Sofia Vergara will bring the staggering crimes of female drug lord Griselda Blanco to life in an upcoming Netflix drama.
The 51-year-old actress will take on the role of the ruthless Colombian businesswoman who founded one of the most profitable cartels in history.
The career criminal, who stood just five feet tall, was involved in pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age, but it wasn’t long before her crimes began to escalate.
After being introduced to the cocaine industry by her second husband, whom she later murdered, Griselda built a thriving drug empire, earning more than $80 million every month.
Griselda Blanco, who stood just five feet tall, was involved in pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age, but it wasn’t long before her crimes began to escalate
Sofia Vergara to bring the female drug lord’s staggering crimes to life in an upcoming Netflix drama (pictured)
Netflix is now gearing up to release a six-part drama that explores ‘Blanco’s deadly mix of unsuspected cruelty and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family’
She embraced her criminal persona – her nicknames were The Black Widow, The Godmother of Cocaine and The Boss – and was not afraid to flaunt her ill-gotten gains.
But things started to fall apart after she was locked up as authorities tried to bring charges against the devoted mother for more than 200 murders.
Griselda spent ten years behind bars before being sent back to Colombia, where she was shot dead at the age of 69 as she stepped out of a butcher’s shop.
Netflix is now gearing up to release its six-part drama That will investigate how ‘Blanco’s deadly mix of unsuspected cruelty and charm helped her skillfully navigate between business and family.
Ahead of the premiere, FEMAIL has exposed the gruesome details of her crimes.
Griselda Blanco was forced into pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age before her crimes escalated drastically
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Griselda Blanco grew up in poverty and the lack of money forced her into a life of crime from an early age.
It was claimed that she became entangled in pickpocketing and prostitution, while rumors even circulated that she helped kidnap a little boy when she was just 11 years old.
The story states that she then took it upon herself to fatally shoot the boy after his wealthy parents refused to pay the ransom.
It was claimed that Griselda became entangled in pickpocketing and prostitution, while rumors even circulated that she helped kidnap a little boy when she was just 11 years old.
She married a petty criminal when she was a teenager and the couple had three children together.
The couple later divorced and she is alleged to have ordered the murder of her ex-husband in the aftermath of their divorce.
But she found love again with drug trafficker Alberto Bravo, who soon got her into the cocaine industry.
The couple used New York as a base when they smuggled drugs into the US – and Griselda seemed to have a knack for it.
Griselda had four sons Michael, Osvaldo, Uber and Dixon (pictured together), but was nicknamed the Black Widow
She used every trick in the book to ensure a profitable trade and her methods even included making lingerie with secret compartments to hide drugs in.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing.
Griselda soon faced drug charges and therefore fled to Columbia in 1975 to avoid US authorities.
Later that year, she began to suspect that Bravo was stealing money from her and the pair became involved in a shootout that resulted in his death.
Few details are known about her third husband, but he was also reportedly murdered by her hand, earning her the nickname Black Widow.
The drug lord started making more than $80 million EVERY month – and wasn’t afraid to show it off
By the late 1970s, Griselda had returned to the US and settled in Miami, where she continued her trade and became known as The Godmother of Cocaine.
She became increasingly protective of her illegal empire and tried to eliminate any competition by any means necessary.
Reflecting on the 1993 case, the Drug Enforcement Administration said, “Griselda loved to kill. Bodies lined the streets of Miami as a result of her feuds.
‘She gathered around her a group of accomplices known as the Pistoleros. Initiation into the group was earned by killing someone and cutting off a body part as proof of the act…
‘She not only murdered rivals and wayward lovers, but used murder as a means to cancel debts she did not want to pay. A particularly bloody massacre that took place in a Miami mall in July 1979 became known as the Dadeland Massacre.”
She also lived up to her personality and even named her son Michael Corleone – after the crime boss in The Godfather film series, the first part of which was released in 1972.
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Griselda Blanco grew up in poverty and the lack of money forced her into a life of crime from an early age
And as a result, the drug lord is believed to be responsible for more than 200 deaths, mostly in broad daylight at the hands of gunmen on motorcycles.
The brutal violence escalated in the area, plunging the state into a period of turmoil known as the ‘Cocaine Cowboy Wars’.
But all the volatility ultimately worked in Griselda’s favor.
As she continued to remove her competition from the market, she became one of the richest drug traffickers in the world.
According to reports, she smuggled more than three tons of cocaine into America every year and raked in more than $80 million a month.
And the criminal mastermind didn’t shy away from splashing the cash, reportedly shelling out on luxurious homes and hedonistic parties.
She also cheekily named her son Michael Corleone – after the crime boss in The Godfather film series, the first part of which was released in 1972.
Griselda’s empire began to crumble before she was shot dead at age 69
Business began to decline after Griselda was found guilty of drug charges in 1985 and imprisoned.
She received the maximum sentence of fifteen years, but was still able to run her empire behind bars.
However, the conviction spurred authorities to file additional charges against the career criminal, including more than 200 counts of murder.
In 1994, one of her former assassins, Jorge Ayala, agreed to testify against her and Griselda was charged with three murders.
One of these was that of a two-year-old boy who was fatally shot during a failed assassination attempt on his father, one of Griselda’s former enforcers.
Business began to decline after Griselda was found guilty of drug charges in 1985 and imprisoned
The investigation stalled, but the drug lord decided to plead guilty in 1998 in an attempt to reduce her sentence.
After her release after ten years in prison, she was deported to Colombia, where she reportedly ‘retired’ from her life of crime.
But it seemed her past was catching up with her and in 2012, Griselda was shot dead as she left a butcher shop in Medellin at the age of 69.
She remains among the most notorious drug lords in history and was a central figure in documentaries such as Cocaine Cowboys (2006) and Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin’ with the Godmother (2008) – as well as in the film The Cocaine Godmother (2017) with starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Netflix’s Griselda will be released in January 2024.