Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
With Pablo Escobar dead, the Cali cartel takes centre stage. Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez lead an organisation that includes Pacho Herrera and Chepe, whose operations reach New York. Their proposed exit is a negotiated surrender after six more months of business, allowing them to retain their wealth. Javier Peña now leads the investigation against them, but the cartel's political connections obstruct a straightforward arrest campaign. Money laundering and access to officials become as important to the case as finding the bosses themselves.
Inside the organisation, security specialist Jorge Salcedo wants a future away from the cartel. Gilberto's arrest and Miguel's increasing paranoia make leaving dangerous. After his superior is murdered, Jorge becomes security chief and secretly helps DEA investigators Chris Feistl and Daniel Van Ness, seeking protection for his family. His information brings the investigators close to Miguel, but an early raid fails when a compromised prosecutor intervenes. Peña also pursues money launderer Franklin Jurado. Jurado's murder in custody makes accountant Guillermo Pallomari an essential surviving witness, while Miguel's son David hunts suspected informants.
The later operation against Miguel succeeds as Jorge's cover collapses, and the DEA protects his family. The final struggle is to reach Pallomari before the cartel can silence him. His escape and testimony help dismantle the leadership and expose its connections to Colombia's presidency. The Rodríguez brothers ultimately face imprisonment in the United States; Pacho and Chepe are killed after their own attempts to survive the collapse. Jorge and his family enter witness protection, where he works as a mechanic. Peña exposes the corruption surrounding the investigation and leaves the DEA, bringing his part in the campaign to an end.