Griselda Blanco, the Cocaine Godmother of Colombia, was a popular figure in Miami’s underworld. She was heavily involved with cocaine trafficking in Florida and is known to have ruled the business between the 1970s and 2000s. Other than the manufacture, import, and distribution of cocaine, the powerful Colombian drug lord was also convicted of multiple murders.
Blanco was born in Colombia in 1943. She experienced severe poverty early in life which, many believe, pushed her towards a life of crime. It is believed that at the age of 11, Griselda Blanco helped in the kidnapping of a young boy and fatally shot him when his family refused to offer ransom. Pickpocketing and theft are other allegations that were made against Blanco as a child. During her teenage, she married a small-time criminal and had three children with him. It is widely believed that she had her first husband killed after she rose to power in the 1970s.
After their separation, she began a relationship with Alberto Bravo. Through Bravo, Blanco established herself in the trade and created a powerful presence. The couple began bringing the drug into the United States and benefited extensively from it. In 1975, drug charges threatened Bravo. He decided to lay low for a bit and moved back to Colombia when Griselda discovered that he’d been stealing money and allegedly shot him to death.
Becoming the Cocaine Godmother
Griselda Blanco rose to fame as the Cocaine Godmother only after Bravo’s death, when she moved to Miami and led the city to chaotic violence on her way to eliminate any competitors. She allegedly ordered many murders, which were executed by gunmen on motorcycles, a distinct style that Griselda preferred. Many violent acts were executed in broad daylight, and Griselda became one of the richest and most powerful drug traffickers in the world.
She reportedly made about $80 million every month from smuggling over three tons of cocaine into the US every year. It is also believed that she killed her first husband in the 1970s just like she did with her second, giving her the name the Black Widow. However, in 1984, Griselda moved to California, as she had made too many rivals and her life was at constant risk. She then faced drug charges, and the court sentenced her to prison for 15 years.
When did Griselda Blanco die & how many people did she kill?
Officials strongly believed that Griselda was responsible for more than 200 murders. They tried to make a deal with one of her most trusted gunmen so that he could testify against her. Although he agreed, the gunman was found to be engaging in phone sex with secretaries at the prosecution’s office. This questioned his credibility in court. In 1998, the court convicted Griselda Blanco of three second-degree murders when she pled guilty to all three and was sentenced to another 20 years behind bars.
She was released in 2004 and began living a quiet life in Medellin. On September 3, 2012, Blanco went to the butcher’s shop along with her pregnant daughter-in-law. As they were returning with the meat, a gunman on a motorcycle shot Blanco twice. Griselda Blanco died from the fatal shooting. Her murder was executed in just the style that she is known to have invented in Miami.
Griselda is a Netflix drama series that follows the rise of Griselda Blanco. It will be released on January 25, 2024, and stars Sofia Vergara as Griselda.
