Deborah Bonello

Editorial Director for VICE News, Latin America

deborah.bonello@vice.com
News

Everything Netflix’s ‘Griselda’ Left Out About the Narca’s Violent History

Blanco came up from the bottom in 1940s Colombia, and according to historians was involved in crime basically from the time she could walk.
Deborah Bonello
2.9.24
mexico

Mexico Is Punishing Narca Boss ‘La Jefa’ for Her Dodgy Car Wash Transactions

Rosalinda González Valencia, who married the DEA’s most-wanted trafficker “El Mencho,” was sentenced to five years behind bars in Mexico.
Deborah Bonello
12.20.23
fentanyl

Mexico Busts Another String of Pharmacies Selling Fentanyl-Laced Pills

Ensenada was the focus of the latest raids by Mexican authorities, which closed down 31 different “pharmacies” this time.
Deborah Bonello
12.13.23
amazon

Illegal Gold Mines Were Just Blown to Pieces in the Amazon

Aerial footage shows a number of improvised mines being blown up in the jungle. 
Deborah Bonello
12.8.23
CARTELS

More Women Than Ever Are Joining Cartels

A new report suggests that roles such as car thieves, killers and drug-shop managers are increasingly being filled by females in Mexico's criminal groups.
Deborah Bonello
12.1.23
News

Two Women Were Part of a Cartel Hit Squad That Killed a Police Chief

The women were allegedly working for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and helped kill the police chief at a cafe.
Deborah Bonello
11.22.23
Sinaloa Cartel

The Sinaloa Cartel’s Highest-Ranking Woman Is Free. But What Happens Now?

Guadalupe Fernández Valencia was the only woman on the indictment that helped send Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to prison for life.
Deborah Bonello
10.27.23
Drugs

The Funeral of a Narco-Influencer Is Considered a Threat to Public Peace in Chile

Sabrina Durán Montero, who first shot to fame on TikTok and Instagram posting videos from behind bars, was killed this week.
Deborah Bonello
10.26.23
News

This Senator Wants to Legalize Magic Mushrooms in Mexico

Alejandra Lagunes says that psilocybin mushrooms could be a benefit to the country's mental health crisis.
Deborah Bonello
10.12.23
venezuela

The US Government is Sending Migrants Back to a Narco State

President Joe Biden has determined that conditions in Venezuela have improved enough to send migrants from there home.
Emily Green
Deborah Bonello
10.6.23
mexico

Did El Chapo’s Sons Really Just Ban Fentanyl Production in Mexico?

A number of signs found in Sinaloa suggest as much, but sources say it is a ploy for more control of the lucrative business.
Deborah Bonello
Luis Chaparro
10.3.23
News

Emma Coronel, El Chapo’s Wife, Is Out of Prison Already. Will She Stay in the US?

The mother of twin girls has served her time. But it's unclear whether she'll return to Mexico, or whether it's safe to do so.
Deborah Bonello
9.13.23
0108