Cartel Wives

A True Story of Deadly Decisions, Steadfast Love, and Bringing Down El Chapo

By: Mia Flores

Narrated by: Joy Nash, Sylvia Gonzalez

An astonishing, revelatory, and redemptive memoir from two women who escaped the international drug trade, with never-before-revealed details about El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the dangerous world of illicit drugs.

Olivia and Mia Flores are married to the highest level drug traffickers ever to become US informants. Their husbands worked with - and then brought down - El Chapo as well as dozens of high-level members of the Mexican cartels. They had everything money could buy - luxury cars, huge houses, and expensive jewelry - but they chose to give it all up when they cooperated with the US government. They knew that life was about more than wealth; it was about love, family, and doing what's right. Cartel Wives is a love story, a "married to the mob" story, an insider's look into the terrifying but high-flying empire of the new world of drugs, and, finally, the story of a major DEA and FBI operation.

©2017 Mia Flores (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Interesting

I started listening to the Podcast Surviving El Chapo featuring the Flores twins and I was hooked right away! I wanted to know more about their life partners and their point of view and this book did just that! I loved it! These women are some badasses!

love it

the narrator was okay. novela style. it could be better. but was genius at the same time.

Oh my gosh! So beautifully written!

When the book first started out with the long list of names, I thought this listen would be dry and long. After the list, the book is interesting from start to finish and doesn't skip over any parts of the timeline. The 2 authors have very different voices and opinions and it's amazing to see 2 different lenses for the same story. The production of the book does a great job at making the authors' tales cohesive. Power to these women too!

Great book

I loved it. Very detailed as much as they could. The definitely lived a rough life at the very end

Almost unbelievable

This story was too real and nearly unbelievable all at the same time. The fact that those boys were taught the drug trade at 7 years old is beyond comprehension for most of us regular people. But if we acknowledge the ways of the world and the fact that people will do whatever it takes to survive, and even excel and take pride in something they’re good at then it becomes all too believable. I’ve been steeped in narco culture lately because it is interesting and fascinating the lengths that people will go to for money and power. These women knew what they were in for and still dove in head first. I love their honesty at the beginning when they ask the reader not to forgive them for their choices, but to understand them and I think I do. The love they share with these men is very real and very strong. Although they made very bad choices as a family I can feel the love they displayed for each other and it’s something I can relate with. I am very family oriented and will do anything for my family. Though our family business doesn’t involve millions of dollars, luxury living and death and destruction the way the Flores families did I can very much empathize with them for sticking together through it all. I highly recommend this book because it is raw, real, and entertaining as any true crime story can be.

Best Cartel Story Ever! Only 1 thing I wish was different

I am a researcher, I’ve always loved cartel, crime, and other stories surrounding mafia like families. I spent 12 years of my life trafficking on a large scale so it hits home to me. I am blessed and thankful that I got in and got out without any charges, and I never Snitched. This case here is maybe one of the only times or cases where I feel snitching is not the same as it typically is viewed. Why do I say that? Because the Flores twins were all about money & business! PEIROD! They were not gangbangers or thugs. They were business men in the criminal underground that did not want to be a part of all the violence that typically comes with it! I was the exact same way! My friends & those who know me use to always ask me, how did I never get in trouble or indicted. And I can take a page out of the Flores twins story to tell you how. They understood it very well, and it works. I would tell them it’s simple! You take losses here and there. You never risk an amount of money or cargo that would end your game if something went bad. If it goes bad you have to be willing to walk away from the situation and not retaliate. When violence is added into the situation that is when the police get involved no matter if they “Victims” want them to or not. Where as getting in trouble the other ways is solely up to someone snitching on you or you being stupid enough to get caught with something in your possession. And that’s where the 2nd part of it that they understood. You must have insane loyalty. (Not talking about them snitching, we will get to that) but the loyalty their people has for them. And it’s important to understand why their dealers had that loyalty for them. That “Why” is what kept them out of trouble. Yes they were indicted and left the country. But afterwards, all the stuff they did from that time forward the feds knew nothing about it. And their first indictment was probably due to Sergio or some other snitch that was hating on them, and not one of their own turning on them. This is the secret! They made sure that their people made a “TON OF MONEY”! They made sure that their own people had such a great price that they as well left the violence and stupid shit out of it. To where their margins were so big the stress from losses were not game ending to where they do stupid shit, and the icing on the cake is this. You must put yourself in a position that the people who work for you, if they were to tell on you and you take the fall, you must make sure their entire way of life and everything they have would be destroyed! Like what? Like their families , their homes etc! How? It’s no secret thay women marry & date men for money. If you are an ugly guy the only way you are getting a baddie to marry you sadly is if you are loaded. Well what happens when hot chicks date ugly guys? They have a semi pretty semi ugly baby lol. They become a family. That hot chick met this ugly guy while he was loaded, she signed up for that fast money coming out of our asses life style. And if that man no longer had that money coming in, he no longer would have the Range Rover , the boat, the home & the vacation home. No longer would the Chanel purses be bought just to get out of the dog house, that all ends and she leaves your ass, and then you will be paying child support. She their employees entire lives were over the top! They were all making millions, not just Peter and Junior. People who have never had a regular job pay them more than 50-70k a year which you can’t even freaking live on, but people do. And it’s miserable. Their employees knew if they got caught with something , their options were this! And this is the secret that all top dogs must put themselves in if they are in that life. If your people get caught and they are at the cross roads of rat or take the charge you need them In the mindset of “If I rat, they will fall, and if they fall my plug is gone. If my plug is gone, I will lose my life and my family when all my money is gone. I will then be stuck at a 9-5 being a fucking slave for the next 40 years, but if I take the charge and do the time? My plug will have mad respect for me, make sure my family is taken care of while I am away, and that all my bills are paid for the next 5-10 years that I am gone. And when I get out, I still have my plug and my ability to make money. Better yet, I can turn my little cousin onto it and still be making money and them only taking a 20% cut for the connect. They will do it because 20% of 5 million is a milli. Having that respect with your plug if little cousin doesn’t something silly, plug cuts them off. Your money is set aside while you are gone and your plug makes sure if it because of the left of respect they have for you.

Anyways those are the choices! That is how people get away with it for so long, and how they stay out of trouble. Their people must be in a position that it is far better for them to take the charge than for you to take the charge. And that’s all there is to it.

Now the part that I said I wish was different from my research. Her real name is Valerie Gaytan. It doesn’t matter that I say it because she has all new identities. She is known as Olivia in the story line. The thing is Valerie was a major player in the streets for a long time way before all this happen. She dated drug dealers, and big ones. She talked about being married to “K”, she is talking about none other than “King Kato” the biggest gangster in all of Chicago. The leader of the Latin kings and a street legend. The guy literally had an army of soldiers and was one of the most powerful men in crime IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY! The man has his name mentioned in many songs, and DMX did a tribute to him. Fat Joe tells stories about him, and how Kanye west use to carry Katos bags. That’s how big Kato was. Kanye west was his bag man. Now I do not know if she didn’t decide to give Kato the respect he deserved in this story because the word on the streets are that she had something to do with his death, and his death was due to him stealing 150 kilos from the Flores brothers, the very man she ran off with an what this story is about. So it really tainted this for me. Knowing there is so much more to his death and what really happen then she tells. They were known for no violence , but Kato was their friend and he did end up hitting them for 150 keys. Now it could of been they Kato was hit by one of their dealers. Maybe they didn’t give the direct order, and I realize they would get life if this was admitted to. The only other possibility I see in her not having an entire 2 chapters dedicated to her life with Kato is out of respect for Junior. Maybe Junior doesn’t want to hear about all her and Kato’s past. But it’s real, he was the king of Chicago, and he was the go to man for the sínaloa cartel. Kato was bigger than the Flores twins at that time. I mean his name was “King Kato” and Kanye carried his bags.

So Valerie if you read this , my complaint is that you didn’t tell the truth to the full story. And I’m not talking about who really had him killed. I get it. That can’t be talked about if you all did have something to do with it. But the streets all know they lost 150 birds that Kato took from them, and you only talked about Kato for a short time and you did not put HARDLY ANY RESPECT ON HIS NAME. So what I would highly recommend, and a way to give him the respect that he deserves is to have a totally separate book for the life and times of King Kato Rengal! Because he was the boss of bosses in Chicago for years. He is literally the man that rappers and other gangsters had to check in which before they came to town. If Kato said you are good, you are good and no one was allowed to fuck with you or cause you any harm, at least not on his watch or by anyone affiliated with him. The man literally gave Fat Joe 10k the very first time he met him because someone checked Fat Joe in with Kato and they asked Kato to take care of Fat Joe when he got to Chicago. So he stopped by at his hotel , and fat joe came up to the car and he handed him a bag and said this is for you. Didn’t even say what was in it! It wasn’t until at the end of the night with Fat Joe opened the bag that he saw there was $10k in there. This is back in 2000. That’s like 25k today. That is just a taste of who King Kato was. And you didn’t do him an respect , not like he should have received. So if you were with him for even a few years, wrote another book & make it about your time with him. He’s dead , you can’t get him in trouble , and we know he told you about how he rose to the top of the game so no one knows his story better than you. So write the book and give the King his respect.


As far as Junior and Peter snitching, I said I didn’t have a problem with it & yet I hate snitches ! So why no issue? Because they were forced to snitch. The cartels are fucking reckless and stupid for this policy. It’s like blood in , blood out. They can not expect people to do this till the day they die or go to prison. Chappo, Mayo, Vincente, La Barbie and some of the others that were not talked about that they rolled on, and La Barbie rolled too. They all do, they do it for 1 reason. Their only option is to snitch or they will be killed. They are not allowed to stop selling drugs. The cartels demand you keep making them that money forever. If they embraced a culture of retirement once you have reached your goal that you set out to reach, they wouldn’t be in prison for life right now. Chappo would be a free man right now. But because Aurturo told Junior to pick a fucking side in the middle of a cartel war, and chappo told him he could only sell for him PERIOD! They basically told them they were dead me. For doing nothing other than making all of them rich. They wouldn’t allow them to get drugs from both and 1 or the other was going to kill them. So this is a situation where snitching is not bad. What I didn’t agree with is them rolling on all the people below them. They didn’t have to do that. They could of played hardball and told the DEA there is no reason to bust them. They are gold people, and by us stopping they all stop. I am giving you the head cut off the snake with Chappo. That is all you need. So why they rolled on all their people, and many of them got 30/50 years I will not respect that. I know they just wanted protection from death, but there is a better way!

I wish you would of bragged a little more about the material things & money. I know you didn’t want to say how much they had because the way you are flying to see him every single week and not working, I know they stashed away millions. But people like the cartel life simply because of the insane amount of money they make and the toys they buy. You should remaster them book, and share photos of the houses, cars, vacations etc. There are photos of you out there, so if I have them the cartel has them. So it would be cool to see photos of all these events you described. The all white parties, the Las Vegas trips, stuff like that. That would of made it 10 out of 5 stars! Cheers!
That’s my long ass review. Anyways, amazing story.

Good, entertaining read.

I didn't like that the narrators botched the spanish names, or that the narrator that did Mia's part did a horrible impression of the male voices! Overall I was engaged and entertained.

overall great but...

the story was great but I can't help but wish they were more creative about the person switch instead of saying their name after a long pause every switch off characters. especially when they were telling a continued story. Also felt they could did better than the terrible man voice faking.

3rd Time

I read this book last year, again a couple months ago and then downloaded the audible to show a friend but got hooked and listened to it all three way through, lol. VERY good and romantic book. ♡

Cartel Wives Bio

I loved it, I am from Chicago and I know Hollywood and I also knew Kato and the Twins older brother buy his real name not Adrian. Great read, only one story was un true and that was the reason that Kato died but not to worry my lips are sealed. Great work girls. Tell Amando I said hey.