The Cali cartel, at one point, became the most powerful drug ring in the entire world, accounting for 90% of the world’s cocaine sales using a powerful system and political organizations.
The group also gave rise to the Mexican cartels as it sparked the boom of the cocaine business in Mexico, where it proved to be more lucrative than heroine. The Cali cartel earned over $7 billion each year at the peak of their business.
The Cali cartel really utilized the smuggling routes through Mexico and the Mexican heroin smugglers who were already successful, disclosed executive producer Eric Newman
As a result, the Cali cartel very much got the Mexicans into the cocaine business, so there is sort of a natural evolution there. As to whether “Narcos” Season 3 would move directly into Mexico, Newman said that it is certainly a possibility without really confirming anything thus far.
Towards the end of Season 2, fans were given a glimpse of the increasing drug trade as international demands continue to rise.
The crime organization did not last long following the death of Pablo Escobar. The drug smuggling operations of the group were taken down some two years after the arrest of Miguel Rodriguez on the work of Jorge Salcedo and the CIA.