Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Billy Corben, Netflix’s ‘Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami’ is a documentary series that examines the story of Florida traffickers who were arrested, indicted, and ultimately convicted in one of the largest U.S. cocaine cases in history. From high school dropouts hoping to make some easy cash to running an empire, Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador “Sal” Magluta were powerful kingpins. They eluded the officials for almost two decades before the chase for them came to an end. So now, let’s discover precisely where Salvador “Sal” Magluta is today, shall we?
Who is Salvador “Sal” Magluta?
Born to Gloria and Manuel “Manolo” Magluta, once local bakery owners, Salvador “Sal” Magluta grew up in Miami, Florida, in a humble surrounding. Owing to his religious affinities, he knew the difference between right and wrong from an early age. Yet, he also believed that if one repents enough following a sin, they will still go to heaven. Thus, Sal did not seem to mind becoming a drug dealer after choosing to leave Miami Senior High School with his best friend at the time, Augusto “Willy” Falcon. They started with marijuana but quickly moved to cocaine in the mid-1970s.
While Willy was the face of their operations due to his friendly nature and communication skills, Sal was the brains. The latter actually handled their illicit trade as a business, with ledgers documenting each transaction and storehouses for their goods and income. In 1979, this duo was indicted on small-time drug charges for the first time, receiving a sentence of 5 years on probation and 14 months in jail. But their well-paid attorneys managed to stretch out their appeals for nearly a decade, during which they set up the largest cocaine smuggling organization on the East Coast.
As per reports, Sal and Willy controlled a massive collection of planes and boats that funneled drugs from the Colombian cartels in Medellin and Cali to the streets of Miami, New York, Washington D.C., Charleston, and many others across the nation. They also utilized several offshore bank accounts and dummy corporations to launder their money to keep themselves away from the limelight. However, their lifestyle was the complete opposite. Not only did they give back to their community without restrain, but they were also star speedboat racers who often appeared on television.
In fact, Sal Magluta won three national championships over the years and was also a distinguished member of the American Power Boat Association Commission. Moreover, he and Willy used their wealth to establish firms in the construction and management industry to develop and obtain millions in the form of real estate. They genuinely had connections everywhere, so it was no surprise when they fled an arrest in LA in 1985. Then, Sal got out of his nine-year-old 14-month sentence in 1988 by having someone falsify his official prison papers five days after apprehension.
Where is Salvador “Sal” Magluta Now?
It seemed like Salvador “Sal” Magluta’s luck ran out in October 1991, when federal agents finally captured him for allegedly amassing over $2.1 billion by smuggling at least 75 tons of cocaine into the States over the years. In the original indictment, he and Willy faced 17 counts. But despite a myriad of incriminating evidence, they were acquitted when they popularly stood trial for the same in 1996. It subsequently turned out that they had bribed some of the jurors. As seen in the documentary, since potential witnesses were also targetted/killed, suspicion arose there as well.
Ultimately, after numerous more court appearances, indictments, fleeings, etc., Sal was tried for a second time and convicted of drug-related money laundering, bribery, and witness tampering charges in 2002. Although, he was acquitted of paying for the murders of the witnesses. He was handed down a 205-year prison sentence, which was then cut to 195 years. Thus, at the age of 66, Sal is incarcerated at the USP Florence ADMAX, Colorado. His release date is September 28, 2166, so he’s expected to spend the rest of his natural life behind bars.
Read More: Where is Willy Falcon Now?
