Sofia Vergara is set to bring the stunning crimes of drug lord Griselda Blanco to life in an upcoming Netflix drama.
The 51-year-old actress will play the ruthless Colombian businesswoman who created one of the most lucrative cartels in history.
The career criminal, who stood just five feet tall, was involved in pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age – but it didn’t take long before her crimes began to escalate.
After being thrust into the cocaine industry by her second husband, whom she later killed, Griselda built a thriving drug empire that allowed her to earn more than $80 million every month.
Griselda Blanco, who was only five feet tall, was involved in pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age – but it didn’t take long before her crimes began to escalate.
Sofia Vergara is set to bring the female drug lord’s stunning crimes to life in an upcoming Netflix drama (photo)
Netflix is now gearing up to release its six-part drama that will explore “Blanco’s deadly blend of wildness and unsuspected charm helped her expertly navigate business and family.”
She embraced her criminal persona – her nicknames were The Black Widow, The Cocaine Godmother and The Boss – and wasn’t afraid to flaunt her ill-gotten gains.
But things began to unravel after her incarceration as authorities sought to bring charges against the devoted mother for more than 200 murders.
Griselda then served 10 years behind bars before being deported to Colombia where she was shot and killed at the age of 69 as she left a butcher’s shop.
Netflix is now preparing to release its six-part drama which will explore how ‘Blanco’s deadly blend of unsuspected wildness and charm helped her deftly navigate business and family.
Ahead of its premiere, FEMAIL revealed the gruesome details of his crimes.
Griselda Blanco was forced to engage in pickpocketing and prostitution at a young age before her crimes escalated significantly.
Griselda Blanco, born in Santa Marta, Colombia, grew up poor and a lack of money forced her into crime at a young age.
It was claimed that she dabbled in pickpocketing and prostitution, with rumors even circulating that she helped kidnap a little boy when she was just 11 years old.
The story goes that she then took it upon herself to kill the boy after his wealthy parents refused to pay the ransom.
It was claimed that Griselda got drawn into pickpocketing and prostitution, with rumors even circulating that she helped kidnap a little boy when she was just 11 years old.
She then married a petty criminal while still a teenager and the couple had three children together.
The couple later divorced and she allegedly ordered the murder of her ex-husband following their separation.
But she found love again with drug trafficker Alberto Bravo who quickly drew her into the cocaine industry.
The couple used New York as a base to smuggle drugs into the United States – 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.
But everything was not simple.
Griselda soon found herself facing drug charges and so fled to Colombia in 1975 to escape American authorities.
Later that year, she began to suspect that Bravo was stealing money from her and the pair were caught in a shootout that resulted in their death.
Few details are known about her third husband, but he was also said to have been killed 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 flaunt it.
By the late 1970s, Griselda had returned to the United States and settled in Miami where she continued to trade and became the godmother of cocaine.
She became increasingly protective of her illicit empire and sought to eliminate all competition by any means necessary.
Reflecting on the case in 1993, the Drug Enforcement Administration said, “Griselda loved murder. Dead bodies lined the streets of Miami as a result of his feuds.
“She gathered around her a group of henchmen known as Gunslingers. Initiation into the group was obtained by killing someone and cutting off a body part as proof of the act…
“She not only killed rivals and wayward lovers, but she also used murder as a means to cancel debts she did not want to pay. A particularly bloody massacre that took place in July 1979 at a Miami shopping mall became known as the Dadeland Massacre.
She also lived up to her character as she even named her son Michael Corleone – after the crime boss in The Godfather film series whose first installment was released in 1972.
Griselda Blanco, born in Santa Marta, Colombia, grew up poor and a lack of money forced her into a life of crime from a young age.
As a result, the drug lord is believed to be responsible for more than 200 deaths, usually carried out in broad daylight by gunmen on motorcycles.
Ruthless violence escalated in the region and plunged the state into a volatile period known as the “cocaine cowboy wars.”
But all the volatility ultimately worked in Griselda’s favor.
As she continued to eliminate her competitors from the market, she became one of the richest drug traffickers in the world.
She smuggled more than three tons of cocaine into America every year and made more than $80 million a month, according to reports.
And the mastermind of the crime didn’t hesitate to spend the money, apparently on bombing about luxury homes and hedonistic parties.
She also cheekily named her son Michael Corleone – in homage to the crime boss from The Godfather film series whose first installment was released in 1972.
Griselda’s empire began to collapse before she was cut down at the age of 69.
Business began to decline after Griselda was convicted on drug charges in 1985 and incarcerated.
She was sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison, but was still able to run her empire from behind bars.
However, the conviction prompted authorities to attempt to bring additional charges against the career criminal, including for more than 200 murders.
In 1994, one of her former hitmen, Jorge Ayala, agreed to testify against her and Griselda was charged with three murders.
One of them was that of a two-year-old boy who was fatally shot during a failed assassination attempt on his father – who was one of Griselda’s former enforcers.
Business began to decline after Griselda was convicted on drug charges in 1985 and incarcerated.
The investigation stalled, but the drug lord decided to plead guilty in 1998 in an attempt to reduce his sentence.
After her release after 10 years in prison, she was deported to Colombia where she allegedly “retired” from her life of crime.
But it seems her past has caught up with her, and in 2012 Griselda was shot and killed while leaving a butcher’s shop in Medellin, aged 69.
She remains among the most notorious drug lords in history and has been 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 Catherine Zeta Jones.
Netflix’s Griselda will be released in January 2024.
