(Chapter II) La Reina Del Sur: How Costa Rica’s Drug Diva Ascended the Throne
By Carol Blair
The Costa Rica Star
The Costa Rica Star
This is the second installment of The Costa Rica Star’s exclusives six part original series of the upcoming book, “Drug Diva”, by Carol Vaughn, scheduled to be released towards the end of the year. You can read the first instalment here
Cristel Yariella Gomez Espinoza, aka, La Reina del Sur de Costa Rica, was born into narco aristocracy
Her father, brother, uncle, husband, boyfriends and other family members managed the movement of cocaine from the border of Panama into Costa Rica, providing drugs to notorious narco-traffickers who then smuggled the drugs into the United States.
Her father, brother, uncle, husband, boyfriends and other family members managed the movement of cocaine from the border of Panama into Costa Rica, providing drugs to notorious narco-traffickers who then smuggled the drugs into the United States.
Adrian Galeano Calvo of El Universal De Mexico newspaper stated last year about Cristel, “At only 24 years, this young woman has succeeded in creating a drug dynasty, managing the movement of cocaine from the border of Panama to provide narcotics to Costa Rican groups like that of “El Gringo” Guido.” El Gringo was Cristel’s boyfriend until his violent death in 2017. Cristel then assumed the leadership of his cartel. She hit the ground running.
Cristel belongs to an elite group of second generation cartel kids who have grown up enjoying extraordinary wealth and privileges. They are called “narco-juniors”, or in Spanish “chiquinarcos”. El Chapo Guzman had chiquinarcos. So did Pablo Escobar and dozens of other powerful narco-traffickers.
This new generation of cartel leaders are more lethal than their predecessors. “They are ideal killers; young, beautiful and reckless,” said Andrew Chestnut of Virginia Commonwealth University. By keeping low profile they avoid suspicion where men doing the same job would quickly find themselves in trouble.”
This new generation of cartel leaders are more lethal than their predecessors. “They are ideal killers; young, beautiful and reckless,” said Andrew Chestnut of Virginia Commonwealth University. By keeping low profile they avoid suspicion where men doing the same job would quickly find themselves in trouble.”
The face of Latin cartel leadership is changing as more females are taking on leadership roles in drug trafficking and assassinations. Some are recruited in prisons, some work their way up from low level jobs like look-outs or hookers – but the elite, like Cristel – are born into cartel families. Narco-trafficking is in their blood. Costa Rica is keeping up with the best of them.
Cristel is the daughter of Alberto Gomez Calderon, a bold and handsome narco-trafficker who became famous as the longest-held kidnap victim in Costa Rican history. He was kidnapped in 2009 by a rival drug gang made up of Colombians and one Canadian, in retaliation for having carried out a “tumbonazo”, having stolen another drug gang’s cocaine shipment. The kidnappers demanded $2.5 million in ransom money, to compensate for the missing drug shipment of 400 kilos of pure cocaine. Gomez’s captors showed him no mercy: he was kicked brutally, and repeatedly, beaten with electric cords, and the torture was videotaped and sent to his family to encourage ransom payment. The family sold the family farm for $300,000, a fraction of the ransom requested, and Gomez was mercifully set free. Negotiation for his release was conducted by Cristel’s grandfather, an Evangelical minister.
Cristel is the daughter of Alberto Gomez Calderon, a bold and handsome narco-trafficker who became famous as the longest-held kidnap victim in Costa Rican history. He was kidnapped in 2009 by a rival drug gang made up of Colombians and one Canadian, in retaliation for having carried out a “tumbonazo”, having stolen another drug gang’s cocaine shipment. The kidnappers demanded $2.5 million in ransom money, to compensate for the missing drug shipment of 400 kilos of pure cocaine. Gomez’s captors showed him no mercy: he was kicked brutally, and repeatedly, beaten with electric cords, and the torture was videotaped and sent to his family to encourage ransom payment. The family sold the family farm for $300,000, a fraction of the ransom requested, and Gomez was mercifully set free. Negotiation for his release was conducted by Cristel’s grandfather, an Evangelical minister.
The four men accused of Alberto’s kidnap were brought to justice, sentenced to 27 years of prison. A fifth managed to escape, and is still at large. The house where Alberto was held in Guanacaste has since been demolished. After Alberto’s release, Alberto and Cristel, father and daughter, began to work together in the family drug business. As happens in the Italian Mafia, Tico narco-traffickers are taught to trust only family.
Cristel had apprenticed in the drug business at the elbow of her father. She knew all the heavy hitters, their body guards, their drug routes, even how they liked their coffee when they came to visit don Alberto in their home in La Cuesta de Corredores. Their home is modest, designed not to attract attention from anyone wanting to cause trouble or settle vendettas. In the six months Alberto was held by his kidnappers, Cristel slid smoothly into the role of the gang leader, handling the family business seamlessly. She was only fourteen years old.
Cristel had apprenticed in the drug business at the elbow of her father. She knew all the heavy hitters, their body guards, their drug routes, even how they liked their coffee when they came to visit don Alberto in their home in La Cuesta de Corredores. Their home is modest, designed not to attract attention from anyone wanting to cause trouble or settle vendettas. In the six months Alberto was held by his kidnappers, Cristel slid smoothly into the role of the gang leader, handling the family business seamlessly. She was only fourteen years old.
The father/daughter team continued to succeed and strengthen after he was freed. Cristel had dropped out of school after elementary school, but continued her education in the family business, with help from uncles and brothers. She was assigned a 3-man protection team to escort her, and two cars to transport and follow her. She began to completely remake herself physically, changing her bust size and taking advantage of the excellent plastic surgery of Costa Rica to remake her face to be more beautiful.
Men were instantly attracted to her, to her power, especially those in her business, and she eventually married Sanchez Vigil, with whom she had two children. Her business skills seemed to out-distance her maternal skills, and the children were eventually given to family members to raise. Cristel’s notoriety spread, and she was given the title La Reina del Sur, inspired by a Mexican drug diva by the same name.
Men were instantly attracted to her, to her power, especially those in her business, and she eventually married Sanchez Vigil, with whom she had two children. Her business skills seemed to out-distance her maternal skills, and the children were eventually given to family members to raise. Cristel’s notoriety spread, and she was given the title La Reina del Sur, inspired by a Mexican drug diva by the same name.
On June 19, 2015, Cristel’s luck seemed to run out. Cristel and her three companions were stopped by police while en route to Panama. When the two-car caravan refused to stop, the Fuerza Publica fired into the air, and they were taken into custody. They found 15 kilos of heroin hidden in a spare tire, and in extra car batteries in the vehicles. There were also numerous illegal weapons seized. As in her recent arrest, Cristel had been ratted out anonymously. Her family impressed upon her again the importance of keeping things in the family.
Amazingly, after serving only two years in jail for the 2015 arrest, Cristel’s legal team managed to get her released from jail in 2018. Cristel Gomez Espinoza then disappeared, though her narco-trafficking activities continued. Amazing stories began to be heard about her. Someone claiming to have seen her at a party, told a story of a young man draping his penis on Cristel’s shoulder to tease her. She allegedly grabbed a nearby machete, cut the man’s organ off, then proceeded to feed it to him. She began to be known as “Pequñea, pero Matona”, Tiny but Killer. Her fame for brutality spread far and wide, whether deserved or not.
In a tiny country known for not having a military, for being dedicated to peace, it is an amazing thing to have produced someone like La Reina del Sur. Neighbors of hers speak of how smart she is, despite little education. They speak of how computer literate, and worldly she is, what a business tycoon she is. What a global vision she has, how well she manages men twice her age. They speak of her out of eyesight and hearing of other neighbors. They are clearly afraid of being found out. Tiny but Killer.
Amazingly, after serving only two years in jail for the 2015 arrest, Cristel’s legal team managed to get her released from jail in 2018. Cristel Gomez Espinoza then disappeared, though her narco-trafficking activities continued. Amazing stories began to be heard about her. Someone claiming to have seen her at a party, told a story of a young man draping his penis on Cristel’s shoulder to tease her. She allegedly grabbed a nearby machete, cut the man’s organ off, then proceeded to feed it to him. She began to be known as “Pequñea, pero Matona”, Tiny but Killer. Her fame for brutality spread far and wide, whether deserved or not.
In a tiny country known for not having a military, for being dedicated to peace, it is an amazing thing to have produced someone like La Reina del Sur. Neighbors of hers speak of how smart she is, despite little education. They speak of how computer literate, and worldly she is, what a business tycoon she is. What a global vision she has, how well she manages men twice her age. They speak of her out of eyesight and hearing of other neighbors. They are clearly afraid of being found out. Tiny but Killer.
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