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One of the best druggie dramas ever to hit television is finally coming back into our lives. This week marks the premiere of Season 3 of Narcos, and this new season marks a major shift for the series.
Whereas Seasons 1 and 2 focused on the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and the Medillín Cartel, Season 3 goes in a completely different direction. There’s a new cartel in town, and they’re bigger, more organized, more sinister, and more confusing than ever before. Narcos‘ focus on the Cali Cartel makes for one of the most cutthroat and thrilling seasons of 2017 television, but with so many new characters and so many new power dynamics, it’s hard to keep track of everything. Luckily, history is on our side. Here’s your guide to the real-life cartel leaders and law enforcement officers this season is based on. Only time will tell if Narcos follows each of these figures’ stories to the letter, but this explainer should help you figure out who you need to pay attention to. Historically-inspired spoilers ahead.
THE CALI CARTEL LEADERS
Gilberto Rodríguez-Orejuela
Played by: Francisco Denis
Who is he?: Gilberto Rodríguez-Orejuela ran the Cali Cartel alongside his brother Miguel Rodríguez-Orejuela. The Cali Cartel was formed in the 1970s and was primarily involved in trafficking marijuana. However, that changed in the 1980s when the Cali Cartel switched to cocaine. Once Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel fell, the less violent Cali swept in. Gilberto had a relatively peaceful relationship with the Colombian government until the ‘90s when President Samper declared an all out war against drug cartels.
Gilberto Rodríguez-Orejuela was arrested on June 9, 1995 during a house raid. He served 15 years in jail until he was released in 2002. However, he was recaptured by authorities in 2003.
Miguel Rodríguez-Orejuela
Played by: Damián Alcázar
Who is he?: The brother of Gilberto Rodríguez-Orejuela , Miguel Rodríguez-Orejuela helped start the Cali Cartel and was one of its four most important leaders. Aside from the cartel, Miguel is well known for marrying Miss Colombia 1974, Marta Lucía Echeverry.
He was arrested on August 6, 1995 when police found him hiding in a secret closet of his apartment. Initially after his arrest, Miguel was not eligible to be extradited to the United States. However, while he was waiting in Colombia, he continued his drug trafficking ways, making him eligible for extradition. He’s currently serving out his prison sentence in South Carolina.
José “Chepe” Santacruz-Londoño
Played by: Pêpê Rapazote
Who is he?: Chepe was the third most powerful leader of the Cali Cartel. Whereas the rest of Cali’s leaders stayed in Colombia, in Narcos, Chepe plants himself in the U.S., helping to supply New York City with coke.
Chepe was arrested on July 4, 1995, but he didn’t stay in prison for long. On January 11, 1996, he escaped La Picota Prison. Chepe didn’t waste time after his escape, coordinating a network of hitmen and smugglers from both the Cali and Medellín cartels and arranging the assassinations of roughly 27 powerful political figures. He was killed by the police while trying to flee on March 5, 1996.
Hélmer Herrera, aka “Pacho”
Played by: Alberto Ammann
Who is he?: Pacho came to the Cali Cartel a little late, taking on his role as fourth in command in the 1980s. Notoriously quieter and less public than the rest of the Cali Cartel, Pacho was responsible for opening up new drug trafficking routes in the U.S. and Mexico. He was also the money man. According to the DEA, Pacho ran one of “… most sophisticated and profitable money laundering operations” of all time. It’s believed that Pacho had a lot to do with financing Colombian President Ernesto Samper’s campaign.
Pacho was the last of the seven leaders of the Cali Cartel to be captured. On September 1, 1996, he turned himself in. However, his jail time didn’t last long. On November 4, 1998 Rafael Angel Uribe Serna visited Pacho in prison. After the pair hugged, Serna took out a gun and shot Pacho.
THE CALI CARTEL’S FRIENDS AND ALLIES
Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Who is he?: Carrillo gained control of the Juárez Cartel after killing the cartel’s former leader. He gained the nickname “El Señor de Los Cielos” (Lord of the Skies) because of his habit of transporting drugs and money through is personal jets. In Narcos, he’s one of the Cali Cartel’s tenuous allies.
After the war on drugs was announced, Carrillo got nervous. On July 3, 1997 he went under the knife to get plastic surgery and liposuction in the hopes he could alter his appearance enough to evade the authorities. The procedure went wrong, and he died of complications.
Guillermo Pallomari
Played by: Javier Cámara
Who is he?: Pallomari was the Cali Cartel’s main accountant. Pallomari helped to keep the many tight-knit branches of the Cali Cartel in check.
He was ordered to be killed by head of security, Jorge Salcedo. However, Salcedo, who always hated the Cali Cartel, worked to save and protect the accountant. In July of 1997, Pallomari stood before a Miami court and recounted all of the cartel’s money laundering crimes, specifically focusing on how the cartel elected Ernesto Samper.
Jorge Salcedo
Played by: Matias Varela
Who is he?: Form the beginning, Salcedo worked inside of the Cali Cartel in the hopes of bringing it down, and he was eventually promoted to head of security for Miguel Rodríguez-Orejuela. He was also highly involved in trying to bring down Pablo Escobar.
Salcedo found himself in a weird position. The Colombian government saw his as a criminal working for the Cali Cartel, and he knew far too much for his Cali Cartel bosses to let him go. Instead of killing Pallomari as he was tasked to do, Salcedo turned to the U.S. government for help. Many claim that Saleceo’s information is what ultimately killed the Cali Cartel. He and his family have been under witness protection in the United States ever since.
THE LAW
Javier Peña
Played by: Pedro Pascal
Who is he?: At this point you know and love Agent Peña. The DEA agent was essential to taking out Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel, which is something Seasons 1 and 2 of Narcos cover in depth. Though the real Peña never worked much on the Cali Cartel, he worked on many different drug-busting stints over the years, including missions in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Colombia. He retired in January of 2014.
Chris Feistl
Played by: Michael Stahl-David
Who is he?: One of the main pieces of source material Season 3 draws from is At the Devil’s Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel. While the book largely focuses on Jorge Salcedo’s testimony, it also relies on Chris Feistl, one of the main DEA agents responsible for taking down the Cali Cartel. In Season 3, Feistl is portrayed as a bit more intense and ambitious than his partner.
Daniel Van Ness
Played by: Matt Whelan
Who is he?: Whelan’s character is a bit of an oddity for the show. Though the character is based on a real-life agent, his name had to be changed to protect the agent who is currently working in the field. Daniel is Chris’ skeptical and more relaxed partner in the law.
