Caracol Television Unveils The Cartel: The Origin

Caracol Television is bringing to the international market The Cartel: The Origin, the untold story of the Cali Cartel drug empire, whose operation reached more than 25 countries.

This super series charts the events that preceded The Cartel 1 and The Cartel 2. Based on real events, it will follow the Villegas brothers, heads of the Cali Cartel, in their youth and their adult years. It will tell the story of the two men, who climbed positions in the criminal world, ultimately becoming the owners and lords of the drug empire, waging war against other cartels and influencing decisions made by the government.

Juan Pablo Urrego (Surviving Escobar, Alias ​​JJ) and Sebastian Osorio (Always a Witch) have been cast as the younger versions of the Villegas, while Gustavo Angarita Jr. (The Black Widow) and Carlos Manuel Vesga (One Way Out) will play them as adults. The Cartel: The Origin is produced by Asier Aguilar and it was directed by Jaime Rayo, Camilo Villamizar, Carlos Mario Urrea and Unai Amuchastegui.

Dago Garcia, VP of production at Caracol Television, said: “The Cartel: The Origin, was a production that we owed the audience for a long time. It’s a journey to the beginning of that scourge that transformed our society and that we reflect in The Cartel 1 and The Cartel 2. It’s the story of how a family ends up involved in the drug business and how this destroys any union and any sense of belonging. It’s an intense and crude series where, at times, the call for hope is filtered by those who dared to fight the drug lords in the south of the country.”

Lisette Osorio, VP of international sales for Caracol Television, commented: “We know that there are stories that must be told to the world, and this is one of them. Today, we return with The Cartel, with a new story about events that marked a country and an era, and that maintains the plot line that put its predecessors in international vogue. A narrative full of shocking moments, which will surprise audiences by uncovering the reality behind a phenomenon that affected generations.”