'Narcos: Mexico' Season 2: The true story of 'Lord of the Skies' Amado Carrillo Fuentes
One of the most underrated characters in both seasons of ‘Narcos: Mexico’ is Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Played by José María Yazpik, Amado’s character has been that of a loyal soldier in the Guadalajara cartel. He’s loyal not just to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) but also to the plaza boss -- Pablo Acosta played by Gerardo Taracena --.he’s working under -
But in a series that has been fictionalized to a certain degree, is there a true story behind Amado?
Yes. Born on December 17, 1956, Amado became known as “El Señor de Los Cielos” -- The Lord of the Skies -- because of the large fleet of jets he used to transport drugs. In the series, Amado was one of the first met to proclaim their loyalty to Gallardo, along with his uncle Don Neto.
After Pablo Acosta, the head of the Juarez plaza was Rafael Aguilar Guajardo. But Amado killed Guajardo to become the Juarez boss. But Amado’s life was nothing compared to how unexpected (and frankly ludicrous) his death was. Amado died on July 4, 1997, following a complicated plastic surgery -- he wanted to change his appearance because the US and Mexican authorities were tracking him.
The surgery, however, went wrong. Amado died on the surgery table.
According to Televisa, Amado “knew how to value the importance of privacy, which contributed to his avoidance of attempts by the Mexican government and the DEA to stop him. It is for this reason that few photos of the late Sinaloa kingpin are preserved, but enough to be able to tell a bit of his story in images.”
According to Vice News, Amado bought off police, federal agents, soldiers, and officers with such skill, he became one of the largest crime bosses in Mexico.
On July 4, 1997, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, per Vice, “went under the knife” in Mexico City for plastic surgery meant to help him avoid detection by authorities. The surgery failed and Amado died at the age of 40. The leadership of the gang then went to Amado's younger brother, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes.
‘Narcos: Mexico' Season 2 is available for viewing on Netflix.
