'Narcos' season 3 release date, spoilers: Who is the Cali Cartel?

Screenshot showing The Cali Cartel, the group that will take over Pablo Escobar's empire in "Narcos" season 3. YouTube/Netflix

A new threat is coming. "Narcos" season 3 continues after the death of Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and shows the fight of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) against the Cali Cartel. But, who exactly is this new adversary?

The Cali Cartel is known as the wealthiest drug-trafficking organization in the world. It is headed by four powerful individuals namely Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela (Damián Alcázar), Pacho Herrera (Alberto Ammann), Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela (Francisco Denis) and Chepe Santacruz Londono (Pepe Rapazote).

In a two-minute trailer for "Narcos" season 3, DEA agent Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal) enlists the American and Colombian law enforcement to help the DEA's war on drugs. In particular, he wants to bring down the Cali Cartel, who controls 90 percent of the world cocaine market at the height of its power.

"Unlike Escobar, who had positioned himself as an outlaw, Cali was very much a part of the system," showrunner Eric Newman said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "They had bought their way in and they enjoyed a different kind of protection than Pablo did."

While Escobar was protected by those who cherished him, the Cali Cartel was protected by the government officials that they had bribed. These officials apparently keep the organization's violent actions out of the headlines.

"It's a different kind of villain," Newman continued. "While Escobar was a single-cell organism, they were a complex, multi-celled organism."

"Narcos" season 3 will also introduce a host of new characters, including the Cali Cartel's head of security, Jorge Salcedo (Matias Varela); the cartel's money launderer, Franklin Jurado (Miguel Angel Silvestre); and DEA agents, Chris Feistl (Michael Stahl-David) and Daniel Van Ness (Matt Whelan).

"Narcos" season 3 will premiere on Friday, Sept. 1 on Netflix. While waiting, fans can check out the show's second season finale "Al Fin Cayó!" below.

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