Griselda Blanco

Full Name: Griselda Blanco Restrepo
Profession: Drug Lord

Nationality:

Biography: Griselda Blanco Restrepo was a Colombian drug lord who played a significant role in the cocaine trafficking industry in Miami from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Her life was marked by crime and violence until her death by assassination in Medellín, Colombia.

At the age of three, Blanco moved with her mother to Medellín. Her criminal career started in her early years. By age 13, she was already working as a pickpocket. Seeking to escape her oppressive home life marked by her mother's abusive partner, she left at 19 and delved deeper into a life of theft.

Her first foray into the drug trade began alongside her first husband, Carlos Trujillo, starting with marijuana deals. In 1964, Blanco, alongside her second husband Alberto Bravo, emigrated to the United States using forged documents. Settling in New York, they initiated a lucrative cocaine business.

This criminal enterprise drew the attention of federal authorities and resulted in Blanco's indictment on drug conspiracy charges in 1975. Following this, Blanco fled to Colombia only to later return to the United States to establish a drug operation in Miami.

Miami was the scene of an escalating drug war during Blanco's time there. In 1975, her empire came under direct attack when she was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Blanco faced trial in New York and received a 15-year prison sentence.

She was also charged with multiple murders in Florida. Due to a scandal implicating the prosecution's key witness, however, those charges did not lead to a conviction. Blanco eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in 1998. Four years later, in 2002, she had a heart attack and was subsequently released for health reasons, having served a reduced sentence.

Throughout her life, Blanco married three times and had four sons. Her family was not spared from the violence that marked her drug trade activities, and she outlived her husbands and a few of her sons. Her youngest son, Michael Corleone Blanco, who was raised by relatives while Blanco was incarcerated, followed her footsteps into cocaine trafficking for a time.

Blanco eventually met her end in Medellín, killed in a manner that mirrored the brutality she was once synonymous with. Her life story has been portrayed in various forms of entertainment, from documentaries and films to music and television series. She has been depicted by actresses such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and, most recently, Sofía Vergara.

Born: February 14, 1943
Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Aquarius

Died: February 3, 2012 (aged 68)
Cause of Death: Assassination