El Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday for her role in her husband's drug operation.
While many anticipated she'd receive about a decade behind bars, prosecutors pushed for a more lenient sentence due to her cooperation and plea deal. Aispuro pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin, and marijuana following her arrest at Dulles International Airport.
Her attorneys were able to convince the court that she was not a ring leader and played only a minimal role in El Chapo's drug empire, arguing that she only participated because she had no other choice.
Her attorneys argued (apparently with some success) that El Chapo's spouse was not a ring leader of any sort, nor was she intricately involved in her husband's operation at a key level. They also claimed she only participated because she had no other choice.
The former teenage beauty queen, who had no prior criminal history, also forfeited $1.5 million of personal cartel's proceeds to the government. Aispuro will also face a period of court supervision after completing her prison sentence.
Source: ABC 7 Chicago
