Netflix’s new miniseries, Griselda, follows the woman many people call the “Godmother of Cocaine.” While the series focuses on the rise and fall of Griselda Blanco, it also introduces the Ochoa brothers. If you’ve watched the series, you may recognise the Ochoas as one of Blanco's most dangerous enemies, but there's more to their story.
You may remember that he Ochoas were portrayed in another Netflix series, Narcos, which tracked the rise of drug trafficking in Colombia. The Ochoa brothers—Jorge, Juan, and Fabio—were major players in the formation of the Medellin cartel, which counted Pablo Escobar amongst its ranks. Fun fact: Narcos screenwriter Doug Miro, worked on the scripts for Griselda, too.
If there’s one thing you should know about cartels in the '80s, it’s that nearly everyone was connected. It’s no wonder that the Ochoa brothers popped up in Blanco's story. In Griselda, they’re introduced as her rivals, who try to snuff her out after a misunderstanding that didn’t actually happen—but the context is important. In real life, they had a sister named Marta. But inn Griselda, Marta’s identity is changed, and she’s portrayed as their cousin. When she dies from an accidental overdose, Blanco hides the body, which the Ochoas eventually find. They try to find and kill Blanco, but they're unsuccessful.
Marta’s actual death is up for speculation—and the Ochoa brothers' story spans further than Griselda’s reach. Throughout their lives, the Ochoas made an egregious amount of money, even while other cartels (like Blanco’s) were doing business at the same time. Business Insider estimates they made around $6 billion in drug sales. In 1987, all three brothers and Escobar were included on Forbes' first "World Billionaires" list.
Jorge once told PBS’ Frontline that their business was lucrative from the start, but the cartel became dangerous when sales skyrocketed. “Back then [pre-billionaire status], there was no kind of violence in the business or any kind of problem,” he said. “When it got big is when the problems began.” The Medellin cartel began in 1976—and by 1991, Jorge and his brothers all turned themselves into the police on drug-related charges.
According to ScreenRant, Colombian President César Gaviria Trujillo offered all local drug traffickers reduced sentences if they cooperated with the police. Jorge served a sentence of five and half years and was released in 1996. He reportedly still lives in Colombia. His brothers also served short sentences, but their whereabouts are unknown.
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5's revival. When she's not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.
