was done to Escobar.

It's also been a part of U.S. culture, especially with cocaine being called a "designer drug" and associated with rock stars, chic fashion models, and others among the so-called "jet set."

 

[George-ananda]

I haven't been following this too closely but I have to assume they worked out some plea agreement that she finds acceptable or she would not just willingly give a 'guilty' plea.

First thought is that she's going to be working for the U.S. government against drug trafficking. These details probably aren't officially released yet but only rumors. The really interesting stuff will never be officially given to the public.

My best guesses.

 

[Kooky]

It's also been a part of U.S. culture, especially with cocaine being called a "designer drug" and associated with rock stars, chic fashion models, and others among the so-called "jet set."

Let's not forget rich people and Wall Street folks, the population least likely to be actually impacted by drug laws.