Parents' Guide to

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Glorifying narco-themed docu has drugs, violence, sex talk.

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A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

yourmomisgay
yourmomisgay Adult
September 3, 2021
age 2+

i like man

very pisfull movie recomend for kids and moms and family

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The docuseries COCAINE COWBOYS: THE KINGS OF MIAMI tells the true story of Augusto "Willy" Falcon and Salvador "Sal" Magluta, two childhood friends who became some of the most powerful drug kingpins in U.S. history. The Cuban exiles and high school dropouts, who are also known as the "Los Muchachos," turned to the drug trade in their teens to secure the American dream. With the help of traffickers and smugglers like Jorge Valdez, Pedro "Pegy" Rosello, and Juan Borroso, Falcon and Magluta reached the height of their careers in the 1980s selling an alleged minimum of $2 billion in cocaine. But the war on drugs was upon them, and despite believing that they were untouchable, Falcon and Magluta, along with their associates, were ultimately arrested and tried for their crimes. What follows is a tale of legal maneuverings, witness and jury tampering, and the eventual role of Magluta's girlfriend Marilyn Bonachea in bringing down their empire. It's a long and complicated story, but with the help of interviews and archive photographs and news footage, Cocaine Cowboys paints a robust picture of the circumstances surrounding Los Muchachos' rise to, and fall from, power.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The interesting six-part docuseries chronicles how Willy Falcon and Sal Magluta's became some of most powerful narco-traffickers of all time. But while it offers lots of details about how their empire was run, their dealings with seemingly inept law enforcement, and the legal antics that followed their arrests, the real draw to Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami are the upbeat interviews with some of the colorful former members of the organization. As these business associates and romantic partners (including Real Housewives of Miami cast member Alexia Echevarria) detail the events that transpired, they share candid, sometimes surprisingly upbeat narratives that highlight what the experience was like.

The cast's stories are engaging, and fans of narco-themed TV will find it worth the watch. But others will find it problematic that the drug trade and the role these folks had in it are romanticized. Much is made about the fact that Falcon and Magluta, as well as their network of wing men, were very young when they entered the business; they viewed what they were doing as "having fun" vs. committing major state and federal crimes. Furthermore, while it highlights the legal consequences of their actions, the harm done to the victims of their crimes is severely downplayed. This approach makes for some good TV entertainment, but fails to tell the whole story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reasons people to choose to work in the drug trade. Why did Willy Falcon, Sal Magluta, and their associates choose to sell drugs? Were they simply motivated by greed, or were there other reasons? Why were they considered folk heroes in parts of Southern Florida?

  • Does Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami glorify drug trafficking? What about drug use? Is there a way to tell this story in an interesting or entertaining way without doing so?

TV Details

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