How Drug Lord Griselda Blanco's Three Oldest Sons Died In Real Life
Griselda Blanco's three eldest sons had very tragic endings.
On January 25, 2024, Netflix released their highly anticipated mini-series, "Griselda." Starring "Modern Family" alum Sofía Vergara, the six-episode mini-series follows the rise and fall of Blanco, once dubbed the Cocaine Godmother of Miami, Florida's lucrative drug empire. However, unlike other series based on real-life drug dealers, the show peels back the curtains on Griselda's personal relationships, especially regarding her close bond with her four sons. "I have always endeavored to humanize complicated people, many of whom have been considered evil, and Griselda offered both the greatest challenge and opportunity," series creator Eric Newman explained to Tudum regarding the show's emotional themes.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Vergara echoed similar sentiments, giving further insight into Blanco's untraditional journey as a mother. "I'm not a killer, but I am a mother; I'm Colombian," she explained. "I think that at the beginning, she had the right intention of surviving and being strong and being a mother. But she had something bad inside of her because she went harder than any narc guy." While Blanco's life was full of power, money, and notoriety within the drug scene, it was also littered with tragedy, including the deaths of her three eldest sons, Dixon, Osvaldo, and Uber. We've taken a deeper look at how they tragically lost their lives.
Griselda Blano's three oldest sons were reportedly murdered
Griselda Blanco's foray into the drug scene was meant to provide a better life for her and her family, but it quickly morphed into a dangerous multilevel business empire that ended the lives of her three eldest sons, Osvaldo, Dixon, and Uber Trujillo. While details surrounding their deaths are limited, we do know that the three siblings were murdered. Osvaldo was the first to fall, meeting his end in October 1992 when he was gunned down outside a nightclub in Colombia. At the time, he was running a lucrative drug business alongside his brother Dixon and Rayful Edmond III. As for Dixon and Uber, the circumstances of their deaths have remained a mystery. In a 2008 report, it was insinuated that they were also murdered over grudges held by their mother's rivals. However, in a later report, Dixon was described as alive and well and living in Columbia.
While the public may never know the exact details about Dixon and Uber's deaths, the Netflix show "Griselda" seemingly hinted at how the two lost their lives. While speaking to the imprisoned Cocaine Godmother (Sofía Vergara), special intelligence agent June Hawkins (Juliana Aidén Martinez) revealed that the eldest Blanco child (Orlando Pineda) was shot in his car while the youngest (Martín Fajardo) died during a drug deal gone bad in Columbia.
Griselda Blanco and her slain children are survived by Michael Coreleone Blanco
While Griselda Blanco and her three eldest sons lost their lives, her family name has survived through her youngest son, Michael Corleone Blanco. Following in his brothers' footsteps, Michael also ventured into the family's drug dealing business and was arrested in 2011 for cocaine trafficking.However, his future in the drug cartel business came to a screeching halt a year later after his mother was gunned down in Columbia. "When I got that phone call and I knew that my mother was dead, I realized that our previous cartel lifestyle was completely over," he told People in 2019. "I had to make a choice right then and there." Since turning over a new leaf, Michael has focused on being a family man, welcoming three children with his wife, Marie Ramirez De Arellano. He has also created his own business with his lifestyle brand Pure Blanco and has even had a brief stint in the reality TV world with his VH1 series "Cartel Crew."
Even though Michael has left the drug cartel world, drama seems to follow him. In January 2024, he sued Netflix over their mini-series "Griselda," claiming that the show used his family's images and likeness without permission. In response to the lawsuit, "Griselda" creator Eric Newman told Today, "I dealt with similar suits from Pablo Escobar, his family, during the making of Narcos. It just feels a little bit unsurprising and kind of comes with the territory."