The U.S. Criminal Case against Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of El Chapo

 By Chivis Martinez

Update:  Federal magistrate judge, Robin Meriweather   presided over the short virtual court hearing today in Washington DC.

Judge Meriweather explained the charges to Coronel, who spoke to the judge through a Spanish interpreter.

Judge Meriweather said prosecutors had provided sufficient reason to keep Coronel behind bars for now and noted that her attorney had consented to the temporary detention.

Emma Coronel faces life behind bars, the same sentence Chapo received.  It is unlikely the two will ever see each other face to face again.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, is accused of conspiring to help distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana in the U.S.  She has a DC Court appearance this AM via video conference…

Based on information and evidence revealed in the New York trial of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, it would have seemed that  Emma Coronel Aispuro, common-law wife of Chapo, had escaped justice for her role in the capo's worldwide drug empire.

Then subsequent to the trial, she appeared to flaunt her fearless attitude that she would never be brought to charges anywhere including the United States.  She then founded legit businesses and claimed in a televised interview that her wealth was from investments made, not from El Chapo money, but that from her father.  This made no sense, as money from her father was still dirty illegal money, her father Innes Coronel is imprisoned for drug trafficking.  I had noted at the time of the trial that Emma is a dual citizen both US and Mexican.  As a US citizen, she is subjected to worldwide taxation, and I wondered if the IRS has taken a good look at Emma's worldwide holdings. 

Maybe that is next for Emma.  As Yaqui reported, she was arrested yesterday and has been charged with drug trafficking, accused of helping her husband run his multibillion-dollar cartel and plotted his escape from a Mexican prison in 2015.

A part of the case against Coronel is a hand-written letter from Chapo given to Emma while he was in Altiplano prison. An extraction from the criminal complaint says:

Says special agent; According to Cooperating Witness 1, CORONEL also knew that GUZMAN’s sons, IVAN, OVIDIO, ALFREDO, and JOAQUIN, are also high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel. CORONEL further knew that her father, INES CORONEL, coordinated narcotics transports for GUZMAN.

CORONEL grew up with knowledge of the narcotics trafficking industry and married GUZMAN when she was a teenager. Based upon my investigation, I know CORONEL understood the scope of the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug trafficking. CORONEL knows and understands the Sinaloa Cartel is the most prolific cartel in Mexico. CORONEL was aware of multi-ton cocaine shipments, multi-kilo heroin production, multi-ton marijuana shipments, and ton quantity methamphetamine shipments. CORONEL understood the drug proceeds she controlled during her marriage to GUZMAN were derived from these shipments. Furthermore, from 2012 to 2014,

CORONEL relayed messages on behalf of GUZMAN in furtherance of drug trafficking activities while GUZMAN attempted to avoid capture by Mexican authorities. Once GUZMAN was arrested in February 2014, CORONEL continued to deliver messages she received from GUZMAN during her prison visits, which were not monitored by Mexican authorities.

I have reviewed a handwritten letter written and signed by GUZMAN. This letter was authenticated by multiple witnesses, including Cooperating Witness 1, and is currently

maintained in FBI evidence control. The letter states, in pertinent part:

“Regarding Cleto, increase the production so that it yields. Say hi to Cleto. Tell him to please give me a hand, so that the first sale will be my part… because I have a lot of expenses here.”

 I know from my investigation that “Cleto” is a drug trafficker based in Durango, Mexico who produces heroin. I know from Cooperating Witness 1 as well as other sources that Cleto produced heroin for GUZMAN. I know GUZMAN’s reference to “expenses here” was a reminder to the recipient of the letter that GUZMAN had to pay bribes inside the prison and also continue to support his family. I know from my investigation that Cleto and Cooperating Witness provided CORONEL drug proceeds from more than 5 kilograms of heroin.

[Also key in the complaint is the charge, that came out in court testimony during the Chapo trial, of  CORONEL’s Participation in GUZMAN’s Escape from Prison]

The agent continues in the complaint;

Based on my knowledge of the investigation and debriefing of multiple former Sinaloa Cartel members, CORONEL visited GUZMAN at Altiplano prison on multiple occasions following GUZMAN’s arrest on February 22, 2014.

I have reviewed a handwritten letter written and signed by GUZMAN. This letter was authenticated by multiple witnesses and is currently maintained in FBI evidence control. The letter contains detailed instructions about the ongoing operations of the Sinaloa Cartel, including narcotics transports.

The letter also states, in pertinent part:

“I ask you to always be in agreement among you and my four sons. Hire accountants throughout the state, and pay the guys and widows from there, and whatever is left per month, half is for you and half for the four of them.

. . . You know who has the papers from that place. Send them to the twins please.

The twins’ mother will tell you and my children something. Please be alert, compadre. She will explain.

. . . The twins’ mother will bring a message to all of you, so that you all see it personally.”

[agent says].....Based on my knowledge of the investigation, I understand “my four sons” to be IVAN, ALFREDO, OVIDIO, and JOAQUIN, and I understand “[t]he twins’ mother” to be CORONEL.

Based on the letter quoted above and my knowledge of the investigation, I believe that CORONEL was acting as a go-between and messenger between GUZMAN and his lieutenants, associates, and sons. I further understand that GUZMAN continued to direct the drug trafficking activities of the Sinaloa Cartel from Altiplano prison through a number of individuals, including CORONEL.

According to Cooperating Witness 1, he/she received communications from CORONEL on behalf of GUZMAN while GUZMAN was detained in Altiplano prison in 2014 and 2015. Furthermore, Cooperating Witness 1 told me CORONEL agreed to help facilitate GUZMAN to escape from Altiplano via an underground tunnel.

According to Cooperating Witness 1, CORONEL met with him/her and asked for assistance with GUZMAN’s escape from Altiplano prison. Cooperating Witness 1  agreed to assist. Later, CORONEL met with Cooperating Witness 1, IVAN, ALFREDO, OVIDIO, and

JOAQUIN and communicated GUZMAN’s instructions regarding the escape plan to them. During the meeting, CORONEL, IVAN, ALFREDO, OVIDIO, and Cooperating Witness 1 agreed to organize the construction of an underground tunnel linked to Altiplano in order to facilitate GUZMAN’s escape from prison. Cooperating Witness 1, CORONEL, IVAN, ALFREDO, and OVIDIO all understood that the purpose of facilitating GUZMAN’s escape was to prevent GUZMAN’s extradition to the United States and to ensure his continued control over the Sinaloa Cartel and its drug trafficking activities.

Look for a sweet plea deal for Coronel, she is very valuable as a cooperative, and she has her young 9-year-old twins with Chapo to consider, who would be parentless if she went to trial and was convicted.  I see her going the way of Vincente Zambada; cooperate, get a deal, protection, the ability to keep a slice of the fortune, and a relatively short time behind bars.

Although it isn’t revealed on Pacer who is representing Coronel, my source today says he thought it was  Lichtman and Colon.  Two of the attorneys that represented Chapo.

To access all my posts from the trial of El Chapo, use the search bar and type in EL CHAPO TRIAL

Read the complete complaint unsealed yesterday below

Emma Coronel, Wife of El Chapo, Criminal Complaint Criminal Complaint by Chivis Martinez on Scribd