Wife of ‘El Chapo’ expected to plead guilty to U.S. charges

The wife of Mexican drug lord  Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is expected to plead guilty on Thursday to charges stemming from her alleged participation in her husband’s drug empire.

Emma Coronel Aispuro is scheduled for a virtual plea hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C. federal court, according to court records unsealed Wednesday.

The New York Times, citing a person familiar with the case, reported that Aispuro is expected to plead guilty to helping her husband run his drug-trafficking empire and then helping his escape from prison in 2015.

The Hill has reached out to attorneys for Aispuro for comment.

Aispuro was arrested in February at Dulles International Airport, and is facing charges related to alleged involvement in international drug trafficking.

She is accused of “participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation into the U.S.”

The government also alleges that she conspired to assist her husband in his 2015 escape from prison, and helped plan other escapes before Guzmán was extradited to the U.S. in 2017.

Guzmán was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison in 2019 after being found guilty of several charges, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes, and participating in a money laundering conspiracy.