In Mexico's male-dominated drug trade, her life story became a legend.
Now, after more than seven years behind bars, the woman known as "The Queen of the Pacific" is free. A judge ruled in favor of her appeal last week, Mexico's Attorney General's Office said in a statement Saturday.
Sandra Ávila Beltrán's story is the subject of a best-selling book and a popular ballad.
She was first arrested in Mexico City on September 28, 2007, smiling before cameras as authorities trumpeted her detention.
Later, Ávila made headlines when Mexican authorities said they were investigating a tip that she had received Botox treatments in prison.
Ávila is the niece of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, founder of the now-defunct Guadalajara cartel. She's also related to drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was released from a Mexican prison in a controversial 2013 decision and now has a $5 million State Department bounty on his head.
'Queen of queens'
A popular ballad about Ávila sung by the band Los Tigres del Norte, titled "The Queen of Queens," describes her 2007 arrest.
"The more beautiful the rose," one line in the song says, "the sharper the thorns."
In an interview, Ávila denied the charges against her and blamed Mexico's government for allowing drug trafficking to flourish.
"In Mexico there's a lot of corruption, a lot. Large shipments of drugs can come into the Mexican ports or airports without the authorities knowing about it. It's obvious and logical," she said. "The government has to be involved in everything that is corrupt."
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