( CNN ) -- They call her the Queen of the Pacific . Sandra Avila Beltran 's name stands out on the list of accused leaders of Mexico 's male-dominated drug trade . The 52-year-old 's life is the subject of a best-selling book and a popular ballad . And she made headlines two years ago when Mexican authorities said they were investigating a tip that she had received Botox treatments in prison . This week Avila -- one of the most well-known women accused of ties with Mexico 's drug trade -- pleaded guilty in a Florida court to a charge connected to a cocaine trafficking case . She faces up to 15 years in U.S. prison after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact , according to an agreement filed in federal court this week . A sentencing hearing in the case is scheduled for July 25 . `` It is a fair resolution in light of the actual circumstances . ... she is happy with the results and hopes to be able to reunite with her family soon , '' attorney Stephen Ralls told Mexico 's state-run Notimex news agency . Avila was first arrested in Mexico City on September 28 , 2007 , smiling before cameras as authorities trumpeted her detention . Mexico 's case against her drew widespread attention as it made its way through the nation 's courts . In 2011 , authorities in Mexico City said they were investigating a tip that prison medical personnel had allowed a doctor to give Avila a Botox injection , an accusation that Avila denied , according to Notimex . Authorities extradited her last year to the United States , where she was accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine along with Juan Diego Espinosa Ramirez , a Colombian national who was also known as `` The Tiger . '' Avila denied the charges . And despite the high-profile accusations against her , authorities have not convicted Avila of any drug-trafficking crimes . A Mexican judge convicted her on money laundering charges but ruled that Mexican prosecutors had n't provided enough evidence to convict her of drug trafficking . And U.S. prosecutors dropped the cocaine trafficking conspiracy charge against her as part of this week 's plea deal . A document signed by Avila as part of the plea agreement in U.S. federal court says she provided `` financial assistance for travel , lodging and other expenses '' to Espinosa from 2002 to 2004 `` with the intention of preventing or hindering his arrest for his drug trafficking crimes . '' Prosecutors have said Avila was once a key drug trafficking link between Colombia and Mexico . And a 2008 U.S. Congressional Research Service report described her as `` a senior member of the Sinaloa cartel who was instrumental '' in building ties with Colombian traffickers . A popular ballad about her sung by the band Los Tigres del Norte , titled `` The Queen of Queens , '' describes her 2007 arrest alongside Espinosa . `` The more beautiful the rose , '' one line in the song says , `` the sharper the thorns . '' A U.S. judge sentenced Espinosa to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a cocaine distribution conspiracy charge in 2009 . In an interview with Anderson Cooper that aired on `` 60 Minutes '' and CNN that year , Avila 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 . '' CNN 's Rafael Romo and Michelle Hall contributed to this report .
Sandra Avila Beltran pleads guilty to being an accessory after the fact . Her attorney says the `` Queen of the Pacific '' hopes to reunite with family soon . She has been accused of drug trafficking but never convicted . Avila has repeatedly denied drug charges against her .