Running Head: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

The Relationship between Women and Drug Trafficking

Omega M. Najera
University of Texas at El Paso

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Abstract
In June 1971, President Nixon declared a war on drugs, increasing the size and number
of federal drug control agencies, estimated at over $500 billion a year the illegal drug trade is a
global business that has sustained itself for over forty-four years, thousands of kilograms of
illegal substances cross the borders daily, and women have always played key roles as bosses,
money launderers, confident and couriers in this market. There are female crime bosses from all
over the world, especially in countries such as Colombia and Bolivia, where the most of the
world cocaine is produced, or Guatemala, the principal corridor from South America to Mexico,
and United States because of its the principal consumer of illegal narcotics. In recent years the
womens participation in this trade has expanded dramatically, the purpose of this article is study
the female involvement in smuggling, studying the life of some of the most powerful female
drug lords and their impact in the U.S history.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Introduction
Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture,
distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Penalties for
federal drug trafficking convictions vary according to the quantity of the controlled substance
involved in the transaction. However, the trade in drugs has a long history since the 19thcentury
when Americans discovered new drugs like morphine, heroin and cocaine, creating a problem of
drug abuse and addiction. At the beginning of the 20th-century the United States was grappling
with its first drug epidemic and was erased by World War II. During the 1960s drugs like
marijuana, amphetamines and psychedelics came to the forefront, consequently the U.S Drug
Enforcement Administration was created in 1973 and a decade later the appearance of crack
increased along with addiction and violence. From the 19th century to 1945 Mexico controlled
the illegal trade of marijuana, from 1960 to 1984 Columbia took the control of the distribution of
Cocaine. The market for illegal drugs is huge, it is estimated that the global drug trade is worth
$321 billion. Since the Mexican Revolution the drug traveled up from Baja California, through
the border town of Mexicali and Tijuana destined for the dens (of drug traffickers) in San
Francisco and Los Angeles. In addition, by the 1930s Mexico imported opium and morphine
from Ciudad Juarez to California and El Paso, Texas.
As the demand for heroin, cocaine and amphetamines becomes strong does drug trafficking.
Colombia, Peru and Bolivia produce the base cocaine for the whole world; Venezuela and the
Caribbean islands are the primary launching points for hundreds of maritime and areal routes to
Europe. From the West Africa cocaine is transported to southern coast of Spain and Portugal
where is distributed to other countries. In U.S.A the cocaine is arrived through Miami, but 90%
of the drug if trafficking to across the Mexico Border. Heroin is produced in South Asia, and

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Afghanistan produce the 90% of the worlds opium. Today Colombia and Mexico play the
principal role in terms of production and distribution of narcotics, people like Pablo Escobar
considering one of the richest man in the world with a personal fortune of $25 billion, its said
that he controlled two-thirds of the cocaine market, he was responsible of smuggling 15 tons of
cocaine a day into America. Or Joaquin Guzman El Chapo Guzman who has been named the
biggest drug lord by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, he currently export cocaine,
marijuana and heroin to the U.S, Asia and Europe. Why is the drug trafficking so important?
Because drug are killing 99,000 to 15300 worldwide in 2010. According to the UN Drug Report
2012, between 153 and 300 million people consumed illicit drugs at least once last year. Around
10% of users are considered addicted, as more than 100,000 people die every year as a result of
illicit drug consumption. The increase of drug trade and drug consumption has consequences in
our life; though this paper focused on the womens lives, we could observe the relation of them
to the drug market, by the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Who are some of the most notorious female drug traffickers in U.S history?
What are some of the relationship between women and drug industry?
Who are the women who play important roles in stopping drug trafficking?
An interview with C. Barrios, officer of the El Paso Police Department, Westside. And,
and interview with Lic. Cinthia Liliana Najera Najera.
Who are some of the most notorious female Drug traffickers in U.S. history?
Even when the drug industry is populated principally with males, the illegal trade is not

only dedicated to men; many women play important role in the principal cartels. Some of those
women are leader of this cartel, becoming dangerous and powerful. In Mexicos horrific cycle of
cartel-spurred violence, it's becoming more and more common to see women playing important
roles and even taking powerful positions in organized crime, Mexico is not the only country who

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

created female crime bosses. Colombia and Bolivia, where most of worlds cocaine is produced,
or Guatemala, which is the key for export from South America to Mexico, and United States
because its the world #1 consumer of illegal narcotics.
Enedina Arellano Felix is known as La Jefa and she leads the Arellano Felix
Organization or the Tijuana Cartel, and According to the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) she was the first women to lead a criminal organization in the world. This cartel was
administrated by her six brothers, her principal main was money laundering and financial
administration but in 200 Enedina take the financial masterminds position and after her brother
Eduardo Arellano Felix was arrested in 2008 she emerged as the leader of the Tijuana Cartel, and
anyways she led the Cartel before she were arrested or killed.
Another important woman in this industry was Sandra Avila Beldran, known as The
Queen of the Pacific, she is the niece of the man known as the original Godfather of Mexicos
drug business, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. On her mother's side, the Beltrn-Leyva family has
been involved in drug trafficking for three generations. The Beltrn-Leyva family began
smuggling heroin in the 1970s and later diversified into cocaine by using her beauty she attracted
powerful Columbian and Mexican drug trafficker and connected the Mexican Sinaloa and
Columbia cartels. She was arrested in 2007.
It is a no win, two option: death or jail, that is it said Thelma Wright, after falling in
love with Jackie Wright a very powerful man of the Black Mafia killed by them in 1986. After
the murder of her husband she became the primary source of heroin and cocaine in Philadelphia,
even transported drugs cross-country to Los Angeles, was estimated to earn over $400,000 a
month.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Marllory Dadiana Chacon Rossell is one of the most powerful drug lords in Latin
American history; she lead one of the largest drug trafficking rings in Central America, and was
the largest money launderer in Guatemala. She is responsible for transporting thousands of
pounds of cocaine from Guatemala to the United States. Chacon started the Bingoton
Millionario, a privately run lottery to mask the large sum of money, this caught the attention of
the Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Asset Control, by this the government placed her
under sanctions from the Kingpin Act, but doesnt have enough evidence to make the charges
and Rossell remains as today.
Born in Colombia on February 15, 1943, Griselda Blanco also known as The
Godmother is suspected of committing 200 murders while transporting cocaine from Colombia
to New York, Miami and California. Probably the most famous female crime lord, she moved
300 kilos of cocaine a month, ordered many murders and created important alliances with men,
but differed from her peers due to her extensive use of violence. The story of The Godmother
started when she immigrated to New York where she started a cocaine business with her
husband, fled back to Columbia and then came back to Miami, where she established a
distribution network connecting New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Colombia that made her a
multi-millionaire. In 1985 she was arrested and after 18 years in prison she was deported to
Columbia in where she died by a gunshot in Medellin, Colombia in 2012.
What are some of the relationships between women and the drug industry?
Until recently, men have dominated drug trafficking, but the participation of women in
drug was industry increased noticeably. While men have dominated the drug trade and the drug
trafficking organizations, women have participated in them since the 20s. They played a small
role in comparison to the men, but also they played key roles such bosses; in the past ten years

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

they become increasingly visible in the society. According to Professor Howard Campbell, at the
University of Texas at El Paso, women today are acting equals of the men, from running crews to
laundering funds resulting in the drug trade.
In the last years women have tended to enter many industries that were previously
appealing to men; its probable that the women increased their level of participation in this
industry, because they are less likely to be associated with drug trafficking because a woman can
use their appearance to pass security. Another factor that could be increasing the women
participation is because of their dire economic situations; this industry pays thousands of dollars,
and for women is the only easy possibility to support their
home. In addition by narcotrafick they are able to attain
deluxe life style. The women are convinced to act as drug
mules sometimes, totally unaware that they are carrying
drugs; the drug industry not only affect women who are
directly relationating with narcotics, but results in the
increase of prostitution and sex trafficking. Other possible
factor in the increase of female participation, is the result
of boyfriend, husband or other family member who was
providing money from drug trafficking. After this women in
the relationship are forced to take part in the business, if she

Source: UNODC, data from the annual report

questionnaire for adult prevalence; European School
Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs 2007
data (weighted by population) for lifetime use by
young people.

trying to get another job, could be difficult especially if she dont have experience or have not
education.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Who are the women who play important roles in stopping drug trafficking?
Drug use affects every sector of society, straining our economy, our healthcare and
criminal justice system and the future of the young people. Even when our county has been
fighting against them for almost a century, drug abusers continued fill our community. The
government spends $50 billion per year trying to eradicate
drugs; according to DEA estimates they captured only
10% of all illicit drugs. The High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress
with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides
assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law
enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be
critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This
program is administered by the Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP). By facilitated cooperation
among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to share information, the purpose of this
program is to reduce drug trafficking and production in the United States.
2011 High Intensity drug trafficking areas county

In the world they are many programs like this one, who are fighting against drugs, in
which exist women who play an important role in this law. A good example of this is the DEA
administrator, Michele M. Leonhart, who was confirmed as the Administrator of the DRUG
Enforcement Administration by the U.S Senate on December 22, 2010. She is in charge of over
10,000 employees in domestic offices through the United States and in 83 foreign offices in 63

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

countries. She is a prepared women who work for the DEAs Senior Executive Services, as a
special Agent in Los Angeles Field Division from 1998-2003, in this position she was
responsible for all the administrative operations in Los Angeles area, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam and
Saipan. It is important to say that Leonhart was the first women to be promoted to the position of
Special Agent in Charge, and the first one to direct a federal law enforcement agency. On one of
their bigger successes was the initiation of a major drug investigation and conspiracy cases in
Minneapolis and St. Louis. The most notorious of her groups investigations was that of a major
Bolivia-based cocaine cartel that resulted in the arrest and conviction of cartel leader Jorge RocaSuarez, co-defendants and the seizure of more than $14 million in assets. Leonhart was
recognized not only in the DEA department, in 2004 President Bush awarded her with the rank
of Distinguished Executive, in 2005 with the rank Award for Meritorious Service and in 2000 by
President Clinton with the same rank. In addition she received the Law Enforcement Exploring
William H. Spurgeon Award in 2006, the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Outstanding
Federal Law Enforcement Employee Award in 2005, and the Administrators Award in 1993.
Conclusion
Drug trafficking has become an increasingly growing problem in the world. More people
are buying, selling and using drugs; people think it is a fast and easy way to get money, without
paying attention to all the risks. The drug trade was part of our history since the 19th-century
when Americans first discovered new drug such as morphine, heroin and cocaine, the drug
trafficking is a billionaire international business, that affect directly our society and economy. It
is estimated that in 2012, some 243 million people aged between 15-64 has used illicit drug and
there are 183,000 drug-related death. However the word drug was principally related with males;

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especially the drug trade is more compared with people such Pablo Escobar or El Chapo
Guzman, both males. But in contrast this business does not have gender exclusivity; thought the
history there are many women who not just became part of some of the most important drug
cartels, but are leader of their own drug empire. Not all stories are equals; in some women dont
have other options to survive, in consequence of the bad economy and the little job opportunity,
many young females find the easy way to get thousands of dollar in the drug market. But on the
other hand, there are women who dont know other lifestyles, some other are born in that world,
their fathers, their brothers, probably the entire family is involve in the drug trafficking, starting
in passive or unimportant roles such money-laundry. When President Nixon declared the war on
drugs in 1971, the presence of federal drug control agencies increase dramatically. He
proclaimed Americas public enemy number one in the United States in drug abuse (Sharp,
1994). Even with the help of men and women like Michele M. Leonhart, this is a war that we are
losing, the drug abusers continue in our court, hospitals, school and other institutions.
Interview #1
Interview to Officer C. Barrios 2549
Wednesday March 18th, 2015.
El Paso Police Department West Center
4801

Osborne, EL Paso TX, 79922

1. What if the most difficult thing you had to do while on duty?

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a. Every day is different, you should to challenge on daily basic, its hard
because some people dont accept help, an example is a women who suffer of
domestic violence and we go every day to try to help her and she always
refuse the help, one day we visit her in the hospital with the chin broke.
2. What are the biggest obstacles facing women in law enforcement carries today?
a. Being a female, that its the major obstacle, some people dont respect you and
dont want the help of a women, you need to be really smart, you cant use the
force against them, but you have world, you need to know how speak with
people and how convince them.
3. What are the most effective way to detecting drug or alcohol possession?
a. By smell, by the standing or their eyes.
4. In what situations would you bring a canine into action?
a. Sometimes when we have drug suspecting, for example if we smell marijuana
in a car or a building, also for looking missing or wanted people. No any
person can have a canine, you need to pass a training, and actually theres not
female officers!
5. Why is not women with canines?
a. Because the training is really aggressive, the dog should attack you and you
need resist the attack, each person has their own dog.

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6. What is a typical day like?

a. Every day is different, its impossible to have a day like other, is not boring at
all.
7. What are the most commonly problem in our society?
a. The Westside is different from the east, here we have a lot of assault and
wrecking vehicles, also we work with a lot of suicides especially in holidays,
the problems depend on the zone, for example in the east side the major
problem is drug diction and prostitution, the problems go around gangs.
8. Do you think that the drug trade increase or decrease in the last years?
a. Is increasing, because the drug came into the country from Mexico, Canada,
and the Oceans, as an officer you have to be very lucky to find some drug
because that is work of border patrol, we solve more problems in relationship
with the community.
9. Does the military help fight war against drugs?
a. We receive some help but not for the militaries, in some cases we work with
border patrol , the DEA or the sheriff department, We have a case in which a
veteran kill a doctor, in that case the army was involve, we just secure the
zone, the border and then they made their investigations.

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10. Do you believe that exist a relation between the use of drugs and the Domestic
violence?
a. If can exist, its a 50/50, almost all the domestic violence is because couples
have problems at home, nothing in relation with drugs, but other times some
people became violent under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Interview #2
Lic. Cinthia Liliana Najera Najera
Ex-Judge from the Supreme Court in Juarez.
Office: Efren Ornelas 471 Sur, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua
1. If a Mexican citizen is detained trying to crossing drug is tried in United States, or is
deported to Mexico?
-

Is judge at United States.

2. As a lawyer, which are the cases that you attends more often?
-Familiar cases, divorces, child support, etc.
3. Which articles protect the Mexican in the United States?
-

In the Mexican constitution, the article number 7, which states that Freedom of
writing and publishing writings on any subject is inviolable. Article 11. Everyone
has the right to enter and leave the Republic, to travel through its territory and to

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change his residence without necessity of a letter of security, passport, safeconduct or any other similar requirement and the Article 2, which state that laws
regarding emigration, immigration and public health of the country, or in regard to
undesirable aliens resident in the country.
4. What can do you for a person arrested under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
-

Promote an injunction to verify that human rights were respected him and if this
processing take judgment, to try to reduce his sentence.

5. What kind of lawyer are you?

-

I am attorney general (all branches of the right to work)

6. Do you think that the drug trafficking to increased or decreased in the last few decades?
-

definitely to increased and this is because of corruption and impunity that exists
by the authorities

7. Do you ever to represent the leader of a cartel?

-

Never.

8. What do you think that is the biggest problem in our society?

-

The loss of values.

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Reference Page.
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Gender, Crime, and Empowerment. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from
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United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2010, January 1). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from
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DEA.gov / DEA Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from

http://www.dea.gov/about/leadership.shtml

A GENDER PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPACT OF DRUG USE, TH. (2004, July 1). Retrieved March 22,
2015, from http://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/UN/Gender_and_Drugs__UN_Women_Policy_Brief.pdf

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Anderson, T. (2005, January 1). Dimensions of women's power in the illicit drug economy. Retrieved
March 22, 2015, from http://www.udel.edu/soc/tammya/crju369/Anderson.tc.pdf

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Webb, W. (213). Gorgeous Gangsters: 10 Female Drug Lords Who Changed the Illegal
Drug Trade Industry (Kindle ed., p. 87). Absolute Crime.

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Queen" Insight Crime. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.insightcrime.org/newsanalysis/colombias-cocaine-queen-griselda-blanco
Narcotic Superhighways: The Top 5 Routes for Drug Trafficking. (2013, February 22). Retrieved March
22, 2015, from https://occrp.org/occrp/en/component/content/article?id=1843:narcoticsuperhighways-the-top-5-routes-for-drug-trafficking

World drug report 2013. (2013, January 1). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/secured/wdr/wdr2013/World_Drug_Report_2013.pdf