Is 'Narcos: Mexico' Season 3 Based On A Real-Life Story?

When the crime drama "Narcos" first premiered in 2015 on Netflix, it was instantly a hit. With each season that came after the show's ratings skyrocketed until its thrilling end in season three.

Following the success of "Narcos," Netflix debuted a spin-off named "Narcos: Mexico." Although it deferred from its parent series by location and cast, it continued to give an in-depth look into the lives of notorious drug lords and cartels.

Two seasons of the show have aired, receiving much critical acclaim. Netflix then renewed the series for a third and final season that aired in November. With the debut of the new sequel, fans are curious to know if the storyline revolved around events that happened.

Read below for more details.

The scenes in "Narcos: Mexico" might have felt too intense and violence-riddled to look realistic. However, it mirrored the life and death of real people and events in Mexico in some cases.

The third season of the series showcased the slaughter of young women in Juárez in the 1990s. Scores of bodies were discovered in the nearby desert and other secret places— many of them teenagers who came to Juarez to work in the factories known as "maquiladoras."

Although their deaths did not stem from the drug war prevalent at that time, it was highlighted in the narrative of "Narcos: Mexico" season three. For instance, inspector Victor Tapia (Luis Gerardo Méndez) investigated the murders to capture their killers.

Mendez, who is of Mexican origin, felt moved by the opportunity to tell the story of the prevalent femicide during that era. As per Newsweek, he said, "So, I thought it was really moving and relevant for me that the creators and showrunner decided to bring that storyline into the show because this storyline talks about the consequences of the actions of the cartels."

The first two installments of "Narcos: Mexico" told the tale of the early beginning and rise to prominence of the Mexican drug cartels. It centered on the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s and how they unified a bevy of marijuana dealers to form an infamous drug empire.

DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña) is transferred to Guadalajara to take on a new post. He quickly learned that the place harbored drug lords who had hatched in on the illegal money selling drugs could bring.

Ultimately, due to the violence that ensued in trying to bring normalcy to the drug-filled region, a covert team is sent to Mexico to trap and bring Gallardo and his associates to justice.

As the final chapter in the series, season three followed the battle between the already broken-down drug cartels and law enforcement agents in a final struggle for good.

In the interview with Newsweek, "Narcos: Mexico," co-creator Carlo Bernard shared some insight explaining why the Juarez killings made their way into the show's plot.

"The phenomenon partnered and delved into is the relationship of the border between Mexico and America in the 90s. To not touch on that would be a missed opportunity," he said.

Bernard continued: "But, that tragedy is another sort of consequence of this larger phenomenon of the drug trade. American consumption fuels corruption in Mexico. Those crimes have gone on for so long. There is so much corruption in Mexico which America has a part. It was trying to make some attempt to acknowledge a really complex problem, and one indirectly tied to the drug trade."

In all, fans feel that it is a nice thing for the showrunners to weave such an important historical event into the tapestry of the series story.

Many old actors came back to reprise their roles, and new characters got added to the mix.

The main players in season three includes Scoot McNairy (Walt Breslin) as the DEA liaison, José María Yazpik (Amado Carrillo Fuentes), the leader of the Juárez Cartel and Méndez as Victor Tapia, a Juarez police officer who investigated the murder of several local women.

Additionally, Matt Letscher, Luisa Rubino, and Alfonso Dosal played the part of DEA head, journalist, and leader of the Tijuana cartel. Then Mayra Hermosillo portrayed Dosal's character's sister and Manuel Masalva as his enforcer.

Gorka Lasaosa (Héctor Palma) acted as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. Other cast members are Bobby Soto, Alejandro Furth, Lorenzo Ferro, José Zúñiga, Alberto Guerra and Albert Ammann.