The series, available for streaming on Netflix, is the third in Rakontur's Cocaine Cowboys series and draws heavily on former New Times staff writer Jim DeFede's dogged coverage of the rise and fall of Willy and Sal. Through archival videos and interviews with former prosecutors, drug smugglers, and journalists, the series illustrates how the duo trafficked millions of dollars' worth of cocaine from Colombia into the United States, all while somehow staying one step ahead of the law. The six-part docuseries opens with a catchy theme song by local boy Pitbull and chronicles the story of how local childhood pals Augusto 'Willy' Falcon and Salvador 'Sal' Magluta (AKA Willy and Sal) went from dealing dime bags to controlling America's most robust cocaine empire during the 1970s and '80s. But their 2021 documentary Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami, just might be the most #BecauseMiami tale of them all. In fact, they snagged this honor last year for 537 Votes, an incisive look back at Miami-Dade's pivotal role in the 2000 presidential election. Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman, founders of the production company Rakontur, have been friends and filmmaking partners since their high school days in the 1990s.
