‘Narcos: Mexico’ Cast: Your Guide to the Characters of Netflix’s Latest Drug-Peddling Epic

By Kayla Cobb @kaylcobb

Published Nov. 16, 2018, 1:00 p.m. ET

collage of cast members from Narcos: Mexico — This real life story about one DEA agent is one of the most chilling installments of this ever-shocking show.Photo: NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

**Kiki Camarena**
**Played by:** Michael Peña
Camarena is the tragic star of this season. The Mexican-born DEA agent was part of the organization during its early years before it was taken seriously. After he fed the U.S. government information about a huge marijuana farm, the cartel quickly learned of his identity. Most of *Narcos: Mexico's* first season follows the events that led to Camarena being kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by the Guadalajara Cartel. He was the "Jesus" of DEA agents, the man whose death ultimately led to better protection for the agency.
**Where have I seen Peña before?** *American Hustle, Crash, Shooter*Photo: Netflix

**Mika Camarena**
**Played by:** Alyssa Diaz
In the series Enrique Camarena's pregnant wife is supportive of her husband's lofty career ambitions. However, she's not the biggest fan of moving from the United States to Guadalajara, Mexico.
**Where have I seen Diaz before?** *The Rookie, Ray Donovan, Red Dawn*Photo: Netflix

**James Kuykendall**
**Played by:** Matt Letscher
Often called Jamie in the series, this character is Camarena's boss in Mexico. Though he initially sneers at Camarena's impulsiveness as he shows him how things work in Mexico, he eventually comes to see things the DEA agent's way.
**Where have I seen Letscher before?** *The Mask of Zorro, Her, Identity*Photo: Netflix

**Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo**
**Played by:** Diego Luna
The head of the Guadalajara Cartel, in many ways Gallardo is the grandfather of the modern drug system in Mexico as well as the drug war. He was originally a cop before he became a bodyguard for a governor. It was Gallardo's idea to unite Mexico's fractured drug system, turning the drug trade into what was essentially the country's first cartel. After DEA Agent Kiki Camarena destroyed one of his pot farms, Gallardo retaliated by kidnapping, torturing, and ultimately murdering him. This death sparked what would become the U.S.'s drug war with Mexico. Gallardo is still serving out his prison sentence over his many crimes.
**Where have I seen Luna before?** *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Y Tu Mamá También*Photo: Netflix

**Maria Elvira**
**Played by:** Fernanda Urrejola
Gallardo's wife, Maria is happy with her husband's new success. But she also worries about what it costs.
**Where have I seen Letscher before?** *No Estoy Loca, Imprisoned*Photo: Netflix

**Rafael Caro Quintero**
**Played by:** Tenoch Huerta
The co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, Caro Quintero was also from Sinaloa like Gallardo. After his father left at an early age, Caro Quintero started working with agriculture. He later started to grow marijuana in small batches, which eventually led to him partnering with Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, and Pedro Avilés Pérez to forme the Guadalajara Cartel. He has been accused of the kidnapping and murders of writer John Clay Walker, dentistry student Albert Radelat, and DEA agent Enrique Camarena.
**Where have I seen Huerta before?** *Sin Nombre, Get the Gringo*Photo: Netflix

**Sofia Conesa**
**Played by:** Tessa Ia
Another new character for this new series, Sofia is the daughter of Mexico's Minister of Education. But after she she starts a rocky and passionate relationship with Rafael, things start to go south both for her and the Guadalajara Cartel.
**Where have I seen Ia before?** *The Eternal Feminine, After Lucia*Photo: Netflix

**Ernesto "Don Neto" Fonseca Carrillo**
**Played by:** Joaquín Cosío
Best known as Don Neto, Carrillo was another founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. He was involved in drug trafficking since the early 70s but moved his operation from Ecuador to Mexico. In 1982 he was indicted for money laundering and found guilty for the murder of Camarena. He was never extradited to the United States and is currently serving out his house arrest.
**Where have I seen Cosío before?** *Quantum of Solace, The Lone Ranger*Photo: Netflix

**Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán**
**Played by:** Alejandro Edda
This is one of *Narcos: Mexicos's* most surprising historical Easter Eggs. Felix and Rafael are often flanked by a crew of allies, and part of that crew includes arguably the most notorious drug lord in Mexican history, El Chapo. The former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Chapo was responsible for transporting so many drugs he was once called "the most ruthless, dangerous, and feared man on the planet" by the U.S. government. However, he's likely best known for his two prison escapes, one of which involved an elaborate system of tunnels. Guzmán is currently on trial in the U.S.
**Where have I seen Edda before?** *American Made, Fear the Walking Dead*Photo: Getty Images

**Isabella Bautista**
**Played by:** Teresa Ruiz
One of Gallardo's longtime friends from Sinaloa, the largely fictional Isabella is happy to help the rising drug lord. She's well connected and smart, making her an asset to the cartel.
**Where have I seen Ruiz before?** *Here on Earth*Photo: Netflix

**Amado Carrillo Fuentes**
**Played by:** José María Yazpik
Though he's not a member of any of the cartels *Narcos* has covered in depth, you already know Fuentes. The drug lord gained control of the Juárez Cartel after assassinating his boss. He later became known as "El Señor de Los Cielos" or "The Lord of the Skies" for his penchant for laundering money through his fleet of planes. He worked closely with the Cali Cartel and the Guadalajara Cartel.
**Where have I seen Yazpik before?** *Narcos*Photo: Netflix

**Pablo Acosta**
**Played by:** Gerardo Taracena
Also known as El Zorro de Ojinaga ("The Ojinaga Fox"), Acosta was a Mexican drug smuggler who primarily focused of smuggling product for the Colombians. He was a major business partner of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, but he didn't survive the 1980s. Acosta was killed in 1987 during a cross-border raid by Mexican Federal Police helicopters and the FBI. After his death, Fuentes took over his empire.
**Where have I seen Taracena before?** *Apocalypto, Sin Nombre*Photo: Netflix

**Comandante Guillermo González Calderoni**
**Played by:** Julio Cesar Cedillo
A former police officer, by many accounts Calderoni wasn't as impulsive as many of his drug lord peers. He allegedly killed Acosta on Fuentes' orders for $1 million. Calderoni was ultimately murdered during an organized hit and run. His killers were never found.
**Where have I seen Cedillo before?** *Three Funerals, Sicario, The Mist*Photo: Getty Images

**Salvador Osuna Nava**
**Played by:** Ernesto Alterio
One of the Mexican drug leaders Gallardo recruits, Nava is the least predictable. He's very serious about getting what he thinks is his due, and if anyone tries to short him, he makes his displeasure known graphically.
**Where have I seen Alterio before?** *The Other Side of the Bed*Photo: Getty Images

**Juan Manuel Salcido "Cochiloco" Uzeta**
**Played by:** Andrés Almeida
Known as Cochiloco, or "The Crazy Pig", this Mexican drug smuggler is known in the series for his love of partying. In real life he was assassinated in 1991 by Colombian traffickers.
**Where have I seen Almeida before?** *Y Tu Mamá También, Time Share*Photo: Getty Images

**Ramón Arellano Félix**
**Played by:** Manuel Masalva
A drug trafficker linked to the Tijuana cartel, Félix was one of the most ruthless members of the cartel. He was suspected of several murders, one of which involved the massacre of a family of 12. He was killed in 2002 during a gunfight in Sinaloa.
**Where have I seen Masalva before?** *My Heart Is Yours, Yago*Photo: Getty Images

Where to Stream:

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There’s only one crime drama that proves that real life is consistently more brutal than fiction. Narcos is back with its newest spin-off series, Narcos: Mexico. And this time we’re exploring the horrifying story of Kiki Camarena and the Guadalajara cartel.

Narcos first began as a series devoted to outlining the rise and long-winded fall of Colombian’s most notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. But as the show has progressed it’s only gotten more interesting, diving into different cartels and examining how stories told from previous seasons affect new seasons. That was especially true of Season 3, which largely focused on the cartel that emerged from the dying embers of Escobar’s empire, the Cali cartel, and it remains true of this season.

But this year Narcos isn’t just switching cartels. It’s switching countries and series completely. Narcos: Mexico plans to be an anthology series with each season focusing on a different crime organization within Mexico. And you know what an anthology series means — a completely new cast of characters you need to memorize.

Lucky for you, we did a lot of the heavy lifting for you. If you need a reminder about who you should be rooting for and who’s connected to which part of this shocking story, consider this your guide to the expansive cast of Narcos: Mexico. Study up and prepare for some truly exciting guest appearances.

Watch Narcos: Mexico on Netflix