Griselda Blanco engaged in criminal activity at an early age and soon found success by trafficking cocaine. Blanco's street smarts and ruthless streak helped her rise to a top level in the infamous Medellin Cartel, garnering her such nicknames as the "Queen of Cocaine" and "Black Widow." Following years of investigations, Blanco was arrested by federal agents in 1985 and spent nearly two decades in prison. She was gunned down in Colombia in 2012, at age 69.

Early Turn to Crime

Griselda Blanco Restrepo was born in Cartagena, Colombia, on February 15, 1943. Raised by an abusive mother, Blanco turned to a life of crime and prostitution at a young age. She soon became involved with Colombia's infamous Medellin Cartel, helping to push Colombian cocaine throughout the United States, specifically to New York, Miami and Southern California. Members of the cartel were able to smuggle large quantities of cocaine across the border using special undergarments that Blanco had presumably designed and manufactured.

The 'Queen of Cocaine'

In the mid-1970s, Blanco left Colombia for New York. By this time, the infamous drug trafficker was running a massive narcotics ring, her standing in the industry rising to a level that would match other kingpins like Pablo Escobar. However, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was on Blanco's trail, as part of a wide-ranging investigation termed "Operation Banshee." In 1975, after authorities intercepted a reported 150 kilograms of cocaine, Blanco and more than 30 of her partners were indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges. Blanco had already fled to Colombia by that point, but it wasn't long before she returned to the United States, this time settling in Miami.

Throughout her time in the United States, Blanco's continued involvement in the Colombian drug trade led to her participation in several other crimes, including driveby shootings and other murders motivated by drugs, money and power. By the late 1970s, detectives had linked her to dozens of murders, including a 1979 drug-rival shooting in a Miami liquor store, but she always managed to evade authorities.

In the 1980s, Blanco was living comfortably in a newly purchased home in Miami. By this time, the infamous drug trafficker had become a millionaire, and had taken on various nicknames, including the "Godmother," "Queen of Cocaine" and "Black Widow." However, her luck finally ran out in February 1985, when she was captured by DEA agents in Irvine, California.