Netflix's newest biopic, Griselda, tells the true story of Griselda Blanco, one of the most notorious and vicious drug dealers of all time. Despite being her hitman, why did Rivi turn on Griselda Blanco? Where is he now?
Although there are some things about the Netflix series that did not include factual events, much of the show stuck to most of the events in the life of The Godmother of Cocaine. Here's what we know about Rivi Ayala.
Who Betrayed Griselda Blanco?
Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala-Rivera was one of Griselda Blanco's most trusted men. She turned to him whenever she needed someone to be taken care of. But according to Rivi, Griselda was far more violent than him.
While the Netflix biopic revealed that Rivi had helped his boss escape a rival drug cartel, it wasn't necessarily the case.
In reality, Blanco had already been on the radar of the DEA. When they finally caught her in 1985, she was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison over drug trafficking charges.
By this time, however, the police did not know Blanco was involved in any murders. They were simply looking for a guy named 'Riverita,' who was linked to several murders.
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Why Did Rivi Turn on Griselda Blanco?
Although police were looking for Riverita, they did not know his real identity: Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala. So when they arrested Rivi for robbing a bank, the investigators handling his case were able to make the connection.
With the evidence they had on him, things did not look good for Rivi. He even faced the death penalty for all the murders he committed. With this, Rivi decided to strike a deal with prosecutors in 1993.
Did Rivi turn on Griselda to save himself? Yes, he gave the prosecutors crucial information regarding his boss in exchange for sparing his life.
With the information he gave, Rivi was even able to get special treatment. He had his own handler, who, unfortunately, fell victim to his charm.
As a matter of fact, three members of the Miami-Dade state attorney's office were involved in a phone sex scandal with the former hitman. And because of this, he became exempted from testifying against his former boss.
With the scandal, the court deemed his testimony to be tampered. Blanco was able to take a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, especially since they did not have evidence pinning her to the murders.
Blanco was deported to Colombia in 2004.
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Where is Rivi Now?
Even though Blanco had been assassinated in 2012, many believe that Rivi could have a hand in it. But as reports show, Rivi has been in prison since 1993.
According to former reports, Rivi had been convicted of three murders, to which he is serving life in prison with a possibility of parole after 25 years. Despite this number, Rivi is believed to be responsible for at least "three dozen murders".
On the day Blanco was released from prison, Rivi was attacked and stabbed. However, he refused to identify who his attacker was. He shared this information in an interview, which was later used in the 2006 documentary, Cocaine Cowboys.
The last time the public heard anything from Rivi was in 2013. CBS reported that Rivi sought parole based on the verbal agreement he allegedly made in 1993 with his prosecutors.
The judge handling the case denied his request on the grounds that the filing of his motion to reduce incarceration was filed 20 years too late.
Rivi continues to be in prison to this day.
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