CHICAGO - Consuelo Loera López, the mother of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has passed away Sunday afternoon, according to local media. She was 94 years old.
According to El Sol de Sinaloa, a local newspaper from Loera López home state of Sinaloa, "El Chapo"'s mother had been in a private clinic for the past two weeks but ultimately succumbed to her illnesses.
Loera López made headlines in 2020 for briefly meeting and shaking the hand of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), something that drew criticism to him. AMLO defended his decision by calling Loera López a "respectable old lady."
El Chapo Guzmán rose as a top cartel leader in the 1980s and 1990s by trafficking drugs between Mexico and the U.S. He was arrested in 1993 but escaped in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart. After his escape, Guzmán established himself as a ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel and is blamed for being involved in the deaths of thousands of people in Mexico.
In 2017, Guzmán was extradited to the U.S. following a second escape from Mexican prison and a subsequent arrest. Three years later, he was convicted on murder and drug charges and is currently serving a life sentence in a Colorado prison.
El Sol de Sinaloa confirmed the news of Loera López's passing from "security authorities."
The U.S. continues to pursue members of Guzmán's family who are involved in drug trafficking activities. The most recent news took place in mid-September, when Ovidio Guzmán, son of "El Chapo," was extradited to the United States on drug charges, including trafficking of fentanyl.
Other sons of Guzmán, known as the "Chapitos" are believed to be the more violent faction of the cartel that took over after their father's arrest.
Earlier this year, the U.S. government formally requested Ovidio's extradition so he can face criminal charges here. He had been arrested in January by Mexican security forces after a fierce battle near Culiacan, in the northern Sinaloa state.
Ovidio was detained by soldiers in 2019, but he was soon released because his arrest caused a significant influx of armed men into Culiacan.
More recently, in late November, Mexican authorities arrested Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, considered to be the head of security for top cartel 'Los Chapitos' and sought for extradition to the U.S.
Known as 'El Nini,' Salas was arrested on Wednesday afternoon by national security forces in Culiacan. There was a $3 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction, as he stands charged with "conspiracy to import and distribute fentanyl into the U.S."
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