10 Female Drug Lords

1. Enedina Arellano Felix

Enedina Arellano Felix, also known as La Jefa , is one of the last standing female drug lord. She was the sister of the famous Arellano Felix brothers, a drug trafficking clan that operated in Tijuana. After the seven of male leading members of the cartel were dead or in prison, Enedina took over. Tijuana Cartel that she took over is in the business of trafficking heroin, cocaine, meth and marijuana in the USA. When her brothers were running the business , she studied accounting and used that knowledge for money laundering for her brothers. She is known for being less brutal and sadistic that her brothers, focusing more on business than at drug wars.

2. Griselda Blanco

Her nickname – La Madrina (Godmother) perfectly described this ruthless woman who was one of the key figures in the Medellin cartel. She left Columbia in the early seventies and settled in Queens, in New York, where she launched a major operation. When the US DEA intercepted a large shipment of cocaine in 1975 Griselda Blanco fled to Colombia, later returning to the United States, but this time in Miami. Ten years later Griselda dyed Miami in two colors: white and red, from cocaine and blood of her rivals. Popular methods for liquidation she used was killing with the automatic rifle from running motorcycle. This woman is responsible for more than 250 killing. Although she ended up in prison – she did not stop working. Her life ended bizarrely, in a way she preferred to kill her opponents, she was shot from running motorcycle.

3. Sandra Ávila Beltrán

This lady was known as “La Reina Del Pacifico”, the nickname the news reporters gave to her. She was born and raised in a family of drug traffickers, being the third generation that went into that business. Sandra liked though guys and as a young woman was involved with a couple of drug barons. She got married twice, both time for drug traffickers. Later she got involved with The Tiger, important member of Norte del Valle cartel and in that period she rose to power. Avila Beltran always kept a low profile and turn the police on her track when she asked for help because her son was kidnapped. In 2007, after 4 years of investigating her and her partner The Tiger were arrested. They convicted her for money laundering. In 2015 after serving time in Mexico and USA she was out and now lives in the city of Guadalajara.

4. Mireya Moreno Carreon

Mireya Moreno Carreon, also known as La Flaca (meaning skinny girl, but not be fooled with her nickname) was the first women that took leadership of Zetas. Zetas were deserters from Special Forces that worked for Gulf cartel, but with time they started their own operation rising to become one of the most dangerous and ruthless cartels in Mexico. Mireya run the cartel for a year before she was arrested in a stolen car full of marijuana and cocaine. Even though she lasted only one year, getting the Zetas to follow a woman tells a lot about her. She started as a police officer and after a while decided to change sides in a notorious drug war.

5. Jemeker Thompson

Even though she did not run a cartel, Jemeker Thompson was one of the biggest in cocaine and crack business in Los Angeles. Being fairly poor while growing up made her want money, fast and a lot and cocaine business brought her just that. She had a partner whit whom she got married later and had a son. They quickly realize that in US crack is better investment than coke, so they shifted in early 80’s when a crack fever was taking up America. After her husband died, she eventually found another man, and he was the reason she was arrested. She served 13 years in jail, where she turned to God and now serves as a minister.

6. Marllory Dadiana Chacon Rossell

The Guatemalan press referred to Marllory Dadiana Chacon Rossell as Queen of the South, being the main supplier of cocaine to, among others, Sinaloa and Los Zetas cartels. She was a head of one of the biggest drug trafficking ring in Central America.Besides drug trafficking, money laundering was her other specialty. Some believe that her organization has laundered millions (even tens of millions) of dollars a month, while they were operating. The Queen was arrested and for a lower sentence and keeping the date of her release a secret she made a deal with US authorities. Her organization was based in Guatemala but worked in Panama and Honduras as well.

7. Rosetta Cutolo

Rosetta Cutolo did not run a cartel but notorious Nuova Camorra Organizzata – Italian mafia organization while her brother, Raffaele Cutolo was in prison. She and her brother never admitted that she was the head of the organization but many close to them confirmed this. While her brother never tried to hide his affairs she kept low profile. She had direct connections with South American cartels and participated in meetings with highest representatives of Sicilian Mafia. in 1981 police tried to capture her at Castle Mediceo but she escaped and was fugitive for 10 years. In 1993 she surrendered saying that she got tired of running. She was sentenced to five years.

8. Maria Licciardi

Another women who took over when male members were arrested or dead. She took over Liccardi clan. Maria reinforced the coalition among Camorra clans and expand their drug business. Before her Camorra never was involved in prostitution, but she changed that, making the business more brutal than ever. Being charming, but above anything intelligent, she was never convicted in any crime, however when it comes to business she was brutal and ruthless like all men in the crime world. While she led the clan common local people had sympathy for them because they gave handouts to poor. After the clans got into war again, police became aware that she exist. It took a couple of years to imprison her, however, she still runs the clan from the prison.

9. Charmaine Roman

Roman was in marijuana trafficking business, transporting tons of weed from Jamaica to the USA. She was the head of violent drug organization. Being gambler herself she used casinos to launder the money she earned. When she was arrested, nobody suspected a young grandmother (44) who was taking care of her granddaughter is a drug lord. Police at the time of arrest found passports, IDs and couple of social security numbers which left them confused about her true identity. They also seized more than 3000 pounds of marijuana, $200,000 dollars in cash and firearms. She kept low profile living in a modest apartment which kept her from the radar for a long time.

10. Thelma Wright

Thelma did not come from poor family or one involved in drug business. However, her first love and later her husband introduced her into trafficking. Jackie, her husband was involved in heroin and cocaine business along with Black Mafia form Philadelphia which brought him a bullet in the head. That is when Thelma took over, becoming no. 1 drug trafficker in Philadelphia. But unlike other stories, after few deadly situation where she could get killed, she retired from the work and kept low for almost a decade. Ager that she published a book with her life story and now she is a motivational speaker who urges people not to get involved in drug business because it could end only in two ways, bullet or jail.