The Sinaloa Cartel Has A New Queen: Adriana Meza Takes Control After Ovidio's Fall

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Today on Testigo Directo: In this video, the identity and story of Adriana Meza, the new queen of the Sinaloa Cartel, is revealed. She is the daughter of Raul Meza Ontiveros, alias El M6, a lieutenant of Mayo Zambada who was killed in 2007. She is also the wife of Ovidio Guzmán, alias El Ratón, one of Chapo Guzmán's sons, who was extradited to the United States in 2023. 

Adriana Meza is alleged to have taken control of the Sinaloa Cartel after the fall of her husband, and manages the criminal organization's illicit businesses. She is accused of being involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and violence. 

She is known for her beauty, intelligence and ambition. She is compared to Emma Coronel, Chapo Guzman's wife, who was also extradited to the United States for her involvement in drug trafficking. We show how Adriana Meza lived a life of luxury and power, and how she managed to escape Mexican justice.

Video translation is as follows:

Jesús Escobar Tovar: She’s already been accused by the Mexican government of doing illicit business.

David Saucedo: By being the daughter of a high-level lieutenant of Chapo Guzmán, she obtained the protection of the Cartel de Sinaloa. 

Rafael Poveda: Adriana Meza is now considered the new queen of the Sinaloa Cartel. She’s the wife of Ovidio Guzman aka El Ratón, who was extradited to the United States. Will she be the one who takes Emma Coronel’s place, the wife of El Chapo, the father of El Ratón who was also extradited to the United States? This is a report by Valentina Estupiña. 

Jesús Escobar Tovar: This is a woman who likes to live well, she is a woman who likes to be very well groomed. I could tell you that she is a woman who, if you see her, is an executive. The truth is that she is a person who by her physical appearance, by the way she speaks, by the way she looks, she can easily pass off as a businesswoman.

Valentina Estupiñan: Adriana Meza, daughter of Raul Torres Meza, better known as alias M6, may or may not be the new queen of the Cártel de Sinaloa. Adriana Meza Torres, a woman of approximately 160 cm in height is about to be 30 years old, she is the lover of Ovidio Guzman aka El Ratón, making her a woman with a lot of power. Who is possibly handling the money of her extradited husband.

Jesús Escobar Tovar: Due to the arrest of the drug trafficker nicknamed "El Ratón" we begin to find out precisely who she was. Obviously, as many others do they try to justify their activities by pointing out that they are dedicated to farming. Nonetheless, she is accused by the Mexican government of doing illicit business, of being a fundamental part of all of this.

Valentina Estupiñan: After the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, one of Chapo Guzmán's sons, the issue came to the forefront once again. Adriana Meza Torres, was given the nickname of the new queen of the Sinaloa Cartel. She is the replacement for Emma Coronel who held the throne while Chapo Guzman was at large.

Sicario: We are the Sinaloa Cartel.

David Saucedo: The entire criminal organization recognizes her as the wife of Ovidio. She rose to fame after the media's coverage of the leading drug traffickers of the Sinaloa Cartel, such was the case of Emma Coronel. Ovidio Guzman's capture allegedly occurred because of a phone call Adriana made to Ovidio. In which she indicated that an offensive by federal agents, the army, National Guard were deploying a capture operation against Ovidio Guzman.

Valentina Estupiñan: She is assumed to be the alleged wife of El Raton and successor to Emma Coronel, wife of Joaquin Guzman Loera, who is facing a judicial process in the United States.

Emma Coronel: If I see him in court, that's all I see. I don't have any kind of communication with him.

Valentina Estupiñan: What will happen to the Sinaloa Cartel now without Ovidio’s presence?

Javier Oliva Posada: This criminal structure that has been the most stable in the world. It seems to me that among Ismael's faction, there is the old friend and associate Joaquin Guzman, and now the sons. I don’t foresee anything new. But I have seen, we have seen this from January until the end of this year.

Valentina Estupiñan: Her closeness to the world of drug trafficking is not only linked to the Guzmans. But it is presumed that she is the daughter of Raul Meza Ontiveros aka El M6, a lieutenant and operator for Ismael El Mayo Zambada who was killed during a shootout in Culiacán in 2007.

Jesús Escobar Tovar: So yes, it’s her along with other characters, of course, they’re exemplary in the sense that they have similar educations with business and business administration.

Valentina Estupiñan: You also mentioned to me that she is the daughter of El M6. Can you tell us who he was, what was his function within the Sinaloa Cartel?

Jesús Escobar Tovar: He was known as a lieutenant, that is to say, he was one of the individuals who operated directly with the cartel in the Sinaloa region.

Valentina Estupiñan: The story of Adriana’s brother having died was reported. Raul Torres Mesa, better known in the world of drug trafficking as "El Mini 6" who was killed in Zapopan, Jalisco.

David Saucedo: In Adriana’s case it’s practically the same story. She is the daughter of a high-level lieutenant of Chapo Guzman, who after having passed away in defense of his boss, the Sinaloa Cartel protected Adriana. 

Valentina Estupiñan:  How did Adriana and Ovidio Guzman meet each other?

David Saucedo: They knew each other from a very young age and from a very young age they had also decided to have a close relationship, which evidently resulted in marriage. 

Valentina Estupiñan: In the midst of the investigations it became known that the woman allegedly worked as a farmer. A situation that raised more suspicion about the real origin of her income. Due to the fact that she maintained an expensive lifestyle.

Jesús Escobar Tovar: She likes to travel, and likes to be a person who travels with her daughters. She is a person who travels together with her daughters. To whom of course she has allowed them and has taken them to participate in activities that they like. Since she comes from a family of money. Here in Mexico we have frozen her accounts and done other things. But in the United States she has entered and left without any problems. Along with her daughters. As far as her properties are concerned, some have been specified that she supposedly has in different states. Particularly in Sinaloa, Jalisco and Baja California. 

Valentina Estupiñan: According to the unit of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. They have pointed out the woman as a presumed lender of names for the Chapitos' organization. Especially for the activities of Jesús Alfredo and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán.

Javier Oliva Posada: Accounts have been tapped and frozen by the financial intelligence unit. So, there is currently a lawsuit to release these accounts. A good part of this explains why they should keep a low profile.

Valentina Estupiñan: Adriana Meza could pay jail time in the United States for money laundering offenses and drug trafficking. Adriana Meza came back into the spotlight after the State of Sinaloa woke up to a violent day. Due to reports of narco shootings and robberies of cars in some parts of Culiacán because of the recapture of Ovidio Guzmán. What could happen now with Cartel de Sinaloa?

David Saucedo: The U.S. government imposed a condition to the Mexican government to continue collaborating in the fight against drug trafficking, which was the capture of Ovidio Guzman. Despite the fact that Ovidio was captured, it was a political triumph, a media triumph, a triumph in terms of international cooperation. But it was not a triumph in terms of containment of drug trafficking. The Sinaloa Cartel continues to play a leading role in the sale of drugs in the United States. And the capture of Ovidio didn’t diminish this situation. This narco-war in Mexico between the Jalisco cartel and the Sinaloa cartel continues to rage. The capture of Ovidio practically didn’t change anything about what really matters. 

Testigo Directo