VH1
‘Cartel Crew’ Stars Michael and Marie Aren’t ‘Afraid’ Of Exposing Their Past On Their New Show
They’re exposing life after Narcos! The series premiere of VH1’s newest docuseries Cartel Crew is set to premiere tonight, giving viewers a glimpse into the lives of adults who grew up in the drug cartel lifestyle as children as they try to make an honest living. The Cartel Crew cast features Michael Corleone Blanco — the son of the notorious Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, aka “The Cocaine Godmother” — and his girlfriend, Marie Ramirez De Arellano, whose father had a role in the Miami drug cartel. In an exclusive interview with In Touch, Michael and Marie revealed what life was really like growing up as children of the cartel life, and why they aren’t afraid of opening their lives up on TV. Watch a sneak peek of tonight’s series premiere below!
“It was a rough life,” Michael, 40, exclusively told In Touch about his childhood. “I survived countless drug wars in Medellín, lived in Miami, NYC, and California. Basically seeing everything first-hand from the arrests of my family to the constant presence of danger in the whole cartel life. I dealt with a lot of childhood trauma growing up and had a lavish lifestyle. It was a rough life. It was hard, I buried 22 members of my family. Lost everything from my mother to my brothers to my father as well as cousins. Long story short — that was then and this is now.”
As for Marie, she told In Touch that she comes from the “cocaine cowboy era” that was prevalent in Miami in the ‘80s because of her father’s affiliation with the illegal drug cartel. They both admitted that the lifestyle isn’t so glamorous — there’s always the constant need to be aware of their surroundings and making sure they aren’t being followed by their family’s enemies. But now that they’re TV stars, it could bring on a different type of exposure for the couple — which would cause concern for their family’s safety. “Absolutely. Of course, we’re nervous and scared and worried,” Marie said.
“Of course,” Michael agreed, revealing that he’s worried and nervous about the kind of attention that this new type of exposure could bring. “We’re God-fearing individuals, and I’ve seen it all in my life and when you’ve seen so much, what else is there to fear? Nothing but fear itself. As far as, does it scare me? Am I afraid of it? No. I only fear the wrath of God.”
Be sure to catch the series premiere of Cartel Crew, airing Monday, Jan. 7, at 9 p.m. on VH1.
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