Netflix Releases New Miniseries on the Life of Griselda Blanco, ‘The Godmother of Cocaine’

Netflix, the popular streaming platform, has taken the lead in a new miniseries that delves into the extraordinary life of Griselda Blanco, an infamous Colombian drug dealer known as ‘The Godmother of Cocaine.’ The miniseries, executive-produced by the talented Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, showcases her jaw-dropping performance as Blanco, portraying her rise to power in Miami during the 1970s and ’80s.

Griselda Blanco, born on February 15, 1943, in Colombia, endured a difficult upbringing in poverty. Facing abandonment by her father, she moved to Medellín with her mother, a sex worker, who allegedly subjected her to violent abuse. Blanco’s early life involved turning to prostitution and pickpocketing to survive, and it’s even rumored that she was involved in a kidnapping and murder as a young girl.

Blanco’s life took a different turn when she married forger and pimp Carlos Trujillo at the age of 13. The couple had three children and eventually moved to New York, where Blanco began her involvement in marijuana trafficking. After splitting from Trujillo, Blanco married cocaine trafficker Alberto Bravo and established a thriving drug trafficking operation in collaboration with the notorious Pablo Escobar‘s Medellín Cartel.

Despite their success, Blanco’s marriage to Bravo turned violent, leading to a shootout in Bogotá that resulted in Bravo’s death and the loss of six bodyguards. Blanco, injured during the shootout, moved to Miami with her three sons in the late 1970s, where she became a central figure in the ‘Cocaine Cowboy’ wars, a series of violent conflicts in the region.

Renewed in her determination, Blanco married Dario Sepulveda, and their empire became a multi-million dollar drug smuggling operation. Living a lavish lifestyle, Blanco’s reign as the Godmother of Cocaine was marked by violence, orgies, and ruthless acts against her enemies. Several husbands and associates met tragic ends, including Sepulveda, who was assassinated in front of their son.

In an attempt to escape her rivals and the law, Blanco moved to California but was eventually arrested by DEA agent Bob Palumbo in 1985, after being hunted for a decade. She faced years in prison after being found guilty of conspiring to manufacture, import, and distribute cocaine. Blanco also pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder, resulting in a 20-year sentence for her involvement in several killings.

Released from prison in 2004, Blanco was deported to Colombia, where she lived quietly until her death in 2012. Her three older sons, Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo, all pursued their mother’s criminal path and died before her. Her youngest son, Michael Corleone Blanco, is still alive and filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Sofia Vergara over the release of the miniseries.

The new Netflix miniseries not only portrays Blanco’s criminal activities but also delves into her identity as a woman and mother. Sofia Vergara, who also executive-produced the series, spoke about the complexity of Blanco’s character: ‘She is a mother, villain, lover, and killer all at the same time. She above everyone shows how complex humans can be.’