Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television

Drug War

Netflix original crime drama Narcos: Mexico dropped its first season Friday November 16, 2018.

has been renewed for a 2nd season.

rottentomatoes: 86%

metacritic: 80

imdb: 8.8

***SPOILERS AHEAD***




Narrator, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Scoot McNairyDEA Agent Walt

“I’m going to tell you a story.  But I’ll be honest, it doesn’t have a happy ending.  In fact, it doesn’t have an ending at all.  It’s about how  a bunch of institutions, some you’re supposed to trust, got together and started a war.  Not the kind of war you’re thinking of… the kind with tanks and planes and parades and shit.  I’m talking about a drug war.  The kind that’s easy to forget is happening… until you realize in the last 30 years in Mexico it’s killed half a million people… …and counting.  Now, a lot of people don’t want to hear this story.  They want to pretend it never happened.  But fuck that.  It happened.  Look, I can’t tell you how the drug war ends.  Man, I cant even tell you if it ends.  But I can tell you how it began. Or at least when we realized we were in it.  Sometimes you need somebody to wake you the fuck up and tell you the shooting has started.  In this story… that guy’s name is Kiki Camarena.” — Narrator

“Do you smoke pot?  I guess it’s okay if you do.  There are laws now that say it’s cool.  I don’t agree with them.  But it’s not up to me.  They say it’s a gateway drug.  And it is.  It sure is in this story.  If you smoked pot in the late ’70s, whether you know it or not, that pot probably started life in the same place our story begins… Sinaloa.  The third leg of what they call the Mexican Golden Triangle, the birthplace of Mexican dope smuggling, and the guys who would go on to run the game.  With its fertile fields and hills heavy with opium poppies and Mexican marijuana, to potheads and the Sinaloan scumbags who operated there, it was a regular Garden of Eden.” — Narrator

“But nothing golden can stay, man.  When the government in Mexico City figured out that a bunch of Sinaloan farmers were getting rich shipping their dope up north, they decided to do something about it.  They called it Operation Condor.  It was the codename for the government’s invasion of Sinaloa… a search and destroy mission to turn the drug trade into ashes.  The army’s goal was to burn every field they could find, arrest every trafficker, and remind the people living there who was boss.” — Narrator

“Military intervention never works the way you want it to.  In fact, it usually backfires.  Drug dealers are like cockroaches.  You can poison them, step on them… fuck, you can set them on fire, but they’ll always come back… usually stronger than ever.  Any time you think you’ve knocked out the dope business, a smart trafficker, well, he’ll just find a better way.” — Narrator

“Nowadays, you say you’re a DEA agent, you’re gonna get some respect.  But back then, people didn’t know what to make of them.  They’d only been around for a couple of years.  And compared to our better-known federal agencies, the FBI and the CIA, they were nobodies.  In fact, in 1980, there were more women in the NYPD than there were agents in the entire DEA.  The headquarters in D.C. sat on top of a fucking strip club.  And even though they didn’t need a reminder they came in last in the law enforcement pecking order, they got one pretty regularly.” — Narrator

“Have you ever met a guy like this?  Has everything under control, not a single hair out of place?  That was Miguel Àngel Félix Gallardo.  ‘The Thin Man.’  Drug kingpin of Guadalajara.  DEA wanted to know everything about him, right down to what side of the fucking bed he got up on.  But this guy had everything locked down.  Anytime they got close, his DFS friends were there waiting.  Fucking with him every step of the way.  They took what they could get.  They couldn’t get near the big fish.  So they targeted the small ones.  They worked him… and gradually started getting a better picture of the empire he’d built.  Here’s what they did know.  Félix had partnered with the DFS and plaza bosses.  And using his massive supply of marijuana, he was able to control the market and fix the price of weed across North America.  Miguel Àngel Félix Gallardo had singlehandedly built a confederation of drug traffickers.  The first Mexican drug cartel.  But that’s a lot to get your head around.  Especially when drinking the water in Mexico City.” — Narrator

“So how do you take down a crook who’s at the top of his game?  Who has every cop in town in his pocket?  Well… you hold your breath and you hope you get lucky.” — Narrator

“If you’re a criminal and you have the one group that’s supposed to be dedicated to stopping you on your side… shit.  You can run the table.  The cartel had the biggest gang in Mexico in their pocket.  A private army basically doing their bidding.  These guys brought new meaning to the term ‘serve and protect.’  Harassing, intimidating, keeping the DEA out of the way so that Félix Gallardo could focus on other things, like expanding.” — Narrator

“There’s a story about a group of blind men who come across an elephant.  I’m not sure why, but that’s not the point.  One of the blind men touches its trunk, another pats its side, another guy grabs the tail.  And they all think that’s what an elephant is.  Because they’re too close, they can’t get the whole picture.  The DEA had been on Félix for months, but turns out they were just blind guys feeling up an elephant.  Perspective changes everything.  I think that’s the point.  Well, that and a good wire tap.  Their phone guy didn’t just grab a single line.  The crafty bastard did the entire exchange.  Every number that passed through the hotel Americas.  And the second the wire tap went up, they started to truly understand the Guadalajara cartel.  For the first time, they started to see the whole fucking elephant.  All of the fifth floor.  Purchasing.  A full-time secretary to handle DFS bribes.  Scores of accountants.  Transpo.  All working toward a single goal: the outflow of weed, the inflow of cash.  And overseeing it all from right here in sunny Guadalajara, our man Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo.  They called it Operation Padrino.  And what they discovered was staggering.  The sheer size.  Payroll for field workers, drivers, cops, enforcers.  Nearly a hundred code names for politicians, small and large.  Then, for payments for farm equipment, fuel, real estate, even fucking strawberry soda.  But the most interesting part, was where he parked his cash.” — Narrator

“There were stories of people hundreds of miles away feeling a little funny that afternoon.  But not Rafael Caro Quintero.  in 1984, total US marijuana consumption was estimated at 15,000 metric tons.  His field was one third of it.  Five thousand motherfucking tons.  Caro Quintero had built the greatest weed farm in the history of modern agriculture.  Perfectly engineered to maximize profit, he even timed the harvest for March.  Why?  Every narcos’ favorite holiday: spring break.  And in the end, they got it all.  The largest seizure in history.  Street value: two and a half billion.  I mean, there were oil fields in Saudi Arabia worth less.  Time Magazine called it ‘the Bust of the Century.’  You like that?  DEA sure as hell did.  Four years of having their asses handed to them.  They handed it all back.  With interest.  And for the first time, the Thin Man was vulnerable.” — Narrator

“I told you back in the beginning this story doesn’t have a happy ending.  No one who went through it, even the survivors, came out intact.  What happened in Guadalajara in the early ’80s was the beginning.  The last moment before it all got fucked up, spun out of control.  It was that moment when it all fell apart.  What happened in Guadalajara gave birth to the first cartel.  And from that, others would follow.  And the violence and money and drugs, they’d just fucking explode.  It changed the DEA too.  Maybe it woke us up.  I don’t know.  But it’s where the first shot was fired.  The one that started the drug war.  And after that, none of it would be the same.  How could it be?  Didn’t matter if we’d ever met him or not.  Kiki Camarena was one of us.  He was ours.  And when he was killed, we knew we were in a war.  Now it was our turn.  Pretty soon, they were going to know… they were in one too.” — Narrator


Kiki Camarena, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Michael Peña Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena

DEA agent Kiki Camarena is reassigned south of the border to Jalisco, Mexico to try and put a dent in the burgeoning Guadalajara Cartel.


Kiki Camarena, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Michael Peña“It’s like four o’clock in the morning, right?  And I’m coming up from Long Beach with a bunch of vatos.  Then all of a sudden… fucking shit, bro.  Fuck.  I get pulled over and this dude is just eyeing me, right?  And I’m looking at him back and he’s like, ‘can I get your driver’s license?’  I got five pounds in the trunk and he’s fucking gonna stop me for a fucking taillight?  So, anyway, I look over my shoulder, and my boy Diaz, you know, he’s like this.  He’s got the gun pinned against the door, right?  Oof.  He’s not gonna go back.  If this guy asks me to pop the trunk, I’m gonna blow his fucking head off.  But all of a sudden, there’s… fucking radio chirps.  ‘Robbery in progress.  Blah, blah, blah.’  He comes back and he looks at me and he says, ‘hey, you know what?   It’s your lucky day.  Fix that fucking taillight.’  And I’m thinking to myself, ‘my lucky day?’  Crazy, bro.  Hey, so what’s up?  We gonna do this?  Hey, so what’s up?  We gonna do this?  A fucking quarter?  Are you serious?  What I want to see is a hundred.  Something you could’ve bought off the street, right?  If you want me to start off with a sample, you take me to your warehouse, you pull out a bale, and I take my sample from that.  Chuy’s making the fucking introduction!  Thought you had this lined up.  You’re wasting my time with this clown.  He’s making the fucking introduction!  All right.  I didn’t come here for a fucking sample.  All right?  I came here for a supplier.  Is that gonna be you?  You know what?  I’m on parole, so I ain’t hitting shit.  Look, motherfucker, I don’t like being called a fucking liar.  And worse… hey, whoever’s listening, they can’t hear us right now.  Hey, whoever’s listening, they can’t hear us right now.  Hey… see that?  Point it at my head.  Point it at me.  Point it at me!  Go like this.  Yeah, yeah.  There you go.  You’d know what would work better?  Like that.  If I was a fucking cop and I had a gun pointed to my head, they’d be rushing through that fucking door and blowing you motherfuckers away.  Yeah.  Fucking bitch, bro.  Right.  All right.  I’m gonna take that quarter so my homies can get your… samples.  Hey, I’m DEA, all right?  Administration.  Yeah, that’s my partner, and if it wasn’t for you guys, we’d be taking down a hundred fucking pounds next week!  No, I get it.” — Kiki Camarena

“With all due respect, sir, it was like working with amateurs.  Like six months of undercover work down the drain because of those guys.  It was only an introduction.  There was no threat.  there was no need for local P.D.  Sir, it– it’s more complicated than that.  You read it, sir.  Um… has a decision been made about my transfer, sir?  Yeah.  All right.  Who did they give Miami to?  Was it Collins?  O’Brian?  No, just tell me.  I can take it.  Just tell me.  Kershaw?  I didn’t know he put in for it.  I got attitude!  Want more attitude?  I’ll give you more attitude.  Five years on post here isn’t enough, sir?  What other post is available, sir?  What do you have?” — Kiki Camarena

“That’s all that was available.  If I stay here, my career’s just gonna die.  I’m serious.  No, no, I mean– you know what?  If you don’t move on, you don’t move up.  That’s the way.  Miami.  Fucking Kershaw.  I swear.  It’s fucking bullshit.  Dunn’s a fucking asshole.  Five years for what?  I’ll stop.  I’ll stop.  All right.  All right, let’s go, Kikito.  Just like I said.  Keep your eye on the ball and swing through it, okay?  Hey!  Keep it simple.  Remember, remember, from the ground up, rotate, release, and keep your eye on the ball.  Let’s go.  That’s not how we practiced.  That’s your dad’s genes at work right there.  Yeah, good contact.  I mean, we could always move back to Calexico.  No, I can do other things.  I can do other things.” — Kiki Camarena

“I don’t know.  I mean, that’s only the sixth one.  Yeah, nobody wants that.  Why are you looking at me like that?  I don’t.  You sure you want that?  What about you?  Right.” — Kiki Camarena

“Hi, I’m Kiki Camarena.  I’m looking for Jaime Kuykendall.  Thank you.  Yes, sir.  Nice to meet you.  Thank you, sir.  It was a little long, sir.  Having a six-year-old in the back didn’t help.  But I look forward to getting started.  Well, the tan isn’t from the sun.  I was born this way.  Uh… like you might expect, sir.  Sure, yeah.  No, I’d imagine that the informants probably feel a little safer talking corruption to a fellow Mexican.  Uh, well, my grandmother’s from Guadalajara and I used to spend a lot of time here as a kid.  Right.  Uh, sir, is there a case that you want me to jump on?  Ah.  Like a neighborhood watch.  No, I understand, sir.  Sorry.  I understand, like, you know– if data gathering is what you do, then, uh, I’m all in, sir.” — Kiki Camarena

“So you just buy them drinks all night and hope they give you something?  Just got here.  Are you on duty?  Kika Camarena.  These guys all cops?  And the judicial police?  That’s the American way.  Do you want one?  At least you have a job, right?  What a nice guy, your uncle.  Who are they?  Ah.  Guess we’re not buying them drinks.  Right.  No, I get it.  Not our ballgame.  We just provide the refreshments.  Sure.  You’ve got blood on your shoes.” — Kiki Camarena

“Just a few days.  There’s traffickers just going in and out, in and out.  Look at it.  Business is booming.  Look at the license plates.  Zacatecas, Sonora, Baja California.  I mean, all out of state.  They’re pushing drugs out and bringing cash back in.  We gotta move on it.  Yes, sir.  No.  It all adds up.  Make them do their job, sir.  Instead of taking that monthly donation… fucking take whatever they don’t want us to have.” — Kiki Camarena

“He’s mad because he had to do his fucking job.  This place is dirty as fuck.  Sir, if there’s nothing to it, then why is he guarding this place with–” — Kiki Camarena

“That’s it?  We waited three months for this?  This is bullshit.  You guys know that, right?  Well, it does if you irrigate it.  What do you think all the pipes were for?  If they didn’t find anything, they didn’t want to.  The eradication program is either broken or bought and paid for by whoever’s running this fucking thing.  You read the same cables that I do.  When Pedro Avilés and the Naranjo brothers died, what happened to the price of weed?  It stabilized from L.A. to Houston.  Because it’s coming from the same organization, the same fucking source.  That going to change anything?  Well, the joke’s on us, because the system’s busted.  I mean, are you guys okay with that?  Chasing some Mickey Mouse bust while some asshole’s changing the game right under our fucking noses?  Nothing down here works.  Is it that you don’t give a shit, or it’s been so long you forgot what doing your job actually looks like?  I’d love to, pal.  Fuck you!  Hey, it’s five o’clock.  Shouldn’t you be at the Camelot drinking beers by now?  Someone should tell D.C. and tell them we surrendered Guadalajara.” — Kiki Camarena

“Turns out the easy way was to beat the shit out of me.  And I said, ‘I had them on possession, but now I have them on assault, so damn right it was worth it.'” — Kiki Camarena

“Why did you tell them that story?  Yeah, I don’t need them to like me.  I’m not an asshole.  I don’t care what they think.” — Kiki Camarena

“Sir.  I picked this myself, 200 miles north of the city.  Brass know that?  You can see it from outer space.  Yes, sir.  Yep.  Everyone’s involved.  The DFS.  Jalisco P.D.  Everyone.  Who’s that guy?  The skinny dude getting his ass kicked?  What’s his name?  That’s him. That’s our guy.” — Kiki Camarena

“That’s because the business is organized.  Well, the more money you have, the more cops you can own, the more you can inflate the numbers.  It’s a joke.” — Kiki Camarena

“That’s the largest marijuana grow in history.  By anyone’s estimation.  I’m trying to do my job.  See, you can’t ignore this and neither can the Mexican government.  What I want to see is change.  This is the most backward fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” — Kiki Camarena

“Yeah.  A while.  Long time.  I already told them everything.  I have a wife… kids.  Young boys.  I was born in Baja.  I’m Mexican.  They keep asking about men in Mexico city.  Your partners’ names.  I can help you.  When they flip on you.  You’re too smart not to see that.  You’re not calling the shots here.  What does that tell you?  Let me go home.  Let me go back to my family.  I have.  I told them everything.  I don’t know anything else.  No, it’s not.  I’m already dead.  We both know that.  I won’t survive this.  But know what else?  Neither will you?  You have no idea what’s coming at you.  What you started.  Everything you’ve worked for… whatever dream you had… it’s over.  You fucked up, man.” — Kiki Camarena


Mika Camarena, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Alyssa DiazMika Camarena

“Guadalajara?  That from the handbook?  What do you want me to say, Kiki?  It’s not Miami.  Kikito’s about to bat.  Good contact, Kikito.  I got a better idea.  Why don’t you quit?  Fuck it.  Become a fireman again.  Sure you can, honey.” — Mika Camarena

“How many more are you gonna have?  I’d have my own, but I wouldn’t want her to turn out like you.  I think you know.  I don’t want to stay in Fresno.  You’re tired of the same.  I am too.  So let’s change it.  Together.  Show them what they’re not seeing.  Don’t you?  Take Mexico, Kiki.  Prove them wrong.  I have to check, but I’m pretty sure women give birth in Mexico, too.” — Mika Camarena

“The week Kiki got accepted into the DEA, we’re at this wedding.  Actually, we crashed it, but Calexico’s so small, everybody knows each other.  So we have a few drinks, everything’s fine.  Then this kid comes to the table to tell his mom he can’t go to the bathroom because there was a guy in there smoking pot.  Right.  So brand-new federal agent here is like, ‘I got this.’  Heads off to the bathroom.  Well, it wasn’t one guy, it was four.  So he says to them, ‘we can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way.’  All this for a joint, right?  So I ask him, ‘was it worth it?  Are you happy now?'” — Mika Camarena

“Because it’s funny.  It’s who you are.  Yeah, but I do.  I’m down here alone, Kiki.  I need to talk to other adults sometimes to actually make friends.  And it helps if the other Americans don’t all think my husband’s an asshole.  Not all the time.” — Mika Camarena


Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Diego Luna Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Diego Luna Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Diego Luna Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Good job, Commander.  I’ll get him out.  The man you’re looking for is Rafa Quintero.  Who am I?  Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo.  Sinaloa State Police.  At your service.  Come on, Commander.  It’s a church.  There are children in there.  There are women.  You hardly need to make such a fuss to get a single man, right?  Let me get him out.  Everyone here knows me.  Wait.  Father, I’m coming in.  There you go, fucker.  There you have him… Rafael Caro Quintero.  An illiterate moron who works for Pedro Avilés, the biggest drug dealer in Sinaloa.  The government has sent the army now.  Now you’re really fucked.  I want you to tell the gentleman here the location of the fields they haven’t burned.  All right, let’s try that again.  Where the fuck are the fields they haven’t burned?  Pay attention, moron.  Where are the Tameapa fields they haven’t burned?  What do you say?  Can I take him?  There!  Hey!  Stay calm.  There you go.  Be quiet.  Don’t get out.  Hey, it’s me.  I’m going to open the door.  How’s it going, son?  Are you okay?  My love, predicting is not planning.  You all right?  Did you protect your mom?  Hey, you don’t have to be afraid.  All right.  You didn’t stay in the car.  Get inside.  They’re going to see you.  Go on, go inside with him!  Don’t be a crybaby.  No.  If we don’t do it now, nothing is going to change.  But I’ve already told you… if you want me to stop, I’ll stop.  All right.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Yes.  But with crisis… comes opportunity.  Right?  You taught me that, Governor.  I came to thank you for everything you’ve done for my family.  Maybe, right?  But no.. you never wanted to change things.  Never wanted something bigger, right?  Yeah.  Yes.  All right, Governor.  Thank you.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Yes.  Yes, it’s time.  It’s time you buy some new clothes, man.  Are you coming in?  All right.  Excuse me, boss.  If you’ll allow me… I have an idea to solve this for good.  He’s the governor of Sinaloa.  They don’t tell him shit.  With all due respect, boss, but the army burns our fields, and what do we do?  We buy Durango weed and hope to stay alive, really?  Again?  We’ll end up the same or even more screwed when they come back.  We have to restart the business somewhere else.  Where they can’t touch us.  Where they wouldn’t even try.  We have to go to Guadalajara.  We’re nobodies here, Don Neto.  The armies invade us, and what?  No fucking journalists will write about it.  They do this because we are Sinaloans.  We’re fucked.  Nothing happens here.  Things are different there.  There are banks there, big businesses, and fancy people.  I’d like to see the government send the army there.  It would be a huge mess.  Front-page news and all that shit.  I say it’s the only way.  But whatever you say, boss.  Ex-cop.  You are the Lion of Sinaloa.  The guy who invented the game.  They’d be fools not to negotiate.  Sounds good.  I just ask that you send someone with me, to lend me credibility.  Don Neto would do.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Yeah, got it.  Go ahead.  Rafa!  Once you finish, go straight to the hotel, okay?  Brother… this is serious.  Do you have two rooms?  Well, indefinitely.  After that mess that happened in Sinaloa… an opportunity was born for our organizations.  We’re looking for a partnership.  Yes.  It’s very easy.  Basically, we move our growing operation here.  We move to Guadalajara.  And all we need from you is police protection.  We take care of everything, the labor, the distribution, all of the costs.  And we’re willing to split the profits 50/50.  I mean, we’re… we’re the best suited to make this thing grow.  You know what?  I have another proposal for you.  Rafa.  Come on.  Come on.  Show me.  Come on, show it to me.  Seriously?  Hey… stick to the plan.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Hello.  I’m a cop, too.  At least I was.  State police.  I used to patrol the fields at night back in Sinaloa.  One night, I found a man clipping buds from the stalks back in the fields.  Poor bastards.  Stealing from men who don’t know how to forgive… just like you.  They asked me to kill him and ‘make him disappear.’  Do you know what I did?  I drove him out to the edge of the desert… I pulled him out of the car, and told him to run.  I told him to go straight until the sun rose.  That man… was the brother of a cop.  He was just starting out.  They called him ‘El Azul.’  But I think you call him something else, no?  I think you call him ‘Commander.’  Take me to him.  Or we’ll see if you don’t end up just like me.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Commander.  Good evening.  We’re here to make you a proposal.  My deal is only for you.  It was never for the Naranjos.  My offer is in that bag.  It’s our new strain.  It’s much stronger than the shit you have here.  Tell him, bro.  I’m looking for a partner.  I’m offering 50 percent.  What do you think?  What do we call it?  Wait, wait, wait.  He’s with us.  Yeah.  He was dragging his feet.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“It’s a desert.  Hey.  Yes.  It’s his baby.  We’re starting to understand each other, Don Neto.  It can’t be done.  It can’t grow near any other dope.  The strain would be contaminated.  For these fuckers to grow… they have to be alone.  I don’t know.  What do you think?  Being the biggest trafficker in Mexico?  I think he’ll like it.  He seems like that sort of guy.  I’ve got a plan.  No, I’m not interested in your business.  What I’m doing here… is building an empire.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“We’re producing more than anyone else.  With good distribution, we’ll dominate the market.  Once we control it, we set a fixed price.  Our price.  On top of that, we don’t have to worry about getting undercut.  More profits will come.  And little by little, more stability.  There you go.  More or less.  And with control, there won’t be violence.  Yeah.  We just need the important ones.  Most of them we know.  Yeah.  No.  We do business with any man we trust and respect.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“What else could I do?  You couldn’t have told me about the bad blood?  You don’t give a shit about anything, do you?  You know what this can be, for all of us.  We have to grow.  Otherwise, life does whatever the fuck it wants with you.  Fuck you, old man.  Okay?  Enough.  Pick a side already.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“So, then, gentlemen, we are guaranteeing protection for all your plazas.  With the agreement of every man here, my boss, Pedro Avilés of Sinaloa, Pablo Acosta of Ojinaga, the Arellano Félix brothers from Tijuana, our friend Gabino Salcido from Mazatlán, Filemón Medina of Zacatecas, Rene Verdugo from Nogales.  And of course the DFS, which will coordinate security for our arrangement.  Today is an important day for all of us. Gentlemen, we have our consortium.  Cheers!” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Never forget where you come from.  We Sinaloans may scatter to the winds, but our roots keep us planted firmly on the ground.  Know that today, you have taken part in a sacred act.  ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.’  There is no stronger bond that that of the family you choose.  And today, you decided to be together, to be a family.  You’re screwed.  So, cheers, and long live the bride and groom.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Lots of work, been tired.  That’s it, very tired.  I’m going to Columbia.  I leave tomorrow.  I know, that’s why I’m telling you now.  Hey, keep it down.  If I don’t, someone else will.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“When I was 22, I was in love.  My first wife… she died of leukemia.  We have to control this fucking world.  Or it will control you.  And if you don’t protect yourself, it makes a mess and breaks you.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Don Neto.  With crisis comes opportunity.  Your pain?  Find where it lives, kill it.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“Look around the room, what do you see?  Consider where we started and where we sit today.  We got into this business with the hope of great fortune.  Four our families, for our children… and it was here… that I asked you to put your business in my hands.  That with our leverage of superior supply and our country-wide distribution, we would dominate the market.  We underestimated ourselves.  Now we have more money than we can ever spend.  You didn’t come dressed this way last time.  But show me the man who’s happy with what he has… and I’ll show you the fool.  Hey.  Business is changing and we must change with it.  I’ll be making some adjustments to the organization… specifically to management.  Héctor Palma will now be running operations in Mazatlan.  And Júarez… we’re sending you Amado.  Under your guidance and with his vision for the future… that plaza will take on new significance.  Tijuana.  Tijuana stays the same.  The Arellano Félix brothers will continue to oversee operations.  The future is here… and that future is cocaine.  Not anymore.  Who made the deal with the Colombians?  I made the deal.  No one else.  Whoever doesn’t agree can get the fuck out of here.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“You can see my issues with the government have been resolved.  After a period of misunderstanding… I’ve secured their cooperation.  They’re my partners again.  Which of course, I’m glad to share with you.  That’s what old friends are for, right?  Remember when all this began, bringing together plazas to sell weed?  We were so small.  But… we were trying something new, doing things no one had ever done.  And we grew fast.  Along the way, we lost good men.  Neto.  Rafa.  I’ll carry each in my heart, always.  We shouldn’t forget them.  Or the lessons they can teach… about what happens we lose our way, let our minds wander.  When we start fucking up… doing stupid shit.  They called us ‘La Familia.’  Sure, ’cause we started so small.  And today, with the arrangements I’ve made with the government, I’m more powerful than any trafficker in the history of Mexico.  Today we’ve become ‘La Federación.’  And you are all welcome.  Thank you for your trust.  That’s all, then.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

“I know you.  You yelled at me in the street.  How long have you been on me?  At the border.  That was you, too.  You shouldn’t be down here then.  This isn’t your country.  You’re too smart to believe that.  Help me?  Tell these men what you know.  Then you go home.  These help with stress.  Lately been keeping me up.  Funny.  Slept like a baby before I became rich.  I’m from a small place.  I used to be a cop.  I had a family.  Lived day to day.  Bills to pay.  Medicine to buy.  Like you, I bet.  But know how I got where I am?  When I look at something… I don’t see it for what it is.  I see it for what it could be.  When I look at something… I see how it ends.  You want this to end, right?  Okay.  Tell them everything they want to know.  You hear me?  Everything.  Then you’ll go home.  That’s how this ends.  All right, then.  So increase the adrenaline.  Just do it.  Finish this.” — Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo


Maria Elvira, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Fernanda UrrejolaMaria Elvira, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Fernanda UrrejolaMaria Elvira

“We heard them ripping the place apart.  They came back.  Just like you said they would.  As if you’d planned it.  They didn’t take all of it.  Go on, go with your uncle.  I considered letting them take all of it… buy ourselves another couple of months.  I know.  That’s why I could never ask it of you.  I think you also predicted that, you bastard.” — Maria Elvira

“You’ve been quiet all day.  All week.  When are you going?  You never told me about this shit.  Are you crazy?  Cocaine, Miguel?  But… you’ve been so careful in building everything we have.  Why do you want to do this now?” — Maria Elvira


Rafael Caro Quintero, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Tenoch HuertaRafael Caro Quintero, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Tenoch HuertaRafael Caro Quintero

“Laugh now, but the future finds us all.  Even here in Sinaloa.  She’s right.  The new batch needs to breathe.  Hoping to borrow an exhaust fan.  Go, Rafa!  Tell them to ring the bell!  They’ll kill me if I do.  I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about– I don’t know!  Up there, sir!  Up there!  On the other side of the hill, two kilometers past the river.  Look at what these fucking assholes have done.  Sweetie.  Starting to hurt.  They’re cutting off my circulation.  Do you see what they did to my greenhouse?  Well, that should be enough.  I always said you were the brains in this house, Maria.  You hit me really hard, asshole.” — Rafael Caro Quintero

“Nervous?  It’s time.  Hello, Joaquin.  No.  I’m just the farmer.  That part’s on you.” — Rafael Caro Quintero

“I brought those for all of us.  Okay.  Okay.  I spoke to the geologist.  He said that… here.  It’s closer than we thought.  We just have to dig.” — Rafael Caro Quintero

“Well, I bred out the male strain.  The males would cross pollinate the female and so… there’s no seeds.  Your dope’s filled with stems, seeds, shit you can’t smoke.  So it takes up less space.  We can transport much more using the same number of trucks.  Seedless.  Yeah.” — Rafael Caro Quintero

“This is it.  But there’s a lot of water underneath.  Enough to grow all the dope the U.S. can smoke in a year.” — Rafael Caro Quintero


James Kuykendall, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Matt LetscherDEA Agent James Kuykendall

“Agent Camarena.  Jaime.  Jaime Kuykendall.  Welcome to Guadalajara.  Come on back.  So how was the trip down?  I take it you speak Spanish?  Well, how did that play with the boys up in Fresno?  My wife is from Chiapas.  But we like it better here.  Yeah, I think you will too.  I mean, the truth is, this office has been needing someone like you.  Don’t get me wrong.  Agents Knapp and Sears, they’re strong agents, but ethnicity poses its limitations on the locals here.  So you get how Mexico works.  Well, the Mex-Feds are crooked as hell, but they’re what we got.  You know, we work with them best we can.  We try to, anyway.  It may serve you better to think about this as more of a, uh… a data-gathering assignment rather than a traditional law enforcement posting.  You know, we can’t arrest anyone.  We don’t have that power.  We just gather intelligence best we can, and send it on to the agents up north.  We do the best we can.  Good.  All right.  So we hit the Camelot around 5:00.  That’s the bar across the street.  You should join us.  I mean, you’ve seen the desert.  It’s time to meet the snakes.” — James Kuykendall

“The boogeyman.  Three whiskies.  Those boys are DFS.  Federal Security Directorate. They’re kind of like the KGB and the Gestapo all rolled into one.  No.  No, they get theirs from the CIA.  Yeah.  We steer clear of them, they do the same for us.  That’s just kind of the deal.  You learn quick.” — James Kuykendall

“The eradication program is bullshit.  Christ.  I don’t know what they know.  I believe you.  But if you ever do something as stupid as going up there alone again, you can pack your shit, ’cause I’m sending you home.  You add whoever’s running the eradication program, we got ourselves a conspiracy.  The Godfather.” — James Kuykendall

“We feel our best bet is to go straight at Félix, sir, cut the head off the snake.  Of course, it’s a challenge when the men who are supposed to be our partners are working against us.  We need some real support from Mexico City, sir.  Enough pressure from you… we just might get it.  All right.  Sir, numbers aside, there is a real opportunity here.  We take out Félix, we cripple the Mexican drug trade.” — James Kuykendall


El Azul, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Fermín MartínezComandante El Azul

“Good evening, everyone.  Tomás.  Who are your friends?  What a good idea.  Except I don’t have a brother, you fucking idiot.  Yeah, they told me you had a proposal.  I heard you had a meeting with Hernin Naranjo.  And it didn’t go well.  Jesus!  Give me one of our kilos.  They both weigh the same.  How?  And what do you call this?  Calm down.  Put the gun down.  Lower it.  You’ll have to excuse me.  But I’ve gotta look after my partners.  Go get them!  Tomás, take care of it.  And you… didn’t you say you aren’t with these guys?  That’s good.  I want my money every month.  I figure it’ll take a little while… for it to grow.  All right.  First month is courtesy of the Naranjos.  It’s a pleasure.” — El Azul


Roger Knapp, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Lenny JacobsonDEA Agent Roger Knapp

“We got two whiskeys, three Cuba libres, and cinco cervezas.  Look, nobody talks more shit than a drunk Mexican cop.  I got it.” — Roger Knapp

“Well, that conspiracy threw itself one hell of a party last night.  I bought these off the wedding photographer.  We got ourselves… governors, senators, brand-name big shots like the head of the DFS… and a who’s who of Sinaloan dirt-bags.  I’ve never seen so many assholes under one roof.  All right, well, who’s our Lee Iacocca then?  Sinaloan.  Owned the hotel, plus a bunch of other shit in town, and he was definitely the El Padrino at this thing.  Miguel Félix Gallardo.” — Roger Knapp


Butch Sears, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Aaron StatonDEA Agent Butch Sears

“Drunker they get, the more they spill.” — Butch Sears

“Desert dope?  I tried to tell you.  Someone is making them all sing in tune.  Running dope like it’s a corporation.” — Butch Sears


Tomas Morlet, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Horacio Garcia RojasFederale Tomás Morlet

“Federal Security Directorate!  On your feet!  I want to see your hands!  Hands!  Don’t do anything stupid.  Search them.  Let’s go.  We found this fat fuck headed out of town.  Let’s go.  Stop talking.  Let’s go.” — Tomás Morlet

“Commander.  This is the man who saved your brother’s life back in Sinaloa.  Thought maybe you’d want to talk to him before we kill him, boss.” — Tomás Morlet


Sammy Alvarez, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Guillermo VillegasSammy Alvarez

“You’re new here, right?  Welcome to Guadalajara.  Everyone here is on duty.  Look.  Sammy Alvarez.  Yeah.  The ones in uniform, those are the Guadalajara municipal cops.  In other words, local shit.  The ones in blue are the Jalisco State Police.  The one over here is my captain.  The two tables in the back, the federales.  The one talking to your boss, that’s Commander Rojas.  And the one next to him is Commander Mendez.  You guys like to buy drinks, eh?  Sure, I’ll take the same.  My uncle is from the Jalisco State Police.  One day, he calls me and tells me to go to his house.  And to bring some money.  And he starts to count it.  Bah, bah, bah.  All of a sudden… he says that I am now a cop too.  I suppose I was helping someone get out of trouble, and in exchange, he got me a job.  He takes ten perfect of what I make.  Thank you.” — Sammy Alvarez


Pedro Avilés, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Antonio Lopez TorresPedro Avilés

“Don’t you fuck with me!  Six fucking months!  And what were you doing while they burned my fields?  Yeah, I see that.  Thank you for your sacrifice, Hector.  But the rest of you?  I see a lot of two-eyed motherfuckers in here!  What the fuck did any of you do?  Go to Durango.  Tell Gomez to sell us whatever he’s got.  It might be enough to hold us over.  Let’s see… Guadalajara is still run by the Naranjo brothers.  No one fucking laughs at me.  Go to Guadalajara.  Sit down with them.  If you can’t make a deal… it’s on you.  Who do you have in mind?  Well, shit.” — Pedro Avilés


Don Neto, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Joaquín CosioErnesto Fonseca Carrillo ‘Don Neto’

“He lost an eye, Pedro.  Well, fuck.  Didn’t this guy used to babysit the governor’s kid?  Could have gotten a heads-up from him.  We’re nobodies there.  What does this fucker know?  He’s not a trafficker.  He’s a cop.  Even worse.  Think those fucking animals are gonna let us move into their territory, Pedro?  They’re going to laugh at us.  He’s right about that.” — Don Neto

“Take the ones I didn’t take for myself.  You must think you’re pretty smart, kissing Pedro’s ass to get him to back you.  Let me explain how this shit works.  These guys, the Naranjo brothers, they’re the competition.  They don’t give a shit about the ‘Lion of Sinaloa.’  And they certainly don’t give a shit about you.  I’m treating this like a vacation to Guadalajara.  Gonna have a lot of fun.  I ain’t part of your plan.  I’ll get you a meeting and then I’ll sit back and watch you go down.  Got it?  And another thing… that ass-kissing shit?  It cuts both ways.  You embarrass Pedro, make him look weak, he’ll blow holes in you.  That goes for you too, cupcake.” — Don Neto

“What’s going on?  Is he looking for vocational guidance or what?  I’m getting a drink.  It was an unplanned trip.  Babysitting this one.  How’s your brother?  Yes.  Yes, of course.  Anyway, like I said, I’m here to introduce you to this guy.  He’s got a proposal for you.  Yes.  What the fuck is wrong with you?  Did you go crazy, motherfucker?  Any minute now, this place is gonna be crawling with cops, their cops, who are gonna drive us straight to his brother to burn us alive.  You’re crazy.  Fuck you both.” — Don Neto

“They’re going to kill us and it’s your fault, asshole.  Good evening.  This is their deal, I’m not with them.  Just to make it clear.  It was just a joke.  You learn that at college?  That true?  What he said back there?  Did he create that shit?  Well, then he’s a genius!  That’s why you brought him.  If you guys had that magic weed, why not plant it back home?  And Avilés?  What’s he going to think about all of this?  And why me?  I don’t doubt it.  Either way, you’re still fucking crazy.  But maybe you know more about this business than I thought.” — Don Neto


Suzy, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Natasha EscaSuzy

“Mr. Kuykendall is in the back waiting for you.” — Suzy


Hernán Naranjo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Carlos Hernan RomoHernán Naranjo

“Where are the fuckers?  These are the motherfuckers who killed my brother?  No, fuck that!  Want to explain to me why this fucking guy’s still breathing?  These sons of bitches die right now!  This fucking guy just killed my brother!” — Hernin Naranjo


Hernin Naranjo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Ari GallegosHernin Naranjo

“Don Neto.  I was surprised to hear you were in town.  I heard about the army.  They burned the goods again, right?  Too bad.  But if you want to kill rats, guess you have to go into the sewer?  Right?  A proposal?  How nice.  Let’s hear it then.  Partnership?  Well, now I’m interested.  Uh-huh.  Okay.  Well, look at this fucker.  How about this?  We split the profits 60/40.  No, wait… 70/30.  No… 80/20?  No… 90/10.  Here’s my final offer.  You get nothing and get out of my fucking town.  Partners?  Is this fucking guy serious?  You guys have a lot of fine pussy in Sinaloa, right?  Well, since everyone is going to starve, why don’t you send us the best you got?  We’ll find work for them here.  Tell the Lion that we’re laughing at him in Guadalajara.  ‘Partnership.’  Oh, really?” — Hernán Naranjo


Hector, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Fernando RoblesHector

“How’s it going?  How are things in the land of the future?  Look, my newest student.  This is the real future, you’ll see.  Okay, princess.  Is this ready to harvest?  What do you think?  He was my student, but would you believe, now he plays with weeds in greenhouses.  You’re like a florist.  Go on, princess.  You guys heard her.  Come on.  One more week before picking.  And what are you doing here?  Did you come out for some fresh air?” — Hector

“We need to replant everything again.  That’s the thing.  We lost everything, boss.  The entire damn field.” — Hector


Jim Dunn, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Tim RansomJim Dunn

“It was a rough one out there.  You don’t think to inform local law enforcement that you’re running an op in their backyard?  Kiki, you had a gun at your head.  Fuck it.  One more scumbag off the street.  Didn’t go your way.  Does it matter?  Yeah.  What am I always telling you?  Attitude and experience are factors.  Kershaw has both.  Your time will come.” — Jim Dunn


Cooper, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Eddie MartinezCooper

“Like what you see, we talk next time.  I set you up with more.  That’s not how I work, vato.  Like I said, I’ll start you on a sample.  What warehouse?  I don’t fucking know you.  Listen to me, puto… you know what?  You’re kind of pushy, homes.  Yeah?  So why don’t you take a hit?  Chill the fuck out.  You and your little fucking story.  What is it?  Some kind of cover, puto?  What, you got your cop buddies listening in right now?  A fucking cop.  That was crazy, fucker, eh?  It was funny though.  Get him a beer.  I’m on parole too.  It’s a bitch, you know?  ‘Pull it, pull it.’  You’re fucking crazy.  I like you, puto.  I like you.  Oh.  Yeah, yo.  So listen.  So it’s like this, homie.  I got a shipment landing next week.  So once it gets here… … you come to my spot, and then you can feel all the bales you want, carnal.  All right, cheers.” — Cooper


Chuy, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Roman ArabiaChuy

“Hey!  Chill!  Chill!  Chill!  Yo, he didn’t get that shit off the street, man.  I can speak for that.  No, no, no.  Hey, you’re fucking crazy, man.  I hear you, bro.” — Chuy


Governor Celis, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Rodrigo MurrayGovernor Celis

“Half the state is smoldering.  Mexico City’s never cared about us.  They only care about showing the Americans they can control the marijuana business.  And risk.  I taught you that too.    You had as much to do with raising Rodolfo as I did.  Could’ve had a real career in law enforcement, Miguel.  Head of state police, if you wanted.  Might’ve even changed things around here.  A Sinaloan president?  No.  Have to make a lot of noise to change things.  I’m not one for noise.  I’ll tell Rodolfo you came by.  He’ll be sorry he missed you.  Whatever you’re planning, be careful.” — Governor Celis


Commander, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Alberto TrujilloCommander

“We are the national army.  We’re here to liberate you from the traffickers of Sinaloa who have acted in defiance of the federal government for too long.  Come out with your hands in the air, or we will enter by force.  On my signal, I want you to shoot at the door.  I just want them to know we’re here.  Okay?  Wait!  Who the fuck are you?  Yes.  Who are you?  And do you realize that we’re in the middle of an operation?  Okay.  If he doesn’t come out in 30 seconds, I want everyone to start shooting.  Never met a Sinaloan cop like you.  Of course.  We still have a lot more fields to burn.  Gentleman!  Let’s go!” — Commander


Comandante Calderoni, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Julio Cesar CedilloComandante Calderoni


Amado Carrillo Fuentes, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, José María YazpikAmado Carrillo Fuentes


Arellano Felix Brothers, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Alfonso Dosal, Manuel MasalvaArellano Félix Brothers


Salvador Osuna Nava, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Ernesto AlterioDFS Director Salvador Osuna Nava


Pablo Acosta, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Gerardo TaracenaPablo Acosta


Isabella Bautista, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Teresa RuizIsabella Bautista


Sofía Conesa, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Tessa IaSofía Conesa


Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Francisco DenisMiguel Rodríguez Orejuela


Chepe Santacruz Londoño, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Pêpê RapazoteChepe Santacruz Londoño


Pacho Herrera, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Alberto AmmannPacho Herrera


Pablo Escobar, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Wagner MouraPablo Escobar


Joaquín Guzmán, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Alejandro EddaJoaquín Guzmán ‘El Chapo’



Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Diego Luna

 

Rafael Caro Quintero, Narcos: Mexico, Netflix, Gaumont International Television, Tenoch Huerta

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