Women Drug Lords: Who Are They and How They Enter the Criminal World.

According to The Sun: They are beautiful, wealthy... and absolutely ruthless.

Female cartel members in the world are often as formidable as their male counterparts and follow a single rule: 'Do or Die'. They commit acts of terrorism, deal in heroin smuggling, plan bold prison escapes, and commit brutal murders.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of drug lord 'El Chapo', is a prominent figure in this world. Psychologist Daniel Haig explains that certain personality traits and other factors can lead someone into the criminal world.

She noted that the public is often more shocked by female crimes, as they are usually perceived as 'mothers, daughters, and sisters who are meant to be good and caring.'

'But for women, as for men, there is a dark side, and you cannot have good without bad,' said Daniel.

'There are many types of personalities and circumstances where people are forced to fight for survival. For many, it is a 'do or die' situation, and some get involved in crime while others just stay on the sidelines,' she added.

Mrs. El Chapo

Probably the most famous queen of cartels is Emma Coronel Aispuro. In 2021, she pleaded guilty during a virtual hearing in Washington for aiding 'El Chapo' in distributing heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine for at least six years.

She also admitted guilt for money laundering, involvement with a foreign drug dealer, and conspiring to help her husband escape from a Mexican prison in 2015.

Released in 2023, the former model was dubbed 'the Kim Kardashian of the criminal world' after launching her own lingerie line alongside a Mexican influencer, inspired by the Skims brand.

Emma was born into a criminal environment, as her father was a drug dealer, and she met El Chapo at one of his parties in 2006 when she was 17.

He invited her to a beauty contest, which became an opportunity to find wives for drug lords. The couple married on her 18th birthday when El Chapo was 50.

In 2011, Emma gave birth to twins, Maria and Emali. In court, she expressed 'sincere regret for any harm done' and asked 'all citizens of this country' to forgive her.

Daniel noted that teenagers can be easily influenced, as the part of their brain responsible for future planning and impulse control is not yet fully developed.

'This can lead to the manipulation of a person, and for them, it becomes the norm. If you've married a drug lord, it may seem normal, like sitting in an office all day,' she said.

The psychologist also noted that the age difference can lead to 'almost a parent-daughter fascination.'

Queen of the Pacific

Sandra Avila Beltran, dubbed the Queen of the Pacific, is so legendary that a song was even written about her. In 2004, the Mexican band Los Tucanes de Tijuana released the song 'Queen of Queens', which includes the line: 'The more beautiful the rose, the sharper the thorns.'

She was also born into a criminal environment – her parents and grandparents were in the business.

The 64-year-old woman earned her nickname after sending 10 tons of cocaine on a tuna fleet from Manzanillo to California in 2001. This shipment was confiscated, and Sandra vanished.

She was married to two police officers who joined the cartels – both were killed in Mexican drug wars.

Beltran was arrested on September 28, 2007, and extradited to the United States, where she spent a total of seven years in prison, including two in isolation, until 2015. After that, she returned to Mexico.

Daniel noted that there can be a 'thin line' between criminals and police, and a curiosity about illegal activities can lead some to commit crimes.

'Why go into this if you have no interest in crime? There is a huge amount of criminal activity amongst the police,' she said.

La Negra

Jessica Oseguera, daughter of rival drug lord El Chapo, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), was sentenced to two and a half years for helping her father launder money through various businesses.

Four days after Mrs. El Chapo appeared in court in June 2021, 34-year-old Jessica, known as La Negra, pleaded guilty for helping her father through sushi restaurants, a resort, and a tequila company.

El Mencho, who is on the FBI's most wanted drug traffickers list, heads the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known for its brutal methods, such as beheading enemies and dissolving bodies in acid.

Jessica, a mother of two, insisted she was not involved in the drug business and wrote in a letter to the judge: 'I regret everything I did that may have caused any harm.'

In March 2022, she was released from a California prison after 25 months in a low-security facility.

Psychologist Daniel noted that the act of dissolving a body in acid is 'something done by serial killers or people desperately trying to destroy evidence.'

'The average person would not even think of such an idea,' she added.

'Often, those at the top never engage in these actions themselves, which may indicate an element of power or control.'

Her Majesty

Brazilian Valiska Pereira Monteiro was arrested in September 2021 when she was 27 years old for controlling the finances of a gang in the northeastern state of Ceará.

Her nickname Her Majesty comes from the fact that Monteiro spent her 'bloody money' on luxury travel and living lavishly.

This was not her first arrest. In 2014, she was detained for running a gang that robbed homes and businesses in the capital of the state of Ceará, Fortaleza.

Six years later, she was arrested for working as an accountant for a criminal gang in Rio de Janeiro and forced to wear an electronic bracelet, which she broke during her escape.

Daniel, who specializes in the 'Dark Triad' of personality – psychopathy, machiavellianism, and narcissism, noted that these traits often contribute to criminal behavior.

'It is interesting why a person involved in illegal activity posts on social media – this may be a sign of shortsightedness or arrogance,' she added.

La Catrina

Only 21 years old, Maria Guadalupe Lopez Esquivel, known as the Lady of Death, became a leader of the local cartel after falling in love with a drug dealer nicknamed 'M2'.

She left her peaceful middle-class life to live with him and other criminals in Aguileña, Michoacán, in 2017. They joined El Mencho's cartel, which fights for supremacy with the Sinaloa cartel of El Chapo.

Maria was shot during a shootout and died from her injuries. Documents seized during a police raid indicate that she was involved in kidnappings, extortion, and other criminal activities and personally commanded the cartel's assassins.

She also actively posted on Instagram, proud of her life in the cartel.

Daniel emphasized that numerous factors can lead a person to crime, including their personality, well-being, or even family history.

'Overall, people who have fewer moral and ethical principles have a higher level of psychopathy and narcissism,' she said.

'People who run such criminal businesses do not perceive risk the way others do; they have an excessive sense of superiority and think they will not get caught.'

La Madrina

Luz Iren Fajardo Campos was not born into a criminal environment, but she became a leader of an international drug business alongside her two sons.

She is also known by the nicknames La Comadre and La Madrina – words that denote a powerful woman boss.

Her childhood in Michoacán was quite peaceful, but everything changed when criminals came to their neighborhood. Her first acquaintance with the drug business occurred on the streets of California, leading to her deportation.

She worked in a thirty-year career, which was said to involve close collaboration with the sons of El Chapo.

Luz shipped 30 kilograms of cocaine a week to the USA and hired pilots for transporting drugs, but she was arrested in 2017. Soon after her arrest, her sons were killed, and their bodies were found burned in a car.

This was a bright sign to her that cooperating with the investigation was not necessary.

Luz received a 22-year sentence for her criminal activity, and her mental health began to sharply decline in prison.

Daniel emphasized that the environment in which a person grows up can change their perception of what is normal.

'This may look like a normal life, especially if you see that everyone else is doing the same kind of work,' she noted.

'For many who can avoid punishment, crime becomes normal, and it becomes hard to stay on the sidelines. Especially when there is competition and the opportunity to earn.'