Sofia Vergara starrer Netflix's Griselda: Was the ‘cocaine godmother’, Griselda Blanco actually addicted to basuco?

Griselda Blanco was a Colombian cocaine boss and the head of a massive drug empire in the 1970s and 1980s. She lead a luxurious lifestyle. Was the boss lady of Miami’s cocaine trade. Mother of four young sons, she was in a power position in the drugs trade and was admired and feared for her position. She was called the ‘cocaine godmother’ and ‘black widow’.

According to reports, Griselda Blanco and her husband and business partner Alberto Bravo had moved hundreds of kilos of cocaine in the US and employed close to 1,500 dealers while operating out of NYC. She became addicted to basuco, a highly addictive form of cocaine.

The Netflix series based on Griselda’s  life shows her struggles in life from the point of fleeing with her sons to Miami to becoming one of the most powerful and rich drug lords.  She used many resources to “keep the cocaine pipeline full”, according to DEA agent Steve Georges (via Sun-Sentinel). She was called the black widow because she killed her husband Albert Bravo. She later moved to Miami to continue with her drug business and take full charge of it.

According to reports published, Griselda developed an addiction to basuco, a very addictive raw form of smokeable cocaine, which led to extreme paranoia because of which she had a private Learjet crewed and fueled on standby at all times.

Because of the side effects of drugs, she became a liability in the business. Later she moved to California. On February 17, 1985, Blanco was arrested in her home by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and charged with conspiring to manufacture, import, and distribute cocaine. The case went to trial in federal court in New York City where she was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

According to NBC News, in 2012, Griselda was ‘gunned down’ in Medellín, Colombia. She was killed by a motorcycle-riding assassin, which was also the technique she and her hitmen was known for murdering people.

(With inputs from agencies)