Cartel wife sentenced in money laundering scheme
- Valerie Gaytan pleaded guilty to money laundering charges
- She was married to a former top member of the Sinaloa cartel
- Her husband helped with case against "El Chapo"
(File: Getty)
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(NewsNation) — Valerie Gaytan, wife of a top Sinaloa cartel member, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for money laundering.
Also known as Olivia Flores, Gaytan is married to Margarito Flores. Flores and his twin brother, Pedro Flores, once considered trusted allies of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, worked with authorities in the case against their former boss.
The twin brothers’ wives called themselves “wives of the cartel” and enjoyed a life that included shopping sprees, global vacations and concerts.
Gayton and her sister-in-law were indicted in 2021 for money laundering. They claimed they had turned over the full amount of drug money earned by their husbands, while prosecutors said they hid millions of dollars from the government.
Both women pleaded guilty early this year. Prosecutors asked for a five-year sentence for Gaytan, but the judge sentenced her to three and a half years.
It isn’t the first time a cartel wife has found herself in legal trouble. El Chapo’s wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, was recently released after serving a three-year sentence for money laundering and drug trafficking.
