| El Cartel de los Sapos | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action, drama, Narconovela |
| Written by | Juan Camilo Ferrand Andrés Lopez (original novel) |
| Directed by | Luis Alberto Restrepo |
| Country of origin | Colombia |
| Language(s) | Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | Season 1: 111 |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Colombia United States Mexico |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original run | June 4, 2008 – October 21, 2008 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
El Cartel de los Sapos (English title: The Cartel of Snitches) or El Cartel is a Colombian television series that first aired on June 4, 2008 on the Colombian network Caracol TV. It is based on the book by the same name by Andrés López López, alias Florecita (a former drug dealer), who wrote the book during his years in prison. In his book, he writes about his experiences while in the Cartel and what happened within the Norte del Valle Cartel. In the TV series, each character from the book and the locations were changed. El Cartel stars Manolo Cardona, Karen Martínez, Diego Cadavid, and Robinson Díaz.
Two friends enter the illegal drugs business, thinking it is the fastest way to become rich.
The illegal drugs trafficking world seems to be attractive to all these middle class people who just want to grow up in a safe way without legal problems.
Ignoring this choosing is just the beginning of a turbulent and troubled life that is going to change his fate forever, Martín alias "Fresita" gets a job in a drugs lab sponsored by the big boss Óscar Cadena (Fernando Solorzano). Martín learns really fast and he starts to send illegal drugs to the United States, while his boss makes an alliance with the Villegas Brothers, from the West Cartel, to take down the biggest drug dealer ever: Pablo Escobar.
With Escobar down, a new cartel is up: The Pacific Cartel, the most worthless in Colombia, led by Óscar Cadena, so Óscar (the teacher) and Martín (the student) make a pact of friendship and business.
Martín becomes a rich man and he falls for Sofía (Karen Martinez), a beautiful woman, but he gets her heart by lying to her. But Sofía discovers the origin of Martín's wealth and he has to choose: Sofía or the business.
Óscar helps the police to finish the West Cartel. The snitches (sapos) make the war between these criminal machineries to reach a point of breaking.
Martín refuses to take part in this war and decides to go to Miami with Sofía and his children, but what he does not know is that it is not a safe place anymore, and he must keep going with the old illegal activities, watching his old friends die by the enemy.
Business partners and brothers dead or caught, forces Martín to run to Mexico looking for protection. He realizes too late that in this business; you can never win... So he becomes a sapo and tells his tale to the DEA.
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