Notorious Criminals & Outlaws Codexery

Griselda Blanco

Drug lord known as the 'Godmother of Cocaine' who operated between Miami and Colombia.

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Griselda Blanco

Metro Dade Police Department · via Wikipedia: Griselda Blanco · Public domain

Griselda Blanco (1943–2012), known as the "Godmother of Cocaine", was a drug lord who operated between Miami and Colombia during the 1970s and 1980s. During the height of her operation, she smuggled nearly 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb) of cocaine into the U.S. every month through a network in south Florida. She was noted for her ruthlessness and use of extreme violence, employing tactics such as publicly assassinating people in broad daylight, bayoneting a rival trafficker inside Miami International Airport, and inventing the drive-by motorcycle shooting execution method.

It was estimated that she was responsible for the homicides of 200 people in Colombia, Florida, New York, and California. Arrested in 1985 for drug-trafficking charges, she was subsequently convicted and spent almost 20 years in a U.S. prison. She was killed by motorcycle hitmen in Colombia on 3 September 2012 as she was coming out of a butcher's shop.

Background

Griselda Blanco was born in 1943 and died on 3 September 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Griselda Blanco?

Griselda Blanco Restrepo was a Colombian drug trafficker born in Cartagena in 1943 who became one of the most feared figures in the cocaine pipeline between Colombia and the United States. She built a vast distribution network centered on Miami during the 1970s and 1980s.

How did Griselda Blanco die?

She was shot and killed in Medellín, Colombia, on September 3, 2012, at the age of 69. By that point she had spent years moving between custody, exile, and attempts to rebuild her life in her home country.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Griselda Blanco born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1943.

From the source: “Griselda Blanco Restrepo (February 14, 1943 – September 3, 2012) was a Colombian drug lord who was prominent in the cocaine-based drug trade and underworld of Miami, during the 1970s through the early 2000s, and who has also been claimed by”

2. In which place was Griselda Blanco born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Cartagena, Colombia.

From the source: “Griselda Blanco Restrepo was born in Cartagena, Colombia, on the country's north coast.”

3. In what year did Griselda Blanco die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 2012.

From the source: “Griselda Blanco Restrepo (February 14, 1943 – September 3, 2012) was a Colombian drug lord who was prominent in the cocaine-based drug trade and underworld of Miami, during the 1970s through the early 2000s, and who has also been claimed by”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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