las patronas
More Women Than Ever Are Joining Cartels
A new report suggests that roles such as car thieves, killers and drug-shop managers are increasingly being filled by females in Mexico's criminal groups.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s Highest-Ranking Woman Is Free. But What Happens Now?
Guadalupe Fernández Valencia was the only woman on the indictment that helped send Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to prison for life.
Women Are Dying for the Narco Wife ‘Buchona’ Body
In the state of Sinaloa, home to the infamous drug-trafficking cartel, women are risking everything for a body type glorified in narco culture.
Netflix’s ‘Queen of the South’ Star Has Had Some Weird Real-Life Narco Moments
Fact blurs with fiction in the life of Mexican actor Kate del Castillo, who plays an imaginary narco queen in the series.
Netflix Won’t Pay Narco Queen a ‘Single Cent’ for Show Based on Her Life
Former trafficker Sandra Ávila Beltrán, known as “The Queen of the Pacific,” is trying to claim a share of the profits.
Mexico’s Top Female Narco Accused the Former President of Being a Narco
The onetime “Queen of the Pacific” joined one of Mexico's most popular YouTubers to “clean her name of all the lies spread” about her.
Mexico’s Most Famous Female Narco Just Got a New Gig: TikTok Influencer
After a lifetime in the shadows, Sandra Ávila Beltrán is turning to social media to trade on her mythical status in Mexican culture.
Trump Signed the Early Release of Cartel Boss El Mencho’s Daughter
Jessica Oseguera is the daughter of CJNG cartel founder Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, who has a $10 million bounty on his head.
Las Patronas: The Secret History of Latin America’s Female Cartel Bosses
VICE World News presents the untold stories of the women narcos who became some of Latin America’s most feared—and respected—crime bosses.
How a Single Mom Became the Boss of Guatemala’s Drug Lords
Three women worked together to run cocaine from Colombia to the United States.
The Brutal Drug Trafficking Matriarch Who Brought Down Her Own Clan
Digna Valle was the first of her drug trafficking clan to be arrested, and she helped bring down her own organization.
Women Are Rising to Power in the Legendary Sinaloa Cartel
The drug trafficking empire founded by El Chapo is seeing more women bosses in its ranks.