31 Crazy Narco Instagram Photos Posted By Mexico’s Most Feared Drug Cartels

Published November 13, 2015
Updated October 23, 2019

See inside the lavish, gaudy and lethal world of Mexico's most feared narcos, as posted to their own cartel Instagram accounts.

Instagram has long been a place for people to brag—whether it’s folks showing off their post-workout muscles, their new shoes or even the nauseating #RichKidsOfInstagram—but Mexican drug cartels are taking things to the extreme.

These aren’t police photos taken inside the home of a Mexican drug lord after an arrest, these are pictures taken by the gangs themselves. Take a look at these shockingly over-the-top narco Instagram photos to be found on these drug lords’ social media accounts:

Narco Instagram Photos BMW Gun
The children of fugitive drug lord El Chapo are thought to have started the trend for cartels showing off on Instagram.

Narco Instagram Mansion Driveway
El Chapo’s cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, is thought to make up to $3 billion a year in profit. Their extravagant lifestyle certainly seems to back this up.

Narco Instagram Bling
Often posted with hashtags like #NarcoStyle and #NarcoOficial, the pictures display extreme opulence, often paired with drugs, cash or weapons.

Narco Instagram Photos Luxury Cars
The El Chapo kids' posts ignited a competition between the various cartels. More and more photos began appearing, all aimed at proving who had the most expensive cars…

Mexican Cartel Instagram Pictures
…the most beautiful women…

Narco Instagram Guns And Cars
…the biggest guns…

Bandolier
…and sometimes, all three.

Armed Bandits
The photos came at a price, however, with one Instagram post inadvertently revealing the location of El Chapo’s hiding place.

Narco Instagram Photos Gold AK 47
Gold is a common motif in the series, with many narcos choosing to decorate their weapons in precious metals.

Narco Instagram Gold Handgun
These gold-plated guns are often shown off as accessories while their owners lounge poolside...

Mexican Cartel Instagram Photos
...or chill on the couch watching TV.

Narco Instagram Photos Lion
Big cats, the perfect representation of lethal extravagance, are also popular with the cartels. They often appear alongside luxury cars or attractive women, often looking horribly sedated.

Narco Instagram Photos Cadillac And Cheetas
A Narco shows off his new matching hood ornaments.

Woman With Leopard
More spoils of the drug wars.

Narco Instagram Horse
Horses are also popular—here, a narco shows off his riding skills.

Drugs And Cash
Flashing drugs, cash and guns with abandon, the posters show no fear of Mexican authorities whatsoever.

Narco Instagram Cash And Guns
It's not surprising when they have authorities thoroughly outgunned, and are easily able to afford more manpower.

Narco Instagram Weapons And Cash
A narco shows off his custom pistol on a stack of $100 bills.

Hot Woman With Assault Rifle
A woman with an assault rifle poses for the camera.

Narco Instagram Cash Bag
A glimpse inside a cartel member's travel bag.

Narco Instagram Cash Pile
According to CNN, over 60,000 people were killed as a direct result of the drug wars in Mexico between 2006 and 2012. The violence shows no signs of stopping.

Narco Instagram Cars With Guns
During the same time period, a further 26,121 people went missing. It is thought that many of these are related to cartel violence.

Sports Car Gun
The Mexican government has targeted cartel leaders with varying degrees of success, but in many cases, this has led to the gangs fracturing and forming more numerous, smaller and even more vicious cartels.

Narco Instagram Ferrari
Believe it or not, there is only one licensed gun shop in the whole of Mexico.

Narco Instagram LV Handgun
Most of the weapons used by the narcos are purchased from the United States, where there are approximately 6,700 gun shops along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Narco Instagram Taco Tuesday
Between 2007 and 2011, almost 70% of guns recovered from Mexican criminals were traced back to the U.S.

Narco Instagram New Shoes
90% of the cocaine in America comes through Mexico.

Marijuana Instagram Picture
Just to have the market completely cornered, Mexico is also the largest supplier of both marijuana and meth to America.

Narcos Instagram
Mexican cartels make nearly $30 billion a year just from selling drugs to the U.S. This allows them to make even the most absurd purchases without a second thought.

Mexican Cartels Instagram Accounts
Narco hand luggage would not pass most TSA inspections.

Pink Car
Another prize from the narco wars.

Take a look inside the ingenious system of escape tunnels linking the safe houses of the El Chapo cartel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Igmbv1aZ_k


Enjoy this peak inside the lives of people in Mexican drug cartels? Then check out our other articles on dirty secrets of the Mexican drug war and Krokodil, the zombie drug ravaging Russia.

author
All That's Interesting
author
A New York-based publisher established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science to share stories that illuminate our world.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.