Due to their distinctive style and growing influence within the drug trade, “buchonas”—as the wives of Mexico’s drug kingpins are known—are once again the talk of the town following the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s wife, Emma Coronel.
Dubbed by some “The Kardashian of Sinaloa,” Coronel captured the attention of the New York press two years ago during the trial of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, thanks to her stunning style and her unwavering attendance at every single hearing—driven by a desire to remain close to her husband.
Arrested in Virginia, USA, this former beauty queen now faces a minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, as U.S. authorities have charged her with “conspiracy” to traffic drugs and with “abetting” the activities of the Sinaloa Cartel, which was led by “El Chapo.”
Coronel—a 31-year-old dual citizen of Mexico and the United States—embodies the stereotype of the so-called “buchonas,” the popular Mexican term for the wives of drug traffickers who have a penchant for luxury and cosmetic surgery.
The term itself derives from a high-end brand of whiskey that is allegedly a favorite among drug traffickers.
However, it is also symptomatic of the increasingly prominent presence of women within organized crime.
Telenovelas typically portray them adorned with jewelry, expensive handbags, and luxury cars, sporting heavy makeup, flashy nail art, and tight-fitting clothing designed to accentuate the physical attributes of these “buchonas”—women who are often objectified and paraded around like trophies by their drug-lord partners.
All this “narco-cultural” imagery projects a fantasy life of opulence and indulgence, spent flaunting wealth at exclusive parties, nightclubs, and bars.
“It is a seductive environment that draws them into organized crime—specifically, the desire to acquire money so they can demonstrate that they have it,” explained Javier Oliva, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). With complete disregard for discretion, the mistresses of cartel kingpins are becoming an increasingly visible presence on social media, where they flaunt their lavish lifestyles, cosmetic surgeries, and even firearms.
Emma Coronel herself hardly chose to keep a low profile; over the past few years, she has been granting television interviews—consistently denying her husband’s involvement in drug trafficking—and even launched a clothing line inspired by the figure of “El Chapo.”
“She flaunted wealth that was the product of death and criminality,” the expert emphasized.
According to Oliva, it was this “reckless attitude” that ultimately led to her arrest—though this comes as no surprise, given that “Emma Coronel’s background reveals she grew up in a criminal environment,” as her father was also arrested for drug trafficking.
