Update, 5/13/2018, 1:00 a.m.: Ozuna has shared the first photos of Anuel AA since his relocation to a halfway house.
Earlier this week, rumors swirled surrounding the whereabouts of viral Latin trap artist Anuel AA, born Emmanuel Gazmey-Santiago. In June 2017, the Puerto Rican rapper was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on gun charges. At the time, he was set to serve his sentence on the island’s Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo.
On Wednesday, May 9, fans swarmed Instagram claiming Anuel AA had been released early, as reported by popular urbano site Rapetón. Fans claimed that the mother of Anuel AA’s child, Astrid, posted an Instagram story with the text “Salió puñeta,” suggesting the rapper had been released from prison, though some fans claimed the account does not belong to her.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Inmate Locator, which offers public information on people convicted of violating federal laws, Gazmey-Santiago is stationed at a residential re-entry center (also known as a halfway house) in Miami. Inmates are often relocated to halfway houses when their sentences are nearing completion, and according to BOP records, the 25-year-old rapper will be released on July 17, 2018. Anuel AA’s attorney, Edwin Prado, has confirmed the accuracy of these records to Remezcla via email.
Anuel AA first gained notoriety for his violent and sexually explicit lyrics, and for positioning himself as one of the leading figures of the thriving Latin trap movement. Since he was arrested in 2016, the rapper has cultivated his fan base under the #FreeAnuel movement, releasing new music, selling merchandise, and racking up millions of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He recently appeared on Spiff TV’s “Thinkin’” with Future and Bad Bunny, as well as the remix of Chris Jeday’s “Ahora Dice” with Cardi B and Offset.
Read our feature Meet Anuel AA, the Viral Boricua MC Building a Hip-Hop Empire From Prison here.
Update, 5/18/2018, 10:00 a.m.: Anuel AA’s attorney responded to a request for comment and confirmed that the rapper is stationed at a halfway house in Miami and will be released on July 17.