In one definitive word: yes. As the wife of notorious drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán serves a 3-year prison sentence, their twin daughters Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe are poised to take center stage in the ongoing, larger-than-life saga of the Sinaloa Cartel dynasty.
Emma Coronel Aispuro‘s choices have inextricably linked her young daughters‘ futures to the successes, crimes, myths, and legends surrounding El Chapo. Born in 2011 when Guzmán was ranked as one of Forbes‘ most powerful people, the twins are beneficiaries of bloodlines tying them to drug wealth estimated in the billions.
As they mature, Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe represent the continuation of the Guzmán legacy into a new generation. Will they become celebrities, socialites, or private citizens? How will they reconcile their father‘s criminal history? Let‘s review key details about their mother Emma, her marriage to El Chapo, and what led to the imprisonment that shaped the twins‘ childhoods.
Emma Coronel Aispuro‘s Early Life in the World of Drug Cartels
Born in 1989 in San Francisco, California, Emma Coronel Aispuro grew up in an environment where drug trafficking was the family business. Her father Inés Coronel Barreras was a mid-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, reportedly overseeing marijuana and opium poppy cultivation. He also allegedly assisted in pioneering smuggling routes into Arizona during his decades-long drug career.
Emma‘s uncle Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, described as one of El Chapo‘s most trusted men, was killed in a 2010 shootout with the Mexican military. He was an influential leader within the Sinaloa Cartel who helped coordinate massive shipments of methamphetamines and cocaine into the U.S.
Surrounded by players in the trafficking world from an early age, Emma attended private schools in Durango, Mexico. She went on to win local beauty pageants, capturing the Coffee Queen of Sinaloa title in 2007 at age 17. That same year, Emma caught the eye of someone who would drastically impact the trajectory of her life: the 47-year-old billionaire drug lord Joaquín Guzmán.
A Teen Beauty Queen Marries One of the World‘s Most Powerful Crime Bosses
Guzmán, 25 years Emma‘s senior, pursued a relationship with the aspiring beauty queen and the two quickly became a couple. In a 2010 interview from prison, Guzmán said about Emma, "I‘m not sure what it was, but she stole my heart."
Emma later stated, "I would say what won me over was his way of talking, how he treated me, the way we began to get along – first as friends and from that came everything else."
In 2007, an 18-year-old Emma Coronel married Guzmán on his birthday in La Angostura, Durango. Their wedding took place in a small ceremony on the secluded ranch where Guzmán was hiding from authorities at the time. Family members were in attendance, yet the scale was modest compared to what El Chapo‘s ambitions would later yield.
While not born into extreme wealth herself, Emma‘s marriage to Guzmán integrated her into the highest echelons of the drug trafficking world. As Guzmán evaded capture over the years and rose to lead the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, Emma stood by his side. She was often present at his hideouts and reportedly assisted with coordinating details during his prison escapes.
Twin Girls Born at the Height of Power and Wealth
On August 15, 2011, Emma gave birth to twin girls Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, California. The successful birth on U.S. soil granted the babies automatic American citizenship. Their birth certificates officially listed "Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán-Loera" as the father.
The twins were born in California at a time when Guzmán was earning an estimated $3 billion annually heading the Sinaloa Cartel, according to Forbes. He had recently been named on Forbes‘ list of the World‘s Most Powerful People since his cartel supplied over half the illegal drugs flowing into the United States.
The girls spent their early years at Guzmán‘s lavish hideouts and ranch homes in Mexico‘s rugged Sierra Madre mountains. Their life of privilege stood in stark contrast to the humble upbringings of both Guzmán and Emma. However, when Guzmán was arrested again in 2014, life for his young daughters drastically changed.
Emma Suffers Legal Consequences From Her Ties to El Chapo
In February 2021, 31-year-old Emma Coronel Aispuro was arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for unlawful importation into the U.S.
Prosecutors accused Emma of aiding her husband‘s escape from Mexico‘s Altiplano prison through an underground tunnel in 2015, and assisting in his prison breakout again through a tunnel at another Mexican prison in 2001.
While Emma proclaimed her innocence, she ultimately pleaded guilty in June 2021 to three counts of conspiring to distribute illegal drugs, conspire to launder money, and engaging in financial dealings with the Sinaloa Cartel. In November 2021 she was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
"I express my true regrets for any and all harm that I may have done," Emma stated before her sentencing. "I am suffering as a result of the pain that I caused my family."
Emma Coronel Aispuro is currently serving her sentence at FCI Dublin, a low-security all-women‘s federal prison in California. She is slated for release in September 2023.
Emma‘s Front Row Seat at El Chapo‘s High Profile Trial
In 2019, Emma Coronel Aispuro found herself in the media spotlight simply by attending her husband‘s headline-grabbing criminal trial in Brooklyn, New York day after day. Arriving each morning in designer clothing with full hair and makeup, she caught the eyes of the press.
Some viewed Emma‘s constant presence as a strategic move to influence the jury‘s perceptions of Guzmán with her unwavering loyalty. Others saw a dedicated wife determined to support her husband in any way she could.
Regardless of motive, Emma‘s composure and proximity humanized the mythical drug lord in front of the jury and public. Her dedication was a marked contrast to testimonies from disloyal former cartel members turned informants testifying against Guzmán.
Emma made her opinion known after the trial, criticizing the conditions of Guzmán‘s confinement in the U.S. "It has been psychologically, emotionally, mentally exhausting," she stated in a 2020 interview.
Twin Girls: Privileged Yet Complicated Lives
Following their father‘s life sentence conviction in 2019, Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe returned to Mexico to reside with their mother. Their lives became more transient, moving between secure houses to avoid danger. Even with the threat of violence surrounding the splintering of the Sinaloa cartel, the girls still attend private schools.
They are growing up amidst wealth and privilege funded by their father‘s billion dollar empire. Each twin reportedly has a trust fund worth over $1 million set aside for her future education and expenses. However, their lives are far from normal.
A 2019 New York Times profile painted a picture of isolation and constant uncertainty for the sisters. Bodyguards protect them on rare outings and they have few friends their own age due to security risks. Their list of approved visitors is extremely short. Yet within their guarded world, efforts are made to provide them with playrooms, pets, and a spirit of childhood.
The daughters represent the sole direct continuation of the Guzmán bloodline, further elevating public interest in them. As they reach their teenage years, difficult questions around their loyalty, safety and future freedom await. Their complex lineage linking them to cartel royalty will shape their choices and opportunities.
Like Mother, Like Daughters? Emma Coronel‘s Influence Looms Large
As the public eagerly awaits Emma Coronel‘s release from prison in 2024, many speculate what comes next for her and how she will guide her daughters. Emma expressed regret over the suffering she has caused her family and a desire to prove herself as more than just a drug lord‘s wife.
Upon release, Emma‘s daughters will undoubtedly be her main priority. She may aim to keep them out of the public eye and ensure they receive opportunities for higher education that were unavailable to her.
However, Emma and her daughters cannot fully escape media curiosity surrounding them. The lure of fame and fortune stemming from their lineage will always remain. Emma herself has hinted at being open to public life or launching business ventures. She also owns valuable real estate assets.
If Emma chooses to embrace the spotlight and privileges of being El Chapo‘s widow, her daughters would likely follow a similar path. But Emma may instead focus on shielding them from public scrutiny. Only time will tell how great a role their mother will play in shaping their choices about privacy versus publicity in the years ahead.
The Outsized Influence of an Infamous Father
Despite being raised primarily by their mother, Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe will forever be linked to their infamous father El Chapo. Even from prison, the mythical drug lord has left an imprint on his daughters‘ worldview and opportunities that no maternal guidance can eclipse.
The twins are growing up well aware that their lifestyle is funded by the fruits of their father‘s crimes. As they mature, difficult questions arise around how to reconcile affection for their father with recognition of the darkness and destruction linked to his cartel activities.
No matter what direction their lives ultimately take, the twins will carry the weight and privilege of the Guzmán name. Their father‘s far-reaching legacy and legend across continents ensures public fascination with his bloodline will endure.
In this way, El Chapo has guaranteed that his daughters and future descendants inherit the mantle of his dynasty, for better or worse. They remain symbols of the perpetuation of power rooted in one man‘s defiant pursuit of wealth by any means.
Emma‘s Daughters: The Next Chapter in an Epic Legacy
As Emma Coronel Aispuro looks to complete her prison sentence in 2024 and carve out a future with her daughters, Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe are poised to take the baton in an ongoing, larger-than-life saga. Their father‘s choices have forever connected them to one of history‘s most legendary outlaw figures.
Still only 12 years old, the twins have spent their lives to date hidden in the shadows, traveling in secrecy, always guarded. But one day they will emerge from obscurity and decide how to shape their path forward as members of one of the world‘s most prominent criminal dynasties.
They may well feel conflicting senses of pride, love, resentment, and anger when contemplating their father‘s influence and reputation. Over time, their independent voices and personalities will develop. We will watch to see how Joaquín Guzmán‘s biological heirs ultimately choose to embrace, reject, or redefine their tainted inheritance on the global stage he created.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are El Chapo‘s daughters worth?
Each of Guzmán‘s daughters has a trust fund worth over $1 million set aside for their future education and expenses. However, some estimates put their potential net worth much higher, possibly in the range of $50-100 million or more each eventually.
What does Emma Coronel Aispuro do for a living?
Emma has not held a formal career, although she assisted her husband at times with coordinating details related to his drug trafficking business. She also has some small real estate investments. Following her 2023 release from prison, her career path remains uncertain.
Where do Maria Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe live now?
The daughters primarily reside in Mexico with their mother, moving between secure homes for safety due to their high-profile lineage. They reportedly have spent time in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and coastal resort areas.
How old were Emma Coronel and El Chapo when they married?
Emma was only 18 when she married 47-year-old Joaquín Guzmán in 2007. Despite their 29-year age gap, Emma has insisted she entered the marriage willingly.
How long was El Chapo married to Emma Coronel?
Joaquín Guzmán and Emma Coronel were married for roughly 13 years, from 2007 until Guzmán‘s life sentence conviction in a U.S. court in 2019 effectively dissolved their marriage.
