10 Best Documentaries Like Cocaine Cowboys

In Cocaine Cowboys, viewers are shoved into the chaotic yet glamorous lives of Miami drug kingpins Willy Falcon and Sal Magluta who had a firm hold on South Florida’s underworld in the 1980s. As is often the case, their criminal journey hit a cul-de-sac, and the duo eventually were charged with smuggling a whopping 75 tons of cocaine.

Viewers who already cruised through the six episodes of this docuseries might be looking for something similar to watch, and there’s plenty. The documentaries most similar to Cocaine Cowboys are those that cover the criminal adventures of individuals who also made their mark in the drug trade or those who tried their best to nab the kingpins.

Drug Lords (2018) – Netflix

With a title that tells viewers exactly what to expect, the docuseries Drug Lords explores the rise and fall of kingpins such as El Chapo, Pablo Escobar, his rivals the Cali Cartel, and the Melbourne-based Pettingill family. It has two seasons in total.

The beauty of Drug Lords is that instead of focusing on a single tale, it offers a quick summary of the heavyweights of the past around the globe. To hook the viewers, the first season starts with Escobar’s story, which makes much sense since he is perhaps the most famous narco-trafficker of all time. The second season follows a similar pattern by starting with El Chapo’s story. In the end, viewers get to learn so much more about kingpins they ever knew before.

Shiny Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord – Netflix

German teen Maximilian Schmidt managed to sell narcotics worth $4.8 million from his bedroom in just under 14 months. And that’s the saga this wild documentary film serves the viewer.

Shiny Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord comes off as a unique and intriguing kind of drug story since it doesn’t involve the stereotypical gangsters with guns. As he conducts his operations, Schmidt doesn’t harm a single soul. All he uses is his website, shinyflakes.com. Even more interesting is that his motivation isn’t money. He does it all because of love, to prove a point to his girlfriend. Thanks to its brilliance, the documentary inspired the Netflix show How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast).

Operations Odessa (2018) – Netflix

This stylish documentary tells the wild parallel tales of a Miami playboy, a Russian mobster, and a Cuban spy who merged and made a deal to sell a nuclear submarine to one of the largest Colombian cartels. But it all didn’t happen easily.

Operations Odessa sets itself apart from other offerings in the genre because it’s raucously hilarious and wildly outrageous. It could even be mistaken for fiction, but everything is indeed true. One of the most unbelievable moments involves the playboy impersonating Pablo Escobar to the Russian mob. And they sure do believe he is the man. Such are the types of incredible events viewers can expect.

a/k/a Tommy Chong (2006) – Amazon Prime

The cleverly titled documentary film shells out the criminal life of comedian Tommy Chong, one half of the famous comedy duo Cheech and Chong, and his infamous arrest for selling drug paraphernalia. Chong was arrested as part of Operation Pipe Dreams, a nationwide raid that nabbed 55 other individuals.

The Josh Gilbert production stands out because it touches neither on the drugs nor the money but on the tools used by drug users. It also doesn’t shy away from being biased in favor of Tommy Chong, with many of the interviewees suggesting that the comedian was unfairly prosecuted.

The Two Escobars (2010) – ESPN Player

There was more than one popular Escobar in Colombia in the 1980s and ’90s, the other being footballer Andres Escobar. The two happened to cross paths because Pablo owned a football club.

There are many reasons why The Two Escobars is one of the best ever 30 for 30 documentaries. More than just being a narration about chaotic lives, it explains how the drug trade affects other sectors, sports in this case. There’s the revelation that most sports results aren’t genuine since high-profile traffickers are betting on them and want results to go a specific way. It’s the reason Andres gets killed, having scored an own goal during the World Cup, making important people lose their bets.

Freeway: Crack In The System (2015) – Amazon Prime

In this deliberately paced Marc Levin production, several people recount the rise and fall of “Freeway” Rick Ross, who rose to fame in the ’80s. He was eventually sentenced to 20 years behind bars, and when he got out, he wasn’t too happy to learn that a popular rapper had taken his name.

Freeway acknowledges that the fate of narco-traffickers often veers off into tragic territory, so it emphasizes the importance of reforming. More than just documenting Rick Ross’ life, the doc underlines how well he is doing now as a reformed gangster. He works as a motivational speaker and is proud of the man he has become. He even makes it clear that his old self would never have tried to negotiate with the rapper over stealing of names, nor taken him to court. He’d simply have resorted to violence.

Popeye: Confessions Of A Hitman (2019) – Amazon Prime

The documentary follows the life of notorious Medellin Cartel hitman John Jairo Velasquez, better known as Popeye after he gets paroled. Popeye, who surprisingly doesn’t appear as one of Escobar’s henchmen in Narcos, is reported to have killed 250 people at the height of the infamous drug lord’s reign.

Confessions of a Hitman showcases the ways in which ghosts from the past can haunt someone. Despite being a free man, Popeye can’t walk around freely because there are numerous people who still hold grudges against him for what he did more than 20 years ago. Despite moving around stealthily, Popeye is more proud than remorseful, glad to have been such a big part of history.

BMF: The Rise And Fall Of A Hip-Hop Drug Empire (2012) – Starz App

BMF takes viewers through a 15-year journey in which members of one of the biggest drug organizations in the American underworld were hunted down. The leader of the organization was Big Meech, who also doubled as an investor in hip-hop production studios.

The documentary highlights the difficult work of law enforcement officers, showing how time-consuming it can be to build a proper case. It also shows that some of the most profitable and well-organized outfits don’t make it to the news. They remain low-key for the most part until the chickens eventually come home to roost. The organization is also portrayed in what could be considered one of the most underrated shows on Starz, the Curtis “40 Cent” Jackson produced BMF.

The Last Narc (2020) – Amazon Prime

This docuseries explores the death of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985. Drug lords and members of the Mexican government are said to have been involved in his death.

Prior to the release of The Last Narc, Kiki’s story had already been touched on in Narcos: Mexico. However, the docuseries tells a better story by including interviews from almost everyone that was close to the agent, including his wife. There’s also an unbiased take on the events, with the narrative questioning whether the CIA was involved too.

Frank Lucas: American Gangster (2017) – Amazon Prime

Harlem drug trafficker Frank Lucas was known for importing opium directly from the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia and transporting it using coffins of dead American soldiers. For a brief spell, he was the most powerful drug lord in America, and this documentary covers his journey.

The similarly titled movie about Lucas, American Gangster starring Denzel Washington, is undoubtedly one of the best gangster movies of the last 15 years, and it covers the same material. However, Frank Lucas: American Gangster is an entertaining work in its own right. What makes it superior to the movie is the interview from the man himself, who points out some of the things that Hollywood might have gotten wrong about his life.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1213 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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