Emma Coronel: How many children does "El Chapo" have? Find out who they are.

MEXICO CITY (apro)— Public interest in the personal life of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as “El Chapo,” goes beyond the legal proceedings against him . For decades, his family history has raised questions about the women he was married to and how many children he had with each of them. Amid conflicting versions, civil records and news reports offer data that allow us to trace a family tree with names, dates, and relationships.

Emma Coronel and the American-born twins

Emma Coronel Aispuro, Joaquín Guzmán Loera's third wife , gave birth to twin daughters on August 15, 2011, in a hospital in Lancaster, California . Available records identify the children as María Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe. The birth occurred while Guzmán was a fugitive from justice. Coronel, a U.S. citizen, traveled to the country to have the children legally.

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So far, Coronel is the mother of only these two daughters. However, they are part of a larger family that includes at least eight of Guzmán's children from previous marriages , as acknowledged in official documents and journalistic investigations.

Who were El Chapo's wives?

Guzmán Loera's first marriage was in 1977 to Alejandrina María Salazar Hernández , originally from Durango. With her, he had four children: César, Alejandrina Giselle, Iván Archivaldo, and Jesús Alfredo . The latter two, known as "Los Chapitos," have been identified by Mexican and U.S. authorities as leaders within the Sinaloa Cartel.

Later, in the 1980s, Guzmán married Griselda López Pérez, also known as Karla Pérez Rojo. From that union , four more children were born: Joaquín Guzmán López, Édgar (murdered in 2008 in Culiacán), Ovidio Guzmán López, and Griselda Guadalupe . In recent years, Joaquín, Ovidio, and Iván Archivaldo have been named by the U.S. Treasury Department as priority targets for alleged drug trafficking.

In 2007, Guzmán married Emma Coronel Aispuro, a former beauty queen born in California and raised in Durango . She was 18 at the time. Four years later, their twin daughters were born in the United States, completing the newest part of the recognized Guzmán family.

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In addition to these marriages, Estela Peña (also known as Blanca Estela Peña García) is mentioned as a romantic partner in the 1980s . Although some reports suggest he married her, there is no evidence that they had children.

Confirmed offspring and additional estimates

El Chapo Guzmán has at least 10 confirmed children from his three marriages. However, other sources estimate the figure to 12 or 13, and unofficial reports indicate he could have as many as 18 children with seven different women.

The discrepancy in numbers is due to the lack of complete public records, the clandestine nature of Guzmán's life during his years on the run, and the discretion of some of his partners. Even so, the names of recognized descendants appear in official investigations and court records in Mexico and the United States.

Detail of children by mother

• With Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez: Cesar, Alejandrina Giselle, Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo.
• With Griselda López Pérez: Joaquín Guzmán López, Édgar (deceased in 2008), Ovidio Guzmán López and Griselda Guadalupe.
• With Emma Coronel Aispuro : María Joaquina and Emali Guadalupe.

The most well-known offspring in international media are the so-called "Chapitos": Iván Archivaldo, Jesús Alfredo, Joaquín Guzmán López, and Ovidio Guzmán López. All four have been linked by US authorities to drug trafficking activities. Ovidio was arrested in Mexico in 2019 and again in 2023 before being extradited to the United States.

Guzmán's relationship with his children

Court documents and news reports have indicated that Guzmán maintained communication with some of his children while he was a fugitive and also during his incarceration in Mexican prisons before his extradition. In hearings held in New York, prosecutors cited wiretaps that show his descendants' involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel.

Some of his children have remained outside the public eye, such as César, Alejandrina Giselle, and Griselda Guadalupe , who have not appeared in court proceedings or official statements. In contrast, the "Chapitos" have made headlines due to arrest raids, financial sanctions, and criminal charges.