Mexico City - Consuelo Loera, the mother of convicted drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, has died in the northern state of Sinaloa, a federal official confirmed on Monday. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered his condolences to the family, emphasizing the importance of respecting the loss of any human being.

Loera's passing took place at a private hospital in Culiacán, Sinaloa, the stronghold of the notorious Sinaloa cartel, which her son played a crucial role in leading for two decades. The hospital declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.

Despite leading a low-key life, Loera gained attention after shaking hands with President López Obrador during his visit to Badiraguato in 2020, where he frequently travels. In 2019, she also garnered the president's support in her request for a visa to visit her incarcerated son in the United States, where he is serving a life sentence.

Loera, who claimed to be 92 years old in a letter written in March 2020, pushed for her son's return to Mexico to serve his sentence. President López Obrador, known for his lenient stance towards drug lords and their families, declared that individuals involved in drug-related activities may have been driven by limited opportunities and deserved consideration and respect.

Jenaro Villamil, the head of Mexico's state media agency, described Loera as a "simple woman from Sinaloa" who always denied her son's leadership role within the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful drug trafficking organizations.

El Chapo Guzmán's criminal activities were marked by violent drug turf wars, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Mexicans. He infamously escaped from Mexican prisons twice, including one escape through a sophisticated mile-long tunnel from his cell. Following his extradition to the United States, Guzmán's trial was filled with tales of gruesome killings, political corruption, and elaborate smuggling methods. He was convicted of running an extensive drug smuggling operation and is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.

Earlier this year, one of Guzmán's sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, was also extradited to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Ovidio is believed to have spearheaded the Sinaloa cartel's efforts to produce and export fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid responsible for a significant number of overdose deaths in the United States.

The death of Consuelo Loera marks a significant development within the complex web of Mexico's drug trade, as authorities continue to grapple with the influence and operations of powerful cartels.