Narcas

The Secret Rise of Women in Latin America's Cartels

By: Deborah Bonello

Narrated by: Mai Ling Turner

Drug transporters. Money launderers. Killers. Street drug vendors. Weapons traffickers. Kidnappers. Extortionists.

VICE journalist Deborah Bonello reports from the trenches in this first-ever in-depth exploration of the hidden power women wield in Latin American drug cartels

You’ve heard of Pablo Escobar, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, and Rafael Caro Quintero. Their names conjure ghoulish images of bloody streets, white powder, bundles of weed, and a particular flavor of machismo unique to ruthless druglords. But what of the drugladies, las narcas? For the first time, investigative reporter Deborah Bonello takes you behind the curtain to introduce the women at the helm of organized crime south of the US-Mexico border. These women are the powerhouses behind violent cartels; masterminds of extortion rackets; right-hand ladies to El Chapo’s cocaine flow to the US; and matriarchs of major drug trafficking families. In this book, you will meet women like Doña Digna, the leader of the Valle cartel, and Guadalupe Fernandez Valencia, one of “El Chapo” Guzman’s closest confidants.

Narcas, for the first time, gives voice to the women of notorious drug-trafficking monarchies, meticulously documenting the variety of roles they play. Bonello chronicles the complexity of their actions and their desires, the grey chasm between victims and victimizers, co-option and agency, and right and wrong. She examines why women’s experiences are under-reported, emphasizing the importance of understanding women as fully capable beings who are often as ambitious, innovative, ruthless, and violent as their male counterparts.

With careful detail, comprehensive research, and groundbreaking storytelling, Narcas paints a vivid picture of the women behind some of the most notorious drug cartels. You will not see Sebastiana Cottón or Marixa Lemus in the stereotypical portrayals of beautiful narco wives or girlfriends, or in the faces of trafficking survivors or drug mules. Rather, you’ll encounter—at staggering rates—the female cartel killers, money launderers, logistical heads, and transporters of Latin America’s infamous crime syndicates.

©2023 Deborah Bonello (P)2023 Beacon Press

Critic reviews

“The investigative reporting in this book is impressive. . . . Ms Bonello’s work enriches the reader’s understanding of drug gangs. This book is a valuable introduction to a subject that deserves more research.” —The Economist

“From El Chapo’s young wife to the women and girls enduring misogyny in Central America’s gangs, this is a fascinating narrative, a behind-the-scenes look at an aspect of the drug business most people don’t know about.” —Tracy Wilkinson, senior foreign policy writer and former Latin America bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times

“Deborah Bonello bypasses the typical macho narco narrative into something far more complex and fascinating: a look at the powerful patronas of organized crime. Finally, we get the other half of the story in this deeply reported and masterfully written book about women who built and ran their own drug empires, no matter the cost.” —Melissa del Bosque, author of Bloodlines: The True Story of a Drug Cartel, the FBI, and the Battle for a Horse-Racing Dynasty

Loved it!

Deborah does an incredible job bringing to light the ugly truth of women in narco-trafficking. She closes this blind spot superbly!

Good book

It’s a good book that’s easy to listen to. Not too long so you can finish it all in 1 day.

Fascinating

Fascinating and thoughtful (and a little terrifying I guess). Such an interesting consideration of women and our capacity for violence, alongside men's. Quite an interesting look at the male bias in covering the drug trade (and other subjects) as well.

Bad girls make good company.

Listened to the whole book in one day. How many more are out there indeed.