Part of Ruiz’s research process included speaking to people who knew Beltrán, who was released from prison in 2015 after serving a seven-year sentence for money laundering. She now lives near Guadalajara, where Narcos: Mexico takes place. “People talked to me about their experiences. They told me about her, how she moved, who she was, how she carried herself,” Ruiz said. Beltrán is a colourful figure, known for her business savvy, her romances with other cartel leaders, and her extravagant wealth — she had a fleet of 30 cars and bought her 15-year-old son a Hummer. Once, Beltrán strolled into a narco-filled party holding an AK-47; this stunt was memorialised in a song by Los Tucanes de Tijuana called “ Party in the Mountains.”