Wives of Flores Twins, Who Testified Against Sinaloa Cartel's El Chapo, Pleaded Guilty to Money Laundering
The wives of the Flores twins, Pedro Flores and Margarito Flores, have both pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering scheme. The two were accused of stashing millions of dollars in drug proceeds after their husbands' arrests in 2008.
Viviana Lopez, the wife of Pedro, pleaded guilty to being involved in the scheme. She pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Meanwhile, her sister-in-law, Valerie Gaytan, pleaded to the same charge last week, according to Chicago Sun-Times. Gaytan is the wife of Margarito.
The Flores twins are known to be the drug traffickers whose testimonies helped Sinaloa Cartel leader El Chapo behind bars.
Aside from their cooperation with law enforcement, they were also convicted of importing tons of cocaine into the states of New York, Chicago, Detroit, Vancouver, and other cities in North America. Their operations lasted from 2005 to 2008.
The Flores twins were rewarded with 14-year prison sentences for their cooperation in El Chapo's trial.
U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo warned the twins that they will always be looking over their shoulders for El Chapo's sicarios or assassins after testifying against the drug kingpin.
Flores Twins' Wives Plead Guilty
Lopez and Gaytan have proudly called themselves "Wives of the Cartel" in print and on TV. They were found to be spending drug profits on global vacations, shopping sprees, private schools, and JLo concerts.
Initially, the two women pleaded not guilty and faced trial on charges in Chicago. They claimed they had turned over a full stash of drug money their husbands earned during their drug operations, as reported by ABC 7 Chicago.
However, it was revealed that they hid the money in secret locations.
A former federal prosecutor and ABC7 legal analyst Gil Soffer noted that there was strong evidence in the case.
Soffer said that the Flores twins' wives were used to getting their way, with the women doing nothing to hide their allegiance to the drug world.
The legal analyst said it does not help that the wives were parading their connection and that "certainly whets the appetite of the government."
The cash was found to be used for $165,000 in private schools and global vacations, with currency laundered through gas stations.
Lopez and Gaytan can receive a maximum 20-year sentence, but government prosecutors will reportedly ask for several years less with defendants to request a lighter treatment.
During the trial, the Flores twins' wives earlier claimed that they were given immunity from prosecution after their husbands testified against El Chapo. A judge ruled against their claims.
Flores Twins in El Chapo Trial
Pedro operated the cocaine and heroin distribution business with Margarito in Chicago. During the trial of El Chapo, Pedro noted that he made recordings, which included a conversation with Guzman's son.
The recording of the interaction was heard in the court during the trial. Margarito was heard giving a phone number to someone he said was Guzman's son, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, as cited by CNN.
The recorded conversations include shipments and plans with other members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Pedro said he met with the Drug Enforcement Administration in Mexico in early 2008 but kept his drug business as it would look suspicious if he suddenly stopped.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Cartel wives hid millions in floorboards of house, feds say - from ABC 7 Chicago
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