The mother of notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has died in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, according to a federal official. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences and offered his respect to the family.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the news of María Consuelo Loera Pérez's passing. President López Obrador acknowledged her death during his daily briefing, emphasizing that every human being who dies deserves respect and consideration for their family.

Reports from local media indicate that Loera passed away at a private hospital in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Culiacán is also the stronghold of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which her son was associated with for nearly two decades before his arrest and extradition to the United States in 2017. The hospital declined to comment on the matter.

Although Loera lived a quiet life, participating frequently in religious activities, she gained public attention after meeting President López Obrador during his visit to Badiraguato in 2020. She had also sought the president's support in 2019 to obtain a visa to visit her incarcerated son, who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States.

In a letter dated March 2020, Loera mentioned that she was 92 years old at the time, making her current age 95. The letter highlighted her plea for her son's return to Mexico to serve his sentence.

López Obrador has been criticized for his visits to Badiraguato, where the drug lord's hometown is located. However, he has maintained that individuals involved in criminal activities may have resorted to such actions due to a lack of opportunities and thus deserve consideration and respect.

Jenaro Villamil, the head of Mexico's state media agency, described María Consuelo Loera Pérez as a "simple woman from Sinaloa" who consistently denied her son's leadership position within the powerful Sinaloa cartel.

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, known for leading the Sinaloa cartel in violent drug turf battles, escaped Mexican prisons twice, including a daring escape through a mile-long tunnel. His three-month trial in New York revealed sordid details of gruesome killings, political corruption, and elaborate smuggling operations. He was ultimately found guilty of running a large-scale drug smuggling operation and is currently serving a life sentence in a high-security prison in Colorado.

Earlier this year, Mexico extradited one of Guzmán's sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering. Ovidio is believed to have played a significant role in the Sinaloa cartel's efforts to produce and distribute fentanyl, a drug associated with tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the United States.

The passing of María Consuelo Loera Pérez marks the end of a chapter in the Guzmán family's turbulent legacy, but the impact of their involvement in the drug trade continues to resonate internationally.