Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán did not aspire to be a cartel leader; he wanted to be a singer in one of Mexico's renowned bands, according to his former mistress, Lucero Sánchez. Sánchez, 36, who has a son with Guzmán, stated in an interview with El Universal that his passion for music was clear as he often sang songs by regional Mexican groups Los Canelos and Los Alegres. "His dream when he was younger wasn’t to become a narco," Sánchez said. "He used to say his dream was to be a singer – to join Don Cruz Lizárraga’s group, Banda El Recodo. That had always been his dream."
Guzmán's upbringing in a poor farming family in La Tuna, Badiraguato, led him away from his musical aspirations and into the drug trade. He began growing marijuana for dealers under his father's influence and connected with hitman Héctor "El Guero" Palma in the late 1970s, eventually co-founding the Sinaloa Cartel in 1987. Sánchez noted that a lack of education and resources contributed to Guzmán's path into crime.
Sánchez met Guzmán in 2010 when she was 20 and dated him until 2014. She described his daily routine, which included healthy meals and exercise, and mentioned that he enjoyed watching the news and Netflix.
She also recounted a troubling incident where she attempted to end their relationship due to his spying, leading to a suicide attempt with a gun he had given her. She shot him in the ear during a struggle, which he found amusing.
Sánchez, who later became a state lawmaker, denied allegations that the cartel funded her political campaign. She resigned from her position in January 2016 after it was revealed she used a fake ID to visit Guzmán in prison. She was detained in June 2017 while attempting to cross the US-Mexico border with a canceled visa and later pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Sánchez testified against Guzmán during his federal trial in New York from November 2018 to February 2019, stating that he introduced her to the drug trade and that she purchased 883 pounds of marijuana for him. She also described an escape from military capture in Culiacán in 2014 through a tunnel.
Guzmán was convicted on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering, on February 12, 2019. Sánchez expressed her belief that his sentence was excessive, stating, "I feel he didn’t deserve it. That’s just my opinion."
She mentioned that Guzmán and cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada had discussed retiring from the drug trade due to their age but did not specify successors. Sánchez believes the Sinaloa Cartel is nearing its end as its original leaders are imprisoned, noting the current internal conflict between factions led by Guzmán's sons and Zambada's son. "We are already witnessing the end of the Sinaloa Cartel," she said. "Ever since the top leaders who maintained control – Joaquín and El Mayo – surrendered, the cartel simply hasn’t been the same."