‘Narcos’ Season 4 on Netflix: When Does ‘Narcos’ Return, Plus Everything Else We Know

The country may be different, but the drama is still the same. For its fourth season, Narcos is landing in Mexico. And if Narcos: Mexico is telling the story we think it will, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Though the Netflix original drama has always taken liberties when it comes to its retelling of history, the series typically stays true to the larger stories it wants to tell. Most of the conversations Wagner Moura’s Pablo Escobar had on Netflix may have been imagined, but his role as both the savior and devil of Medellín feels true to history. Because of this, and because Netflix has already told us that we’re exploring the Guadalajara Cartel this year, we can speculate about what’s going to happen in Narcos Season 4.

Here’s everything we know about this new season from who’s in it and when it will premiere to who may or may not die. Buckle up. Colombia’s cartels may be brutal, but Mexico gives them a run for their money.

When is the Narcos Season 4 release date?

Narcos: Mexico (aka Narcos: Season 4) will premiere on Netflix on Friday, November 16 2018. (UPDATED ON 9/7/18).

What is Season 4 of Narcos about?

We’re jumping from Colombia to Mexico, baby! Though the first three seasons of the Netflix crime drama focused on Colombia’s Medellín and Cali Cartels, this upcoming season has been renamed Narcos: Mexico. Time-wise, it seems like this new season will take place during the disasterous events of the Cali Cartel in the 1980s.

Who’s returning from past Narcos seasons?

Aside from a love of coke, there was only one connective thread between Narcos‘ first two seasons and Season 3 — DEA Agent Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal). But now it’s unclear even if he’s returning. Last season ended with Peña debating whether he should go to Mexico or retire. Ultimately he decided to retire, but this is Peña we’re talking about. There’s a good chance he could be back for more morally murky investigative antics.

Instead our tie to Narcos‘ past is now José María Yazpik‘s Amado Carrillo Fuente. Amado is the leader of the Juárez Cartel, which is based in Mexico. He often worked with the Cali Cartel and tried to convince its leaders to work with him and his plane more. The violent Juárez Cartel was known for decapitating its rivals, mutilating their corpses, and dumping them in public places. So if you were hoping that Narcos would get less violent, that’s probably not going to happen.

What cartel is Narcos: Mexico about?

Get ready to witness the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel and its leader Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna). Commonly referred to as El Padrino (“The Godfather”), at one point Gallardo controlled almost all of the drug trafficking in Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

After college Gallardo took a job as a Mexican Federal Judicial Police agent. He then used his law enforcement status and his connections to a governor to help build his own drug empire. In the early 1980s the United States had started cracking down on Florida trafficking, which used to be a major hub for Colombian cartels. Because of the increased attention in the U.S., these cartels started to use Mexico as a primary shipment point more often. Gallardo started working closely with these cartels though his connection to Juan Matta-Ballesteros. But rather than taking cash payments for these shipments, Gallardo demanded a 50 percent cut. It’s been estimated that the Guadalajara Cartel pulled in $5 billion annually.

But Gallardo’s reign was short-lived. The drug lord was later arrested for the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. Camarena was tortured to death on one of Gallardo’s ranches, and the drug lord was given a 37-year sentence for the crime.

Who is our DEA agent this season?

That would be Michael Peña‘s Kiki Camarena. According to Netflix’s press release, Season 4 starts with Camarena moving his wife and young son to Mexico to take on the Guadalajara Cartel. But soon he realizes that he’s in over his head and that he may have underestimated Gallardo.

It looks like Narcos: Mexico may be telling Enrique Camarena’s tragic story through Peña. However, that may not be the case. The crime drama often takes liberties with its history and combines historical figures. For example, the real Agent Javier Peña was never involved with the Cali Cartel. There’s a chance that Kiki Camarena will emerge as a perfectly safe hero. But then again, this is Narcos we’re talking about. Is anyone ever completely safe?

Stream Narcos on Netflix