Building on the success of its predecessor, Cocaine Cowboys 2 took viewers deeper into the underworld of violent cartels, corrupt law enforcement, and larger-than-life characters. The sequel is also popularly known as Cocaine Cowboys II: Hustlin’ With the Godmother. Unsurprisingly, Cocaine Cowboys 2 was released to generally positive reviews.
Although the character of Griselda Blanco is discussed in the first documentary, Cocaine Cowboys 2 presents the drug lord in greater depths. The documentary movie is even more relevant today, following the release of Netflix’s Sofía Vergara-led 2024 six-part miniseries Griselda. Here’s a closer look at the 2008 sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2.
An Insider Account Of The Ruthlessness Of The Godmother
One of the things that made Cocaine Cowboys 2 a compelling documentary was that it was told by an intimate eyewitness. Unlike the 2006 Cocaine Cowboys, which took a panoramic view of the 1980s Colombian drug lord’s domination of the U.S. cocaine trade, Cocaine Cowboys 2 took a focused approach on one drug lord, Griselda Blanco. Who better to tell her story than a former lover and business partner, Charles Cosby?
Charles Cosby acts as the documentary’s narrator, beginning by revealing his humble, happy childhood in Oakland, California. Cosby tells how his parents’ separation drifted him into a world of crime. However, it is his budding relationship with one of the world’s most ruthless female drug lords that quickly steers the documentary in the right direction. Incarcerated in a federal prison nearby, Cosby wrote a fan letter to Griselda Blanco in awe of her success in the cocaine business. The stories that follow begin after Blanco replies to Cosby, kick-starting a friendship that turns romantic before making Cosby head of her business operations while she is still in prison.
The Rise of Griselda Blanco
The documentary meticulously traces her meteoric rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most powerful and feared drug kingpins in Miami. Blanco’s unapologetic ruthlessness and cunning business acumen are explored in riveting detail. Charles Cosby’s closeness to Griselda Blanco shone a light on her background. As they grew closer with their correspondence, Blanco revealed her poor background and being raised in Colombian slums. Her early years in a fast-decaying Medellín exposed her to the world of crime.
The Griselda Blanco’s Connection To Riches
While Griselda Blanco might have been the central character in Cocaine Cowboys 2, her impact on Charles Cosby’s life cannot be understated. While a life of crime certainly never pays in the long run, Charles Cosby played his cards right with Blanco. Having killed her three husbands, a romantic relationship with Blanco should have been a turn-off for Cosby. However, he not only grew close to her heart, but Blanco trusted Cosby so much that she got him involved in her business.
According to Charles Cosby, it only took months to become a multimillionaire after knowing Blanco. While everyone dreaded The Godmother, Cosby knew how to play her strings. However, it wasn’t a one-sided affair, as Blanco used Cosby to control her $40 million a year cocaine business. Blanco’s need to leave prison led her to start making plans to kidnap John F. Kennedy Jr. to hold hostage for her release. As dangerous and crazy as the idea may have sounded, The Godmother was committed to it if not for Cosby, who managed to talk Griselda Blanco out of it.
Griselda Blanco’s Imprisonment & Betrayal
Having spent most of her lifetime in crime, Griselda Blanco’s arrest was only a matter of time. Blanco was arrested in her home by DEA agents on February 17, 1985. She was arrested for crimes bordering on her business as a cocaine drug lord. Blanco was found guilty and ultimately sentenced to a 15-year imprisonment. While serving her time, Blanco was charged with three additional counts of first-degree murder charges.
Griselda Blanco was ratted out by one of her hitmen, Jorge “Rivi” Ayala, who made a deal with the prosecution. Rivi was ready to stand trial before the case collapsed. The attention from Rivi’s arrest and interrogation quickly put a strain on Blanco and Cosby’s relationship. Weeks before the case collapsed, Cosby had been subpoenaed to testify against Griselda Blanco for the murder charges.
Also, at the time, Blanco and Cosby’s romantic relationship had its cracks when she turned on Cosby, suspecting he was cheating on her. More shocking at the end of the documentary was that Charles Cosby was afraid to partake in the documentary, knowing Blanco was still alive. Although at the time the documentary was released, Griselda Blanco had been deported to Colombia following a compassionate release from prison due to failing health. Cocaine Cowboys 2 first helped publicize Griselda Blanco in the 2000s before the Netflix Griselda miniseries.
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