María Elvira Murillo is a Mexican businesswoman known primarily for her marriage to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. Gallardo built the cartel into Mexico's most powerful criminal empire during the 1980s. Murillo married Gallardo, becoming his second wife, and stood beside him during the height of his power. She attended social and political events in Guadalajara and jointly owned a real estate business with him.
Very little verified information exists about María Elvira's early life. One source notes that actress Fernanda Urrejola described Murillo's character as "the daughter of a narco," a detail that aligns with reports that her father had ties to drug trading. No independently verified source confirms her parents' names. This lack of information has contributed to the mystique surrounding Murillo's life.
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is known as El Padrino, The Godfather, and as the architect of the modern Mexican drug trade. He built the Guadalajara Cartel in the early 1980s, which later splintered into the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels. Gallardo's conviction and sentence came in 1989 when Mexican authorities arrested him for his role in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena.
In 1989, Mexican authorities arrested Gallardo, and he received an initial sentence of 40 years at Altiplano maximum-security prison. He was subsequently transferred to a medium-security facility due to declining health. A Mexican court later resentenced him in August 2017 to 37 years in prison for his role in the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. In September 2022, a judge granted him house arrest with an electronic monitoring device, citing serious health concerns.
Netflix's Narcos: Mexico brought María Elvira Murillo's story to a global audience. The series depicts her as a woman who supported Gallardo's rise, endured his affairs and absences, and ultimately distanced herself from his world. Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola plays Murillo in the series, describing her character as a strong woman who knows a lot about the narco world.
In real life, María Elvira Murillo keeps an extremely low profile. She does not maintain any known social media presence and has not given public interviews. According to David F. Marley's book on Mexican Cartels, Gallardo had 17 children with several women, including María Elvira. Only two have been publicly named: Abril Félix Murillo and Miguel Félix Murillo, whom he shares with his second wife, María Elvira.
María Elvira Murillo's current whereabouts are unknown, and her privacy is fiercely guarded. In March 2011, María Elvira and her children submitted an open letter alleging that Gallardo was being mistreated in prison. The open letter was addressed directly to Mexico's then-Public Safety Secretary, Genaro García Luna.
Key points
- María Elvira Murillo is the ex-wife of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel.
- Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola portrays Murillo in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico.
- Gallardo is currently serving his sentence under house arrest in Mexico.
