Top 5 'Queens' of the Most Notorious Mexican Drug Cartels in Mexico and El Chapo's Wife Is Among Them

By Mary Webber First Posted: Jun 28, 2021 03:13 AM EDT

An expert on Mexican drug cartels said men mainly dominated the industry while the women or "queens" were kept around for parties.

Security consultant Robert Almonte, a Mexican drug cartels expert who trains law enforcement, told the New York Post that times had changed ever since the emergence of drug cartel queens in Mexico.

Almonte noted that women in Mexican drug cartels also participated in the trade, emerging as a powerful force in one of the world's largest criminal enterprises.

Almonte added that they work in all aspects of the cartels, including as female "hitmen" or sicarios, while some are in important leadership positions.

Here are some of the most powerful queens involved in Mexico's largest and most notorious drug cartels:

Emma Coronel Aispuro

Emma Coronel Aispuro, known as the wife of the Sinaloa Cartel's boss El Chapo, recently pled guilty to charges of helping her husband run the multibillion-dollar drug empire.

Emma Coronel Aispuro was also charged for assisting El Chapo's escape after one of his arrests from a high-security prison in Mexico, The New York Times reported.

There were a series of questions about whether the Sinaloa Cartel queen would seek to offer the government information regarding her husband's allies and business partners being having dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship.

In exchange for the information would be a lighter sentence. However, her plea agreement with prosecutors in Washington does not require her to cooperate with the U.S. authorities.

Sinaloa Cartel is considered to be one of the most powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world.

Sandra Ávila Beltrán

Sandra Ávila Beltrán is also known as her media moniker "The Queen of the Pacific." Sandra Ávila Beltrán has spent the last seven years in prison for money laundering. She also spent two years in solitary confinement, The Guardian reported.

The Queen of the Pacific has refused to answer questions about her specific role in the cocaine trade. She was also known to be born into narco royalty.

Her father is Alfonso Ávila Quintero, who is related to the founder of the Guadalajara cartel. Sandra Ávila Beltrán was offered private tuition, piano, and dance lessons, as well as frequent trips to SeaWorld and Disneyland.

Soon after, she joined the world of Mexican drug cartels. She was known as "The Queen of the Pacific" in honor of her alleged prowess organizing a fleet of tuna boats laden with 10 tons of cocaine each, navigating from Mexico's Pacific coast towards the United States.

However, she said she never used cocaine for herself, adding that if she did, the men would think she was just another disposable woman and will not be respected.

She was arrested in September 2007 and during her time in prison, she ordered Thai food from an upscale restaurant in Mexico city and organized Botox injections.

However, authorities cracked down on her privileges. She then filed a complaint with the human rights commission but lost. She was released in 2015 and currently lives in Guadalajara. Her relationship to the cocaine world right now seems to be that of an insider who is no longer playing the game.

Enedina Arellano Felix

The Drug Enforcement Administration considered Enedina Arellano Felix to be the world's first female drug lord, according to a Parcast report.

Enedina Arellano Felix, a distant relative of Sandra Ávila Beltrán, started leading the Tijuana cartel after her brother Eduardo Arellano Felix was arrested in 2018.

Back then, she worked for the Mexican drug cartel behind the scenes as a money launderer. She experienced a money laundering job as she graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from a private university in Guadalajara.

Now known as the "The Boss," "The Godmother," and "The Narco-mother," she has managed to survive the widespread takedowns of drug cartel bosses in Mexico.

Jessica Oseguera: 'La Negra'

Jessica Oseguera is the daughter of the Jalisco cartel's boss El Mencho. Also known as "La Negra," she was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Jessica Oseguera, who was arrested last year when she drove across the border, was found guilty of helping her father laundering money through various businesses. La Negra has both Mexican and U.S. citizenship.

The Jalisco cartel or the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of Mexico's most brutal drug trafficking groups. The Mexican drug cartel's members are known for beheading their enemies.

Clara Elena Laborín: 'La Señora'

Clara Elena Laborín was a former beauty queen from Sonora state. She married Héctor Beltrán Leyva, who is known to be El Chapo's former partner in the Sinaloa cartel.

Clara Elena Laborín's husband had broken up with El Chapo and created his own drug cartel with his brother and business partner, Alfredo.

Alfredo was arrested by Mexican authorities, which caused Héctor Beltrán Leyva to suspect that El Chapo had snitched on his brother to authorities. It has caused a war between Beltrán Leyva Cartel and the Sinaloa cartel.

Clara Elena Laborín was enlisted to direct the money-laundering component of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. On Apr. 13, 2010, she was kidnapped by an armed group. She was left lying around the State University 13 days later with a drug message. Four years later, when her husband Héctor Beltrán Leyva was arrested, she became the head of the drug cartel.

Clara Elena Laborín, known as "La Señora" or "The Missus" because her husband treated her like a trophy bride, was arrested on Sept. 15, 2016 in Sonora during a joint operation between the federal police and the Attorney General's Office, Contra Replica reported.

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