Mexico's Top Female Narco Suing Netflix and Telemundo for Show Based on Her Life

A notorious Mexican drug kingpin is targeting media giants Netflix and Telemundo. However, in a surprising twist, she is doing it on the legal side. Sandra Avila Beltran, who was known as "The Queen of The Pacific," was one of Mexico's most infamous narcos. Her life inspired the Netflix series "Queen of the South." Now, she is suing them and Telemundo for that very show.

Avila's attorney, Israel Razo, recently sat down for an interview with Mexican news outlet Milenio. There, the attorney revealed that the infamous drug lord wants to obtain around 40 percent of all the revenues made by Netflix and Telemundo from The Queen of The South," which Netflix is streaming and Telemundo has been airing weekly for over 11 years.

The exact amount will not be announced publicly for security reasons, according to Razo. However, he added that Netflix and Telemundo have been "very sneaky" about how much they exactly made from the show.

Netflix and Telemundo Used Footage from Sandra Avila Beltran's Arrest to Promote Show

According to Vice News, Sandra Avila Beltran submitted a letter to Mexico's Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). There she claimed that the two companies acted wrongfully with the intention of harming her image and making money off of it.

This is in reference to the promotion for "Queen of the South," known in Mexico as "La Reina Del Sur," which showed footage from her arrest. The footage was used for the second season's promotion for its airing on Telemundo.

Her statement to the IMPI also said that when the two companies used her name and image to refer to "The Queen of the South," they sought to "increase the morbid curiosity of the public and to obtain a financial benefit from it."

How 'Queen of the South' Ties Into Sandra Avila Beltran's Life

La Reina del Sur premiered in 2011, and it stars Mexican star Kate de Castillo as Teresa Mendoza, a Mexican woman who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in Spain. It received a second season in 2019, with the third season slated for later this year.

Milenio noted the similarities between the notorious drug trafficker and the fictional character reportedly based on her. They noted that both are attractive brunettes, and both are also norteñas (from northern Mexico) in their 50s. The most glaring perhaps, is that both are involved in drug trafficking, and the show has been promoted as being based on actual events.

Mexico News Daily reported that Avila is the niece of Guadalajara Cartel founder Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. They noted that her being the alleged go-between for the Sinaloa Cartel and Colombian cocaine traffickers served as the "muse" for the series.

Sandra Avila Beltran allegedly served as the connection between the Sinaloa Cartel and the cocaine producers in Colombia. She was arrested in 2007 and charged with drug trafficking, illegal arms possession, and money laundering. She was later extradited to the United States in 2012 before being sent back to Mexico for even more jail time.

However, her lawyer stated in his Milenio interview that his client had been acquitted of her drug charges. She has so far stayed in the shadows, though she had been establishing a social media presence as of late, often posting on TikTok and Instagram.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico's former 'Queen of Cocaine', Sandra Avila Beltran, speaks out - The Guardian