▁from ▁an ▁ups c ale ▁flat land ▁neighborhood ▁near ▁her ▁own ▁neighborhood . ▁Blan co ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁pick po cket ▁before ▁she ▁even ▁turned ▁ 1 3 . ▁To ▁escape ▁the ▁sexual ▁assault s ▁from ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁boy friend , ▁Blan co ▁ran ▁away ▁from ▁home ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁and ▁res orted ▁to ▁lo oting ▁in ▁Med ell ín ▁until ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 . ▁ ▁D rug ▁business ▁ ▁Blan co ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁drug ▁trade ▁from ▁Colombia ▁to ▁Miami , ▁New ▁York , ▁and ▁California . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Blan co ▁and ▁her ▁second ▁husband ▁Alberto ▁Bra vo ▁il leg ally ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁with ▁fake ▁pass ports , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Queens , ▁New ▁York . ▁They ▁established ▁a ▁s izable ▁c oca ine ▁business ▁there , ▁and ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁Blan co ▁was ▁ind icted ▁on ▁federal ▁drug ▁consp i racy ▁charges ▁along ▁with ▁ 3 0 ▁of ▁her ▁sub ordinates . ▁She ▁fled ▁to ▁Colombia ▁before ▁she ▁could ▁be ▁arrested , ▁but ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Miami ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Blan co ' s ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁from ▁Colombia ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁very ▁public ▁violent ▁conflicts ▁that ▁involved ▁hundreds ▁of ▁mur ders ▁and ▁kill ings ▁year ly