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Emma Coronel Aispuro, a 31-year-old former Mexican beauty queen, was apprehended at Dulles International Airport on Monday, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Coronel faces charges of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for illegal importation into the country, according to a statement from the Justice Department.
Coronel made her first appearance via video conference at the United States District Court in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, and her attorneys gave consent for her to continue to be detained in Alexandria, Virginia.
District of Columbia Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather agreed that Coronel’s attorneys reserve the right to request an additional review of his bond status.
Federal prosecutors requested that she continue to be detained based on what they said was Coronel’s alleged close work with the Sinaloa cartel command.
Prosecutors maintained that while Coronel has dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States, he had no ties to Washington and the financial means and contacts to flee the area.
If convicted of all charges, Coronel faces 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $ 10 million.
Guzmán, who prosecutors say led a world narcotics empire greased for decades with corruption and violence, was found guilty after a 2019 jury trial and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Lichtman and Mariel Colon told CNN that they represent Coronel.
“We are just trying to get the full scope of the government’s allegations at this point,” Colón said Monday.
Lichtman told CNN he had no comment.
No date has been set for Coronel’s next hearing.
After Guzmán’s third arrest in 2016, he was under strict surveillance. He was eventually extradited to New York, where he remained during the trial and sentencing.
While Guzmán was on trial, his communications were limited to members of his legal team and his sister, with occasional visits from their twin daughters. He was not allowed to meet with Colonel.
After being convicted by a jury, he gave up the rights to his name so that Coronel, a former beauty queen interested in fashion, could start a clothing line under the El Chapo brand.
Guzmán and Coronel have been married since 2007. The FBI alleges in the complaint that their father, Inés, was a member of Guzmán’s drug cartel.
CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Maria Santana, Sonia Moghe, and Jay Croft contributed to this report.
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