Where is María Elvira Murillo today? Interesting facts about Félix Gallardo's wife
María Elvira Murillo is the ex-wife of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, the drug lord who built the Guadalajara Cartel into Mexico's most powerful criminal empire during the 1980s. She gained widespread public attention when Netflix's Narcos: Mexico dramatised her life alongside his. In real life, she has spent decades out of the spotlight. Her exact whereabouts are unknown, and her privacy is fiercely guarded.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- María Elvira Murillo's profile summary
- Who is María Elvira Murillo?
- What is María Elvira Murillo's husband known for?
- María Elvira Murillo's character in Narcos: Mexico
- María Elvira Murillo in real life
- María Elvira Murillo's children
- What happened to María Elvira Murillo?
- How much money did Félix Gallardo make?
- Latest news
- Where is María Elvira Murillo now?
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
Key takeaways
- María Elvira Murillo is the ex-wife of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel.
- She co-owned Delia Real Estate with Gallardo; Mexican authorities seized the assets after his 1989 arrest.
- Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola portrays her in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico.
- According to David F. Marley's book on Mexican Cartels, Gallardo fathered 17 children with several women, including María Elvira.
- Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is currently serving his sentence under house arrest in Mexico.
María Elvira Murillo's profile summary
Full name | María Elvira Murillo |
Date of birth | Not publicly available |
Place of birth | Mexico |
Nationality | Mexican |
Profession | Businesswoman |
Relationship status | Divorced |
Husband (former) | Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo |
Children | Abril Félix Murillo, Miguel Félix Murillo |
Parents | Father reportedly involved in the drug business; details unverified |
Net worth | Not publicly available; assets seized by Mexican authorities after 1989 |
Who is María Elvira Murillo?
María Elvira Murillo is a Mexican businesswoman known primarily for her marriage to underground kingpin and drug lord Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. He founded the Guadalajara Cartel and controlled the bulk of Mexico's drug trade during the 1980s.
She married Gallardo, becoming his second wife, and stood beside him during the height of his power. She attended social and political events in Guadalajara and jointly owned a real estate business with him.
María's background and family
Very little verified information exists about María Elvira's early life. One source, cited by Entertainment Tonight, notes that actress Fernanda Urrejola described the character as "the daughter of a narco," a detail that aligns with reports that her father had ties to drug trading. No independently verified source confirms her parents' names.
Source: Original
What is María Elvira Murillo's husband known for?
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is known as El Padrino, The Godfather, and as the architect of the modern Mexican drug trade. He built the Guadalajara Cartel in the early 1980s, which later splintered into the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels.
Félix Gallardo's conviction and sentence
In 1989, Mexican authorities arrested Gallardo for his role in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. He received an initial sentence of 40 years at Altiplano maximum-security prison. He was subsequently transferred to a medium-security facility due to declining health.
A Mexican court later resentenced him in August 2017 to 37 years in prison for his role in the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. In September 2022, a judge granted him house arrest with an electronic monitoring device, citing serious health concerns. The federal attorney general's office challenged the ruling, but he has since been serving his sentence at a private residence in Zapopan, Jalisco.
María Elvira Murillo's character in Narcos: Mexico
Netflix's Narcos: Mexico (2018–2021) brought María Elvira Murillo's story to a global audience. The series depicts her as a woman who supported Gallardo's rise, endured his affairs and absences, and ultimately distanced herself from his world.
Fernanda Urrejola's portrayal
Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola plays María Elvira in the series. In a 2018 conversation with Entertainment Tonight, she described her character:
María is a very strong woman. She is the daughter of a narco, so she knows a lot about the narco world... She grew up in that narco world, so she doesn't have any judgment. She knows that her husband has to remain alive — that's what is most important for her.
Urrejola, whose IMDb profile confirms her role across all three seasons, is a Chilean actress and former competitive synchronised swimmer. Narcos: Mexico was her first major role after relocating to Los Angeles.
María Elvira Murillo in real life
In real life, María Elvira Murillo keeps an extremely low profile. She does not maintain any known social media presence and has not given public interviews.
Did Félix Gallardo have multiple wives?
Yes. Félix Gallardo had two known marriages. His first wife died of leukaemia, although the exact year is unconfirmed, with some sources placing it in the late 1960s. Her identity has not been reliably established.
María Elvira Murillo was his second wife. She married him after the death of his first wife and remained married during the peak years of the Guadalajara Cartel's operations in the 1980s. After his 1989 arrest, the marriage broke down and the couple divorced.
María Elvira Murillo's children
According to David F. Marley's Mexican Cartels: A History of Mexico's Most Notorious Drug Organisations, Gallardo had 17 children. Only two have been publicly named: Abril Félix Murillo and Miguel Félix Murillo, whom he shares with his second wife, María Elvira.
In March 2011, María Elvira and her children submitted an open letter alleging that Gallardo was being mistreated in prison. The open letter was addressed directly to Mexico's then-Public Safety Secretary, Genaro García Luna.
What happened to María Elvira Murillo?
Why did Félix's wife leave him?
In Narcos: Mexico, María Elvira's growing alienation is depicted as a response to Gallardo's affairs, his violence, and his total absorption in cartel life. The dramatisation shows her eventually confronting him and separating before he is arrested.
In real life, the marriage collapsed after Gallardo's 1989 arrest. Multiple sources confirm she moved back to Sinaloa with their children following his imprisonment. Mexican authorities seized most of the couple's assets, including the Delia Real Estate business. María has not remarried and has maintained a private life ever since.
How much money did Félix Gallardo make?
At the height of his operations, Gallardo's cartel generated billions of dollars from drug smuggling. At one point, Félix was among the world's richest gangsters, with an estimated net worth of $500 million, including 50 houses and 200 ranches.
María Elvira Murillo's net worth
María Elvira Murillo's personal net worth is not publicly known. Following Gallardo's arrest, Mexican authorities seized the couple's shared assets, including their real estate holdings. No credible source has since placed a figure on her personal wealth. It is reasonable to conclude that María's financial situation changed dramatically after 1989.
Latest news
As of 2026, there are no significant public developments involving María Elvira Murillo. She continues to live privately, and no confirmed sightings, statements, or legal proceedings connected to her have emerged in the past year.
Félix Gallardo remains under house arrest at a private residence in Jalisco, Mexico, where he is monitored electronically. His health has reportedly continued to decline. No new legal proceedings against him have been confirmed since his 2017 resentencing.
Where is María Elvira Murillo now?
María Elvira Murillo is believed to be alive and living privately in Mexico. She has not returned to public life, business, or media in the decades since Gallardo's arrest. Her exact address and current circumstances remain unknown.
Is María Elvira Murillo still alive?
Based on all available evidence, María Elvira Murillo is still alive. There is no credible report of her death. She has simply chosen to remain out of the public eye. María Elvira Murillo has no known social media accounts on any platform.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is María Elvira Murillo now? She is believed to be living quietly in Mexico. Her exact location has never been publicly confirmed.
- Why did Félix's wife leave him? The marriage ended after Gallardo's 1989 arrest. With Mexican authorities seizing their assets and Gallardo facing a lengthy sentence, the couple separated and eventually divorced. María Elvira moved to Sinaloa with their children.
- Did Félix Gallardo have multiple wives? Yes. He had two known marriages. His first wife died of leukaemia. María Elvira Murillo was his second wife; they separated after his 1989 arrest.
- Who was Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo's first wife? His first wife's identity has not been reliably confirmed by any authoritative source. Multiple reports state she died of leukaemia, though the date and her name remain unverified.
- Is María Elvira Murillo still alive? Yes, she is believed to be alive. No credible source reports her death.
- Who played María Elvira Murillo in Narcos: Mexico? Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola portrayed María Elvira across all three seasons of Narcos: Mexico (2018–2021).
- Where is Miguel Félix Gallardo today? As of 2026, he is serving his sentence under house arrest in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, monitored by an electronic bracelet.
- What is María Elvira Murillo's net worth? Her net worth is not publicly known. Mexican authorities seized the couple's joint assets following Gallardo's 1989 arrest. No reliable source has established her current financial position.
Conclusion
While Félix Gallardo remains one of the most notorious figures in the history of the international drug trade, María Elvira Murillo successfully shielded herself from the limelight. Far from the televised drama in Narcos: Mexico, María has not been associated with the criminal underworld since her husband's high-profile 1989 arrest and the subsequent government seizure of their assets.
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Julian Mireri (Lifestyle writer) Julian is a content creator who has been working with Yen since 2018. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Planning and Management in the year 2013. Think of her as a content whisperer and a gifted storyteller who never disappoints when it comes to finding the right words for her pieces. Email: julianmireri@gmail.com
Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Yen.com.gh, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.
