In a rare interview, Sandra Ávila Beltrán, known as the 'Queen of the Pacific', has spoken about her life at the top of Mexico's drug cartels. Released from prison after seven years for money laundering, she remains unrepentant about her role in the cocaine trade.
Ávila described a world of private jets, multimillion-dollar bribes, and constant violence. She claimed to have heard of a $100m bribe paid to a Mexican president, and said that politicians would look into bags to check the cash was there. 'A million dollars is nothing,' she said.
Despite the deaths of her husbands and brother in the drug wars, Ávila refused to criticise the industry. She blamed violence on government corruption and prohibition policies, not the savagery of drug gangs. 'I don't feel any guilt,' she stated.
Born into a narco dynasty, Ávila learned to count cash as a child and witnessed her first shootout at 13. After a brief stint studying journalism, she was kidnapped by a jealous boyfriend and soon entered the drug underworld, where her driving, riding, and shooting skills served her well.
