Sofía Vergara Dives Into A Dark Cocaine Empire On Netflix's 'Griselda'

By Lucía Tedesco via El Planteo

Griselda Blanco, a high-ranking Colombian drug lord whose luxurious tale of building a cocaine empire will be depicted by actress Sofía Vergara on Netflix NFLX's new series, "Griselda." The storytelling will unfold over a dramatic miniseries consisting of six episodes.

Blanco, also known as "The Queen of Cocaine" or "The Black Widow," was a woman born into poverty who became embroiled in the world of crime at a young age. She began as a sex worker and pickpocket. By age 13, she was living with a pimp and counterfeiter named Carlos Trujillo. The two got married, had three children and eventually separated due to 'business' differences.

The Cocaine Empire Of Griselda Blanco

Blanco’s second marriage was to Alberto Bravo, a fellow drug trafficker. In the late 1960s, the pair relocated to Queens, New York. They smuggled cocaine using Bravo’s clothing import company while Blanco opened a women’s underwear factory in Colombia. The products were fitted with secret compartments allowing “mules” to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. undetected.

Cocaine use soared in the 1970s, allowing these drug traffickers to rise to prominence. It’s estimated that they employed 1,500 traffickers and were deeply connected with Blanco's childhood friend, Pablo Escobar.

When accused of trafficking, Blanco fled to Colombia but returned to the U.S. later, killing her husband with multiple gunshots. She then assumed control of the empire they had built together, as reported by Vice News. A luxurious life in Miami awaited her, alongside her new husband Darío Sepúlveda and their son Michael Corleone Blanco, named after the iconic character from "The Godfather."

In 1985, the DEA arrested Blanco, and she was sentenced to 15 years in prison, later extended by an additional 20 years due to charges in Florida. After serving her sentence in the U.S., she was deported to Colombia, where she lived until 2012. Blanco’s life came to a brutal end when she was shot twice in the head in Medellín by two men on a motorcycle.

Griselda: Netflix’s Upcoming Series With Sofía Vergara

The streaming giant has released the first images of "Griselda," with its leading lady expressing her excitement about the role. “Griselda was a larger-than-life character whose ruthless yet witty tactics allowed her to rule over a billion-dollar empire, years before many of the more notorious kingpins we know so much about. I’m thrilled to bring this story to the screen,” said Vergara, as reported by Infobae.

The six-episode series, clocking in at 50 minutes each, is produced by Andrés Baiz and Eric Newman. Although the series has already been filmed, the official release date remains a mystery, fueling speculations of an early 2024 premiere.

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