Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by Jorge Dorantes and Scott Gold, ‘The Gringo Hunters’ follows the International Liaison Unit of the Mexican federal police that tracks down US fugitives in Mexico and deports them back. While chasing a man accused of multiple murders in public, the unit comprising Temo (Dagoberto Gama), Nico (Harold Torres), Gloria (Mayra Hermosillo), Archi (Andrew Leland Rogers), Beto (Manuel Masalva), and Cri (Héctor Kotsifakis) gets filmed by a vlogger who comes up with the titular name. This leads to them going viral, much to the displeasure of Temo and his boss, Ortega (Gerardo Trejoluna). Inspired by real events, the Netflix series originally titled ‘Los Gringo Hunters’ shares a fresh take on procedural crime drama, set across the troubled border of the US and Mexico. If you have enjoyed the gripping watch and are looking for more, here are some more shows similar to ‘The Gringo Hunters’ to check out for your next binge.
10. Falco (2018)
Adapted from the German series ‘Der letzte Bulle’ by Robert Dannenberg and Stefan Scheich, ‘Falco’ stars Michel Brown as the titular Alejandro Falco, a police officer who recovers from a coma 23 years after getting shot in the head while working a case. He no longer recognizes the world around him, with his wife married to another man and his daughter fully grown up. However, not losing his professional skill set, Falco has to learn to work with new people both at work and in his personal life to solve new cases as well as figure out what happened on the fateful night that he was shot. Like ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ the series dives into police procedure across the border.
9. Camelia la Texana (2014)
‘Camelia la Texana’ by Diego Ramón Bravo chronicles the life of young Camelia Pineda “La Texana” (Sara Maldonado), who tries to escape with her mother from Don Antonio Treviño (Dagoberto Gama), one of Mexico’s most dangerous capos in the 1970s. It becomes difficult for the women to stay anonymous during their escape, as Camelia’s beauty attracts both the infatuation of men and the jealousy of women. During her journey, she seemingly meets the love of her life, Emilio Varela (Erik Hayser), but destiny has a lot more plans for her. Like the fugitives in ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ the telenovela depicts the attempts of the women to leave Mexico.
8. El Señor de los Cielos (2013-2024)
From the mind of Luis Zelkowicz, ‘El Señor de los Cielos’ tells the story of Mexican drug lord Aurelio Casillas (Rafael Amaya), who traffics controlled substances across to the US and Colombia. A married man and father of three, Aurelio is assisted in his business by his fiercely loyal Chacorta (Raúl Méndez). When his back gets against the wall, being chased by law enforcement officials, Aurelio prepares himself to go to any lengths to protect his family and business, including getting a new face. The desperation seen in the fugitives in ‘The Gringo Hunters’ is reflected in Aurelio in ‘El Señor de los Cielos.’
7. Gangs of Galicia (2024-)
Helmed by Jorge Guerricaechevarría, ‘Gangs of Galicia’ revolves around Ana González Soriano (Clara Lago), a lawyer from Madrid who discovers her recently deceased father was living in witness protection for testifying against the drug trafficking Padin family in Spain. When his will mentions two women from Cambados, Ana relocates to the town to find out who they are and, in turn, get to know her father better. By the turn of fate, she gets involved with Daniel Padín (Tamar Novas), son of imprisoned kingpin José Padín (Miguel de Lira). The series traces Ana’s journey to become familiar with the underworld, and the setting becomes reminiscent of what is seen in ‘The Gringo Hunters.’
6. Somos. (2021)
James Schamus created ‘Somos.’ based on journalist Ginger Thompson’s report titled ‘How the U.S. triggered a massacre in Mexico.’ It chronicles the horrific tale of a massacre perpetrated by the Los Zetas cartel on the Mexican border town of Allende in 2011. Recreated with the help of testimonies from the locals, the story follows the interconnected lives of a handful of individuals who witness the disaster unfold. The series showcases what leads the DEA to initiate an investigation into the cartels in the region, along the lines of ‘The Gringo Hunters.’
5. The Inmate (2018)
Originally titled ‘El Recluso,’ Joaquín Guerrero Casasola’s ‘The Inmate’ is adapted from the Argentine series ‘El Marginal’ created by Sebastián Ortega and Adrián Caetano. The story centers around former US Marine Lázaro Mendoza (Ignacio Serricchio), who enters a maximum security prison in Mexico using a false identity and fake conviction. Inside, he attempts to infiltrate a dangerous gang of criminals and guards working together, who are suspected of kidnapping the daughter of an American judge. As in ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ the series depicts an American citizen staying in Mexico under false pretenses, but in this case, is on the right side of the law.
4. Griselda (2024)
A biographical miniseries created by Carlo Bernard, Ingrid Escajeda, and Doug Miro, ‘Griselda’ revolves around the life of Griselda Blanco (Sofía Vergara), a Colombian drug lord who earned the moniker “Godmother of Cocaine.” It traces her arrival in the US and rise to power in the Miami drug scene in the 1980s. Drug use, paranoia, and betrayal result in her downfall. Even as she turns herself over to the police to escape retaliation from the cartel, unexpected consequences find her nevertheless. A cautionary tale, ‘Griselda’ follows ‘The Gringo Hunters’ in depicting criminals working across borders.
3. El Chapo (2017-2018)
‘El Chapo’ is a biographical series penned by Silvana Aguirre and Carlos Contreras that tells the story of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, who also goes by the titular alias. One of the most violent and feared drug kingpins in history, the narrative follows his rise from a low-level member of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s to becoming the head of the Sinaloa Cartel in the following decade. Marco de la O stars in the titular role, bringing to life El Chapo’s battles with law enforcement as well as other drug lords while building his empire on screen. Similar to ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ the series takes the creative liberty of dramatizing real events to enhance the narrative.
2. Queen of the South (2016-2021)
Adapted from the eponymous novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, ‘Queen of the South’ by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller chronicles the life of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga) from Sinaloa, Mexico, who is desperate to rise above her impoverished condition. After her boyfriend with ties to a drug cartel gets killed, Teresa gets into the US and joins a criminal organization. When her vision for drug distribution differs from that of her boss, she starts her own organization and soon becomes very successful. However, it comes at the cost of personal sacrifices, as well as unwanted attention from the government. Much like ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ the series ramps on the the crime drama taking place across the border.
1. Narcos: Mexico (2018-2021)
Created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro, ‘Narcos: Mexico’ shares a dramatized retelling of the origins of the Mexican drug war in the 1980s. The story begins with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) taking control of the Guadalajara Cartel and uniting the disorganized drug traffickers in the country under his empire. His rise is observed by DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña), who moves across the border with his family before becoming aware of the magnitude of the business he has been assigned to investigate. The plotlines often overlap between ‘Narcos: Mexico’ and ‘The Gringo Hunters,’ both being set in the same country. Inspired by real-world events, they follow crimes across the border and involve law enforcement agencies collaborating to bring the perpetrators to justice.
