El Chapos wife Emma Coronel has been found guilty in United States court. Emaa Coronel was just a teenager when she married the ruthless drug czar and she readily pleaded guilty after her February 2021 arrest. Dressed in a white turtle neck shirt and a dark suit, the 32 year old former beauty queen openly apologized in front of the court. She later asked the judge for his mercy citing her twin nine year old daughters who are already growing up without a parent. The defense, asking for a short sentence cited “The defendant was not a leader, organizer, boss or other type of manager. Rather she was a cog in a very large wheel of a criminal organization”. The prosecution later brought up her “key” role in helping her husband escape from prison in 2015.
This article is important for a couple of reasons. First, the fact that she was tried in a United States courtoom and will serve 3 years in a United States prison speaks loudly to the cartels especially her husbands Sinaloa Cartel. The lasting impact of this could scare the cartel into stopping or at the least now knowing that the United States will have them charged. My thoughts on this case is that the United States justice system did a good job holding criminals accountable and also putting out a statement that anybody involved in drug trade into America will be held accountable.
This related to International Relations because of the message sent to cartels not just in mexico but all over south america. The relationship between The United States and Mexico has thrived during the partnerhsip in taking down criminal cartel businesses. The act of extradicting the most famous drug lord for the United States too deal with shows the rest of the world the trust mexico has in the United States and well as the United States power to hold criminals of this level.