Not only is the American crime drama TV series “Narcos” on Netflix expected to evolve for its Season 3 next year but also its storyline following the successful streaming of its Season 2 early this month featuring the demise of Columbian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.
It can be recalled in Season 2 that the Cali Cartel also helped out the Columbian authorities finally put an end to Pablo Escobar, played by Brazilian actor Wagner Moura.
The group worked with Escobar’s competition, Judy Moncada, and also enlisted the vigilante group Los Pepes. They also provided intel for the Search Bloc in the Columbia police.
The group consists of brother Gilberto Orejuela, played by Damian Alcazar, and Miguel Rodriguez, played by Francisco Denis, with Helmer ‘Pancho’ Herrera, played by Alberto Amman.
The fourth key member is Jose ‘Chepe’ Santacruz-Londono, who has yet to be introduced in “Narcos” and is likely to be done so by the series in its upcoming third season, cites iTech Post.
The Cali Cartel will take center stage in drug operations in Columbia and also in “Narcos” Season 3. Along with the teaser for “Narcos” Season 3 released a few days ago, Netflix also formally announced the renewal of the TV series for its third and fourth seasons.
A bigger drug organization
Eric Newman, executive producer of “Narcos,” said that unlike Pablo Escobar who has positioned himself as an enemy of the state, the Cali Cartel was very much a part of the system.
He added that while Escobar’s life story on “Narcos” was legendary, the Cali Cartel had a bigger organization and had an influence in Colombia’s presidency in 1994. They had control over the military, financial and legal institutions as well. The group was even listed as one of the world’s most powerful crime syndicates, details News Everyday.
The Cali Cartel 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 organization.
The group also gave rise of 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 incredibly successful, disclosed executive producer Eric Newman
As a result, they 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.
The demise of Cali Cartel
Seasons 1 and 2 of “Narcos” chronicled the emergence and eventual death of Pablo Escobar as a drug kingpin and reports now have it that the third season of the TV series shall also show the rise and fall of the Cali Cartel.
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.
There are reports going around saying that the reason why “Narcos” was renewed for two more seasons after its Season 2 is for the executive producers to come up with the storylines of the Cali Cartel in Season 3 and then the Mexican cartels in Season 4.
As far as review and assessment of Season 2 of “Narcos” are concerned, most critics were one in saying that it was a suitably impressive step forward and is obviously a marked improvement compared to the first season.
As previously hyped before its official release date, “Narcos” Season 2 shall focus on Columbian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the law enforcement officers who worked to bring him down.
Season 2 builds to a suitably grand climax but it gets overbearing at times that some critics found themselves very frustrated with the TV series.