Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller Season 2 Episode 8 Cocaine Queens
- TV14
- January 19, 2022
- 44 min
-
(17)
In season 2 episode 8 of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, titled "Cocaine Queens," viewers are taken on a journey into the world of drug trafficking by women. As the war against drugs rages on, it's not just men who are involved in the trade. Women too have started to play a significant role in the illegal business of drug trafficking.
Throughout the episode, Mariana meets and interviews women who have had first-hand experience in drug trafficking and are part of the supply chain of cocaine in America. The show has covered cocaine and drug trafficking in the past, but this episode is unique as it focuses on the involvement of women, who have previously been overlooked in discussions of such an illegal business.
The episode starts with Mariana visiting a women's prison in South Carolina. There she meets some of the women who were involved in cocaine trafficking and managed to smuggle drugs into the US. The prisoners recount their experiences and reveal the challenges they faced while operating in the drug underworld, which is typically controlled by men. Through these interviews, viewers can understand the extent of difficulties these women encountered in selling drugs, and the consequences that followed.
Next, Mariana heads to Colombia, which is a leading supplier of cocaine to the US, where she meets with women who handle and transport drugs. The show takes viewers through a dangerous jungle where drugs are moved, and the women shed light on the challenges they face while transporting drugs through lethal territory. They reveal how they work around police check-posts, cross rivers, and climb mountains - all while being in danger from assaults, kidnappings, and murders.
The show also focuses on female drug lords, or 'Narcos,' who run drug cartels. Mariana meets with a woman who dubbed herself the "Queen of Cocaine," and she recounts she operated as a drug lord for a decade and the struggles she faced as a woman sitting at the helm of a male-dominated industry.
Mariana concludes the episode by reflecting on the stories she's heard and experiences she's gathered. She highlights that women may not be as present or visible in the drug trade as men but are equally culpable when caught. Women have become an essential part of the drug trafficking chain, and oftentimes, they are the ones who are responsible for distributing and selling the drug to users.
Overall, "Cocaine Queens" is a compelling and thought-provoking episode of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, which uncovers a very dark and little-known side of the drug industry. Through the insightful interviews with real women who have experienced and participated in the drug trade, the show highlights the gender dynamics of drug trafficking and humanizes the women who are too often overlooked in conversations about drug cartels.