After the resounding success of Narcos, series based on the life of drug traffickers have brought to light a new niche of fans of this type of production. Far beyond the spectators of crime productions, the public was curious to know the saga of the true antiheroes.
Not to mention the plots full of twists and events with surprising climaxes, these series almost always capture the reality behind the cruelest facts. And more often than not, the stories show that the path for all these true protagonists is always the same: prison or death. Check out 5 series based on the lives of drug traffickers to watch below.
5 series based on the life of drug traffickers to watch
Narcos – Colombia|Medellín
Produced by Netflix, Narcos tells the life story of one of Colombia’s greatest drug lords, Pablo Escobar. The plot also shows how the United States acted in Colombia to fight the Medellín Cartel, one of the most powerful and cruel criminal organizations in the world.
Narcos is at the top of the popularity ranking of series on Netflix, leaving behind the famous production Game of Thrones. According to the head of Netflix’s content acquisition department, Ted Sarandos, the series was the most watched in streaming.
El Chapo- Mexico|Sinaloa
If in Colombia the greatest drug lord of all time was Pablo Escobar, in Mexico the most intriguing and imposing drug figure is the famous El Chapo. The main difference between the two is that Chapo is alive and in prison, with a few escapes under his belt, the drug lord is the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
In the series, his story shows how he tried to emerge in the world of drug trafficking as a simple member of the Guadalajara cartel, after which his rise led him to be considered the largest drug trafficker in the world. When he was still at large, he was included in the list of billionaires by the American magazine Forbes. Today he is detained in the ADX Florence maximum security penitentiary, in the Colorado desert.
Surviving Escobar – Colombia|Medellín
The series “Surviving Escobar, aka JJ”, tells the story of Pablo Escobar’s number 1 killer, the famous “Popeye”, better known as Escobar’s right-hand man. The production was brilliantly played by Juan Pablo Urrego, who made the character a real success, bringing charisma and humanity to this intriguing drug trafficker.
The well-aligned and eventful plot that permeates the life of Jhon Jairo Velásquez, shows his life even after the death of Pablo Escobar, in which he began to collaborate with the Department of Justice and part of his confessions were used in investigations that they involved many Colombian authorities, from the senator to the general.
Before he died of cancer in 2020, Jhon Jairo Velásquez had an Internet video channel called “Repentant Popeye” and gave interviews to numerous television stations around the world, including Brazil.
The Lord of the Skies – Drug trafficker from Mexico
The super series, winner of the International Emmy in 2014, was the first on Telemundo to be broadcast on Brazilian open TV, on Band. The production was based on the life of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, one of Mexico’s largest drug traffickers.
Consisting of 9 seasons, the series takes its name from the nickname by which Amado Carrillo became known “El Señor de Los Cielos”, due to the large fleet of jets where he transported the drugs.
Amado Carrillo was a big name drug trafficker, after the death of Escobar, he lived at the same time as El Chapo, he was part of the Guadalajara cartel, but he was the leader of the Juarez cartel. It is believed that Carrillo Fuentes may have earned more than $25 billion over his lifetime from drug trafficking.
In an attempt to change his appearance, due to pressure to escape and things like that, Amado died at the age of 40, undergoing plastic surgery, in 1997, at the Santa Mónica hospital, in Mexico City.
Griselda – Colombian drug trafficker
The new series inspired by the real life of a drug trafficker was released on Netflix on January 25, 2024. The miniseries “Griselda” tells the story based on the life of Griselda Blanco, a powerful and feared drug trafficker who opened the doors to Pablo Escobar in the world of crime.
Better known as the “Godmother of Cocaine,” Griselda dominated the drug market in the 1970s and 1980s in Miami, United States. According to CNN Brasil, it is estimated that during a given period of drug trafficking, Griselda earned $80 million a month, or R$400 million.
Like all other drug dealer stories, the godmother of cocaine carries many deaths on her shoulders, including two ex-husbands, and a sad and tragic ending.
After being convicted of drug trafficking in 1985 and imprisoned for 20 years in California, Griselda gained freedom in 2004 and lived for a few years in Colombia until she was killed outside a butcher’s shop, perhaps a showdown of his dark past.
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
