The 5 Most Ruthless Female Narcos and Cartel Leaders

5 Most Dangerous Female Narcos

When we discuss narcos, we often think about figures like Pablo Escobar or El Chapo. But what if I told you that some of the most prolific and famous cartel leaders in South America were women? Dangerous women, guided by a fleet of obedient combat soldiers. They supported dangerous drug lords during their most explosive periods of growth and controlled various aspects of the drug trade.

In some cases, they were trained assassins ruthless enough to topple and rule the cartels themselves.

"Like life, peace begins with women," declared Zainab Salbi. "We are the first to build bridges of cooperation and alliance beyond conflict boundaries."

What happens when women pick up arms and commit themselves to the acquisition of illegal money and power? Let's examine a few cases.

1. Maria Guadalupe-Lopez Esquivel: La Catrina

Maria Guadalupe Lopez Esquivel, aka La Catrina, led a notorious hit squad that left behind a bloodbath wherever they went.

The daughter of a rancher and a housewife, Maria had humble beginnings. She grew up in Tepa Catepec knowing she wouldn't stay there long. She hated school and never wanted to pursue a regular life.

In 2017, Maria ran away from home and started living with a member of the Jalisco, a new-generation cartel based in the remote Michoacán municipality of Aguililla. There she became part of a bloody, long-running cartel war. Though Maria had fallen in love with Miguel Fernandez, a notorious, high-ranking baron, she didn’t join the cartel for a man—she did so for the power, fame, and money.

Within months, she climbed the cartel ranks and started making the big bucks. She started showing it on social media, too. Before long, Maria took the name "La Catrina"—a nod to the famous Day of the Dead festival figure.

Rise and Fall of a Violent Commander

La Catrina, Mexico's "Grande Dame of Death," became part of a gang of Sicarias, or “hitwomen,” pretty young female soldiers who used their beauty and innocent looks to lure and kill members from the rival gangs. But as Maria wanted to continue climbing the ranks, she soon became the leader of her team, and then she became the commander of a hit squad.

She and her squad were responsible for several assassinations, extortion, and kidnapping. In October 2017, Mexican police were ambushed by the La Catrina squad while executing a warrant. It was a massacre. After killing 13 officers and injuring many others, the squad set two police cars on fire.

The message was clear—La Catrina felt invincible and wanted war with the police. But the officers heard her voice when she was giving orders to kill. They knew she was responsible for the attack, and they knew they had to get to her.

On January 10, 2010, the National Guard received a tip about La Catrina’s location. They didn’t waste any time; the officers surrounded the squad’s safe house, and a violent shootout ensued. Except this time, it was the squad that took the hit—and La Catrina was shot in the jugular.

She was taken to the helicopter while her men were put down on their knees and cuffed. At age 21, while still being transported in the helicopter, Maria Lopez died from blood loss.

2. Sandra Avila Beltran: Queen of the Pacific

Sandra Avila Beltran, aka the Queen of the Pacific, led a life of crime and tumultuous relationships, and it all culminated in one huge move that brought her down.

Sandra didn’t have a chance at a normal life. She was practically born into the Sinaloa cartel. Her mother’s family was run by notorious heroin smugglers. Her father, Alfonso Avila Quintero, was the brother of Guadalajara cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero.

From Money Counter to Leader

Sandra grew up in the 1960s, watching cold-blooded men do transactions and tough negotiations and resort to violence whenever words weren’t convincing enough. This was the language she learned from a very young age. By 13, she was her father’s official money counter, and at the same age, she witnessed a massive shootout. Sandra went on to study journalism at a prestigious university, but her colleagues remember her as withdrawn and suspicious.

However, this was just her school persona. When she was 21, Sandra started dating Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the boss of the Juarez cartel. Around the same time, she became a prominent figure in the Sinaloa cartel, overseeing a legal substance shipment to the United States.

Her relationship with Fuentes didn’t last long, but she’d have many more, and her two marriages would be more tactical than romantic—her husbands were former police commanders turned traffickers. These men knew the ins and outs of navigating the Mexican criminal underworld, and their insights helped her dodge the law and become a major player in the drug smuggling trade.

Ironically, both of her husbands were stabbed to death by hired assassins.

Sandra and the Sinaloa Cartel

Another one of her rumoured lovers was El Chapo himself. No one knows just how romantic their relationship was, but one thing is certain—they were once very close and Sandra was head of public relations for the Sinaloa cartel.

Then Sandra had yet another tumultuous affair with Juan Diego Espinoza Ramirez, also called the Tiger. The Tiger had strong connections to the Norte del Valle cartel in Colombia. This was just the open door Sandra needed. Colombian and Mexican cartels were now united and she was making more money for Sinaloa than ever before.

In 2001, the United States seized a tuna fishing boat transporting nine tons of white snow. Imagine how many more came into the country before the DEA finally caught on to them. After this incident, Sandra got her nickname the “Queen of the Pacific.” She also got hundreds of officers on her tail, working hard to arrest her and bring down the Sinaloa cartel. She lived six years on the run and suffered the kidnapping of her son as a result of her violent means of negotiation.

Prison Life

Finally, in 2007, she was arrested. When the officer asked her what business she was in, she said “clothing,” even though she had been convicted and sent to prison for life. She remained adamant that she shouldn’t be there, then she complained about insects in her cell and arranged for prime conditions, including her preferred food, alcohol, and cigarettes. When she was denied restaurant-made food, she claimed her basic rights were being violated.

In 2015, she was released from prison and is now enjoying the better days of her life, reportedly even becoming a TikTok influencer.

3. Joselyn Alejandra Nino: La Flaca

Joselyn Alejandra Nino, aka La Flaca, was a young cartel assassin with a horrifying story. She was reportedly born in 1995 to a relatively poor family in the Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico.

It’s unclear whether her family has ties to the local cartels or whether their financial situation pushed her towards the illegal side of work, but from a young age, Joselyn became an active member of the Gulf cartel. She was around high school age when she became an assassin for them.

“Our Lady of Holy Death”

This is around the time Joselyn earned her nickname, La Flaca. In English, this means "the skinny one." As you can see, she was quite a tiny person compared to the huge firearm she was holding, but in Mexican tradition, La Flaca is also a female skeleton saint, "Our Lady of Holy Death," who was sometimes depicted in artwork for the popular Day of the Dead festival.

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You might think it sounds pretty badass to be an assassin at age 18, but there’s nothing cool about it. First of all, La Flaca took many lives under the instructions of her even more ruthless bosses.

And life in the cartel was not that glorious. It’s not known exactly how La Flaca climbed the ranks and made it to assassin so soon, but most girls like her, young and from impoverished backgrounds, started as lookouts or even illegal street workers. They were mistreated in every way imaginable before they gained some authority, and even then, it’s not all fame and money.

This all became all too clear in January 2015. On January 5, that year, someone leaked a picture of La Flaca to Valour Por Tamaulipas, a citizen journalist Facebook page meant specifically for organized crime leaks. The picture quickly made it to social media. People were fascinated by the small young woman with the friendly smile, which stood in stark contrast to her bulletproof vest and oversized firearm.

Who was she? Was she a big shot in the gang or just a foot soldier?

Another thing that stood out and earned this picture a lot of attention was its background. Indeed, La Flaca’s room didn’t look anything like the luxurious villas we see in Narcos. Is this the true reality of cartel living? Is it worth the risk of losing your life and taking the lives of others if you’re going to live in poverty anyway?

It seems like only a few top dogs get to live luxuriously while their employees only stay near the bottom of the food chain.

The Ciclonas Gang and Ciclon 7

La Flaca’s picture was a window into the tragic reality of Mexican cartels. It got thousands of likes online, but this was the beginning of the end for Joselyn.

She was a member of the Ciclonas gang led by Angel Eduardo Prado Rodriguez, aka Ciclon 7. At the time, they were at war with another gang, Los Metros. By leaking photos of the Ciclonas members, Los Metros weakened the cartel and exposed their enemies, making them an easy target for the police and rival gangs.