What Made Griselda Blanco Infamously Powerful and Feared in the Drug Cartel Realm?
Cocaine godmother rules with ruthless power
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For those of you who aren’t familiar with Griselda Blanco, she has often been referred to as the “Cocaine Godmother.” She is both captivatingly fascinating and deeply repulsive at the same time.
What you are about to learn is troubling and uneasy.
Early Life and Entry into Crime
Born on February 15, 1943, in Cartagena, Colombia, Blanco grew up in the slums of Medellín.
She grew up in extreme poverty and they say she never had a father figure.
People rumour that she committed her first murder before age 13, yet no one has ever confirmed it. Her life wasn’t easy and she joined the local gangs at an early age.
She quickly became involved in kidnappings, murders, and drugs.
Rise to Power
Most people don’t know when she first came to the United States she and her husband lived in Queen’s New York.
It didn’t take Griselda long to figure out there was a huge demand for drugs and she was the perfect source.
She would use all sorts of resourceful techniques to smuggle the drugs.
One of her most infamous plans was to store the drugs in secret pockets of lingerie. The police at the time weren’t looking for stuff like that so it worked like a charm.
Reign of Terror
Griselda was also called the “black widow” because she tended to have her lovers killed.
If you think dating is hard today…
During the late 70's and early 80’s, there was a raging drug war and she was the one who started it all.
Many other players in the game were trying to convince the Columbians to settle down and not attract so much heat. Yet, Griselda would have nothing to do with their requests.
You have to remember that the people selling cocaine made hundreds of thousands of dollars a month.
They had a sweet operation going on.
This had started in the 70’s and it wasn’t until Griselda came to Miami that things started to get out of hand.
They had drug routes that the government could never find. They warned the Colombians of the added heat. It was costing them business.
Griselda didn’t care and wanted the entire operation to herself.
Burger King
Miami had so many murders due to the drug wars started by the Columbians that they needed to rent out Burger King’s corporate freezers to store them all.
I don’t know about you but that’s not appetizing.
Usually, when the mafia or a criminal organization puts a hit out, it’s for a specific person.
When Griselda put a hit out, it was for an entire family including children and babies.
Even her hitman refused to kill the children.
He would agree to the husband or wife and a relative but children were something he wouldn’t do, and that infuriated her.
You know it’s bad when a professional hitman for hire won’t even do it.
Downfall and Legacy
Griselda’s demise was due to her violent lifestyle and the need for power and control.
She was also known to be paranoid and loved money — who doesn’t?
Due to the excessive murders in Miami-Dade County, the government put a lot of resources into shutting down the drug trade.
If only she were content to share the wealth and work together nonviolently, she might have escaped with her freedom and her life.
After serving her time in the United States, Griselda Blanco was deported back to Colombia.
Two gunmen on a motorcycle assassinated her as she left a butcher shop in Medellín.
Thanks for reading :)
