‘Narcos’ Season 3 Villains Are Biggest Drug Lords You Might Never Heard Of
Pablo Escobar’s story might have ended in Narcos Season 2, but the Netflix series continues. Narcos Season 3 kicks off on September 1, and here are the details of the new villains, which Netflix says are “the biggest drug lords you’ve probably never heard of.”
Cocaine cartels did not end when the drug kingpin Escobar (played by Wagner Moura) was put down in 1993. Instead, another organization took advantage of the focus on Escobar and took control of the drug trade after Escobar’s death. The Cali Cartel emerged as the biggest cocaine cartel in history.
According to showrunner Eric Newman, the Cali Cartel is pretty much a part of the political and economic system, and they bought their way in. Unlike Escobar who was an outlaw and protected by the people who loved him, the Cali Cartel is part of the government, businesslike, and composed of accountants and professional money-launderers, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The Colombian drug network has four bosses—the Rodriguez brothers Gilberto (Damian Alcazar) and Miguel (Francisco Denis), Pacho Herrera (Alberto Ammann) and Chepe Santacruz Londono (Pepe Rapazote). Fans already met Gilberto, Miguel and Pacho in Narcos Season 1 and Season 2 while Chepe enters the scene in Season 3.
#Narcos season 3 to focus on Pablo Escobar successors, "the biggest drug lords you’ve probably never heard of" https://t.co/XsQy0Mqg1Q
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 14, 2017
Gilberto acts as the highest in command, and Miguel is the brain behind the Cali Cartel’s rise. Pacho is in charge of the Mexican connection and international distribution while Chepe runs the satellite New York City cocaine empire. Newman explained that these drug lords have bought the Colombia’s presidency in 1994 following Escobar’s fall, and since they are insiders, it is difficult to tell who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. Newman added:
“It’s very much a response to the level of violence that the hunt for Escobar brought to Colombia. We’re inheriting an administration in government and populous in Colombia that were tired of the violence and that changed the way they were going to wage the war, so it’s a more complicated environment in ways.”
Season 3 of #Narcos will focus on the rise of the Cali Cartel https://t.co/nXkzuNVkeD
— Vulture (@vulture) July 14, 2017
A Google search might be a big spoiler as to the endings of these drug lords, but as Newman put it, “It’s getting there that’s fun.” DEA agent Javier Pena, played by Pedro Pascal, returns in Narcos Season 3. The two new agents responsible for hunting the Cali Cartel are Chris Feistl (Michael Stahl-David) and Daniel Van Ness (Matt Whelan).
Netflix released the trailer for Narcos Season 3 this week. The show is also renewed for Season 4, although it is not yet clear whether the Cali Cartel storyline would cover just one season.
[Featured Image by Richard Shotwell/AP Images]
