Although Coronel, with U.S. and Mexican citizenship, faced the possibility of spending up to 10 years in prison and paying close to $10 million, she was eventually sentenced to three years in prison and four years of probation, as well as a forfeiture of $1.5 million. Rudolph Contreras, the judge on the case that began on June 10, also imposed a special evaluation fine of $300 for each of the three charges to which she pleaded guilty.

 

Although prosecutors had requested 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release for El Chapo's wife, her involvement in the conspiracy was considered minimal and limited to support for her husband. Likewise, her conviction was taken into account, as she saved government resources and time, and did not have a criminal record.

 

The judge, who recommended she raise her children in an environment different from her own, also took into account the young age at which Coronel married Guzmán (she was his third wife), at only 18 years old. Likewise, his recommendation is expected to also concern where she will serve her sentence, and the defense hopes it may be near Los Angeles, where her twins reside.

 

While Coronel hopes to know soon the place where she will live for the next three years, El Chapo has been serving a life sentence since 2019, plus 30 years, at a prison located in Florence, Colorado, for his participation as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.