The Snitch Cartel: Origins

Over four decades in Cali, The Snitch Cartel: Origins traces how two brothers, Emmanuel and Leonardo Villegas, grow up under pressure from poverty, family expectations and the lure of easy money. The series switches between their youth and adulthood, showing how early choices, romances and local alliances set them on a path into the cocaine trade. You see domestic obligations collide with criminal opportunity, and relationships strain as wealth and violence change what the brothers value. The storytelling keeps personal moments in the foreground, using quieter scenes to show how loyalty, rivalry and survival shape who they become without giving away major plot turns.

Released in 2022, the show was directed by Camilo Villamizar and created by Andrés López López, Johny Alexander Ortiz and Karen Rodríguez. Juan Pablo Urrego and Sebastián Osorio play the young brothers, with Gustavo Angarita Jr. and Carlos-Manuel Vesga portraying their adult selves, and Patricia Tamayo in a key supporting role.

The series didn't collect major international awards after release. It has drawn regional attention and discussion, and while it hasn't been a headline awards contender, it found a steadier life through viewers and genre-focused coverage rather than trophy runs.

While not a worldwide phenomenon, the series contributed to a steady stream of Colombian crime dramas that revisit the drug era. It prompted conversation in Spanish-language markets about how television represents the social context behind illegal economies, and its attention to period detail and family dynamics helped it stand out among similar titles.

Audience scores sit near 7.9 out of 10 from a modest sample of viewers, and reviews tended to single out the performances across ages as a strength. Critics and viewers noted recurring themes of family loyalty, ambition and social mobility, along with the moral price exacted by crime. The show is appreciated for focusing on character consequences rather than glorifying the criminal lifestyle.