‘Narcos’ Season 3 Spoilers: 5 Facts To Know About The Cali Cartel Ahead Of 2017 Premiere

“Narcos” may have just released Season 2 on Netflix, but it has already been renewed for Seasons 3 and 4. The streaming service released a short teaser trailer that promises new episodes in 2017. The video (posted above) teases that Season 3 will focus on the Cali Cartel, the organization that gradually took over the cocaine empire from under Pablo Escobar’s (Wagner Moura) nose.

So, who are the members of the famous Cali Cartel and what makes them unique? Here are five facts to know before “Narcos” Season 3 hits Netflix in 2017:

1. It Was Founded By The Rodriguez-Orejuela Brothers

As explained in “Narcos” Season 2, the Cali Cartel was founded by two brothers, Gilberto (Damian Alcazar) and Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela (Francisco Denis). They later combined forces with Jose Santacruz-Londono.

Initially, the Cali Cartel was called “Los Chemas” and they were mostly involved in kidnapping and counterfeiting in the 1970s. They used the money procured from kidnapping to fund their cocaine empire and soon became known as the “kings of cocaine.”

A 1994 U.S. Department of Justice Drug Intelligence Report cited that the Cali Cartel was composed of five independent drug trafficking organizations.

2. They Operated In The United States And Europe

Unlike Pablo Escobar, who mostly operated in the United States with a focus on Miami, the Cali Cartel also operated in Western Europe where wholesale prices of cocaine was much higher. While the per kilo cost of cocaine in U.S. was between $10,500 to $40,000, the same amount would fetch between $30,000 to $50,000 in Europe.

3.The Cali Cartel Had A Vast Intelligence And Surveillance Network

Unlike the Medellin cartel, the Cali cartel were once compared to the Russian KGB because of its extensive network of intelligence and surveillance. Jose Santacruz-Londono was responsible for collecting information for the cartel.

4. They Transported All Of Their Cocaine To The U.S. Via Mexico

The Cali Cartel used a variety of sophisticated transportation and techniques to smuggle tons of cocaine to America. The Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers were in charge of transport and distribution. They entered into contracts with independent Mexican drug transportation groups to use land vehicles to smuggle cocaine to the U.S. via Mexico. From there, the white-colored drug was distributed to major cities such as Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.

5. There Is No Central Figure Head

Unlike the Medellin cartel, whose boss was undoubtedly Pablo Escobar, the Cali Cartel didn’t have a central figure head – one that exerted the most power and influence in the group.

Whenever a cartel member rose to prominence, he was quickly identified by the Colombian police and the U.S. DEA, reports Insight Crime. Hence, there was very little chance of the group giving birth to another Pablo Escobar.

“Narcos” Season 3 hits Netflix in 2017.