Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Netflix recently released a limited series titled Griselda that showcased the exploits of a Colombian drug lord named Griselda Blanco. It stars Sofía Vergara as the title character and has Alberto Guerra, Martin Rodriguez, and more in supporting roles.
Griselda Blanco was a feared Miami Cartel Head and was one of the USA’s drug traffickers in the ’70s and ’80s. Interestingly, she had many nicknames like La Madrina, The Black Widow, La Dama de la Mafia, and more. According to Tudum by Netflix, Blanco and her second husband Alberto Bravo devised plans to ship cocaine into New York City in the early ’70s. Even though the FBI managed to convict 12 individuals, they failed to capture the head of this operation.
According to a New York Times report, the leaders were identified as Alberto Bravo, Carlos Bravo, and Griselda Blanco. The article read, “(those leaders) were identified in the indictment as Alberto Bravo, his brother Carlos Bravo.”
It further stated, “And an associate, Griselda Blanco, a woman who allegedly outfits female couriers in special bras and girdles designed to conceal narcotics.” Blanco received a 15-year sentence for her crimes, however, she escaped to Colombia before she could serve time. She lived a life of freedom for the next decade.
According to Netflix Media Center, the synopsis of Griselda reads, “GRISELDA is a fictionalized dramatization inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco. She created one of the most powerful cartels in history.”
It reads, “Set in 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helps her expertly navigate between business and family. This led her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”
How did Griselda Blanco die?
According to Tudum by Netflix, Griselda Blanco was assassinated in September 2012. Reports suggest that this occurred outside a butcher shop in Medellín. At the time of her death, she was 69 years old. Her resting place is Jardines Montesacro cemetery, which is located in south Medellín. Notably, even Pablo Escobar’s grave is there.
After decades of search, the DEA managed to capture her in 1985. Furthermore, the court charged her with conspiring to manufacture, import, and distribute cocaine. She received a 15-year prison sentence for her crimes, however, in 1994, she received additional charges for the death of a 2-year-old boy.
Furthermore, the court charged her with the murder of two more drug dealers. Ultimately, her sentence was to serve three concurrent 20-year sentences after she pled guilty to the three murder charges. However, six years into her sentence, she was deported to Colombia in 2004. A homicide detective named June Hawkins cracked the Griselda Blanco case.
According to Tudum by Netflix, Hawkins recalled working on the case by stating, “In retrospect, it has been rather interesting. I don’t really think about it that way, but looking at it through other people’s eyes, I guess it is!”
She further stated, “Good lord, in those days, you just didn’t make a big deal out of some of the teasing and the air conditioning with the nipple hardening and any of that stuff — that was something that you just rolled with. Homicide detectives had quite a reputation of being ball-busters, and so I was bracing for some of that. I knew they were testing me.”
Griselda Blanco had three spouses and four children. Her husbands’ names were Carlos Trujillo, Alberto Bravo, and Darío Sepúlveda.
