This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Sanjinez, and, for married women, the optional marital name is de Atalá.
Sonia Sanjinez de Atala (born c. 1951) is a Bolivian former drug trafficker. A member of "La Corporación" ("The Corporation"), Atala was one of the narcos responsible for the 1980 Bolivian coup d'état, known as the "Cocaine Coup", and the most powerful female drug lord in Bolivia at the time.
Atala was born in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to Consortium News, she was the niece of drug trafficker Hugo Hurtado-Candia.[1]
She sold television sets and radios to Panama before she was hired by Luis Arce Gómez to smuggle drugs.[2] She was imprisoned in La Paz under the presidency of Lidia Gueiler Tejada, but for a short period.
After the "Cocaine Coup" in 1980, installed by various Bolivian drug kingpins, Minister of the Interior Luis Arce Gomez put Atala in charge of smuggling cocaine and money laundering operations across the country.[3] She paid her smugglers $20,000 monthly with a $500 tax for each kilogram of cocaine.[4]
According to ex-DEA agent Michael Levine (later her undercover partner), Atala was described as a "very beautiful but deadly woman" who could order people dead anywhere in the country.[5] Her mansion in Santa Cruz was known as the "Torture House" due to her enforcers taking in enemies and torturing them. Atala was protected by an enforcer group made of Neo-Nazi mercenaries trained by Klaus Barbie.
In the mid-1980s, a period where Atala grew too powerful, the Bolivian narco government betrayed her during a cocaine deal with the Medellin Cartel.[6] Atala was on the run from Luis Fernando Arcila Mejia ("Papa Mejia"), a Colombian drug smuggler whom Atala had refused to pay off a drug operation.[7]
Atala was present as a key witness at the trial of Luis Arce Gomez, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and received a lighter sentence in return for incriminating information.[8] She is currently under a witness protection program and resides in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.[9]
Personal lifeedit
Atala married auto driver Walter "Pachi" Atala when she was 14 years old. They had four children.[10]
^Robert Parry (1997). "The Consortium". www.consortiumnews.com.
^"SUEÑOS PARA ATAR: LA REINA DE LA COCAÍNA FUE BOLIVIANA". Javierbadani.blogpsot.com. 18 July 2001. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
^"The Women of Organized Crime". Borderlandbeat.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"Documents: Retaliation Threatened Bolivian Charged In Cocaine Conspiracy". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"[CTRL] Michael Levine - The DEA's Exiled Dissident". www.mail-archive.com.
^. Narcosphere.narconews.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"[CTRL] Michael Levine - The DEA's Exiled Dissident". Mail-archive.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"'Minister of Cocaine' threatened retaliation". Upi.com. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"Living in… Bolivia". Redtea.com. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
^"SUEÑOS PARA ATAR: LA REINA DE LA COCAÍNA FUE BOLIVIANA". Javierbadani.blogpsot.com. 18 July 2001. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
January 01, 1970
sonia, sanjinez, atala, this, name, uses, spanish, naming, customs, first, paternal, family, name, sanjinez, married, women, optional, marital, name, atalá, sonia, sanjinez, atala, born, 1951, bolivian, former, drug, trafficker, member, corporación, corporatio. This name uses Spanish naming customs the first or paternal family name is Sanjinez and for married women the optional marital name is de Atala Sonia Sanjinez de Atala born c 1951 is a Bolivian former drug trafficker A member of La Corporacion The Corporation Atala was one of the narcos responsible for the 1980 Bolivian coup d etat known as the Cocaine Coup and the most powerful female drug lord in Bolivia at the time Sonia Sanjinez de AtalaBornc 1951 age 72 73 Santa Cruz de la Sierra BoliviaNationalityBolivianOther names La Reina de la Cocaina Queen of Cocaine OccupationDrug traffickerSpouseWalter AtalaChildren4 Contents 1 Criminal career 2 Personal life 3 See also 4 ReferencesCriminal career editAtala was born in Santa Cruz Bolivia According to Consortium News she was the niece of drug trafficker Hugo Hurtado Candia 1 She sold television sets and radios to Panama before she was hired by Luis Arce Gomez to smuggle drugs 2 She was imprisoned in La Paz under the presidency of Lidia Gueiler Tejada but for a short period After the Cocaine Coup in 1980 installed by various Bolivian drug kingpins Minister of the Interior Luis Arce Gomez put Atala in charge of smuggling cocaine and money laundering operations across the country 3 She paid her smugglers 20 000 monthly with a 500 tax for each kilogram of cocaine 4 According to ex DEA agent Michael Levine later her undercover partner Atala was described as a very beautiful but deadly woman who could order people dead anywhere in the country 5 Her mansion in Santa Cruz was known as the Torture House due to her enforcers taking in enemies and torturing them Atala was protected by an enforcer group made of Neo Nazi mercenaries trained by Klaus Barbie In the mid 1980s a period where Atala grew too powerful the Bolivian narco government betrayed her during a cocaine deal with the Medellin Cartel 6 Atala was on the run from Luis Fernando Arcila Mejia Papa Mejia a Colombian drug smuggler whom Atala had refused to pay off a drug operation 7 Atala was present as a key witness at the trial of Luis Arce Gomez who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and received a lighter sentence in return for incriminating information 8 She is currently under a witness protection program and resides in Santa Cruz Bolivia 9 Personal life editAtala married auto driver Walter Pachi Atala when she was 14 years old They had four children 10 See also editGriselda Blanco Illegal drug trade in BoliviaReferences edit Robert Parry 1997 The Consortium www consortiumnews com SUENOS PARA ATAR LA REINA DE LA COCAINA FUE BOLIVIANA Javierbadani blogpsot com 18 July 2001 Retrieved 25 November 2016 The Women of Organized Crime Borderlandbeat com Retrieved 25 September 2016 Documents Retaliation Threatened Bolivian Charged In Cocaine Conspiracy Articles sun sentinel com Retrieved 25 September 2016 CTRL Michael Levine The DEA s Exiled Dissident www mail archive com Murder of Miami s Cocaine Queen Offers Teaching Moment the narcosphere Narcosphere narconews com Archived from the original on 9 October 2012 Retrieved 25 September 2016 CTRL Michael Levine The DEA s Exiled Dissident Mail archive com Retrieved 25 September 2016 Minister of Cocaine threatened retaliation Upi com Retrieved 25 September 2016 Living in Bolivia Redtea com 11 July 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2016 SUENOS PARA ATAR LA REINA DE LA COCAINA FUE BOLIVIANA Javierbadani blogpsot com 18 July 2001 Retrieved 25 September 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sonia Sanjinez De Atala amp oldid 1223398210, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
