VH1'S NEW DOCUSERIES "CARTEL CREW" TO PREMIERE MONDAY, JANUARY 7 AT 9PM ET/PT

10-Episode Series to Explore the Lives of Descendants of the Cartel, Including Son of "Cocaine Godmother" Griselda Blanco

NEW YORK, NY - December 10, 2018 - VH1, in collaboration with Big Fish Entertainment (an MGM Company), announced today its new series, "Cartel Crew," will premiere Monday, January 7th at 9:00 pm ET/PT. Set in Miami, Fla., "Cartel Crew" takes a deep look into the lives of eight descendants of the Cartel life as they navigate adulthood and the effects the legacy has had on their upbringing. Now disconnected from their past, they want to make a name for themselves outside of the drug world, but find that escaping the shadows of their ancestors will come with a price. Money, friendships and love are on the line in this redemption story about life after narcos.

Meet the Crew:

Michael Blanco, @michaelcorleoneblanco

Michael Blanco grew up surrounded by crime. The youngest son of Griselda Blanco (the "Cocaine Godmother"), he followed his mother's footsteps into the drug world. For 33 years he led a criminal lifestyle, but after his mother's assassination, he decided to quit the Cartel life and launch a personal clothing brand, "Pure Blanco," to prove he could lead a legal business and life.

Marie Ramirez-D'Ariano, @lil_ms.monroe

Marie was born into the cartel life. While her father kept his business private, the family heard rumors of his dealings. Now grown, she's lost touch with her family largely because of her relationship with Michael Blanco. She's given up everything for the man she loves and is devoted to "Pure Blanco," although she has a few secrets in her past that may shock even the unflappable Michael Blanco.

Kat "Tatu Baby" Flores, @tatubaby

After the assassination of her cartel-affiliated father, Kat and her mother fled from New York to Miami, leaving their old life behind. Kat's focus now is raising her son and dealing with the prison release of her son's father, Eddie.

Stephanie Acevedo, @stephs_music

Daughter to a former career cocaine trafficker, Stephanie's childhood was torn apart when her father was arrested and sent to federal prison. Now she is determined to move on from the past and make a name for herself as a singer through dignity and hard work.

Nicole Zavala, @realnicolezavalaz and Michael Zavala, @zavalaconcepts

Twins Nicole and Michael grew up enjoying the spoils of cartel life, without losing a loved one to prison or murder. While they strive to be accepted in the community, they clash with others who don't believe they grew up with a legitimate tie to the cartel.

Carlos "Loz" Oliveros, @iamloz_

After a member of his family was murdered, allegedly by the cartel, Loz stepped away from a life of crime. He is currently focusing on his career as a tattoo artist and raising his daughter while avoiding demons from his former life.

Dayana Castellanos, @dayanac__

After serving two years in prison for her role in running cartel-connected marijuana grow houses, Dayana is trying to make up for lost time with her four children and start a new life.

Ahead of the season premiere, VH1 is giving fans an early sneak peek of "Cartel Crew" with a special advance premiere of the first ten minutes starting Monday, December 31 via the VH1 app and VH1.com.

For more information and exclusive content, visit www.cartelcrew.vh1.com. Follow the crew by liking @CartelCrewVH1 on Facebook and follow @CartelCrew on Instagram and Twitter. Use #CartelCrew to join the conversation.

"Cartel Crew" is executive produced by Dan Cesareo, Lucilla D'Agostino, Faith Gaskins and Lashan Browning and co-executive produced by James Knox for Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company. Nina L. Diaz and Daniel Blau Rogge executive produce for VH1.

About VH1:

VH1 is the dominant pop culture brand for adults 18-34. The network is available in 86 million U.S. households and has an array of digital channels and services including the VH1 App, VH1.com and @VH1. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About Big Fish Entertainment

Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company, is a full service production company that creates multi-platform, visually driven content that compels and entertains audiences with the "unexpected." Founded in 2006 by President Dan Cesareo, Big Fish has since produced more than 750 hours of award-winning and top-rated programming in the live, unscripted reality, lifestyle and documentary space. Big Fish series include #1 unscripted crime series Live PD, Live PD Presents: Police Patrol and Live PD Presents: PD Cam for A&E; Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol for Lifetime; mega-hit franchise Black Ink Crew New York and Chicago for VH1; culinary docu-series Hustle & Soul for WE tv; Chris Paul's Chapter 3 for ESPN; Tattoo Girls for TLC, How Far Is Tattoo Far? for MTV, as well as mental health special In Session Live With Dr. Jess and upcoming docu-series Cartel Crew for VH1. With other credits including Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan and the Gates Foundation Reality PD public schools project, Big Fish captures and relates extraordinary worlds, characters and stories for such networks as Lifetime, A&E, VH1, WE tv, Discovery, TLC, MTV, E!, National Geographic, Oxygen, Travel Channel and Paramount Network. For more information, visit bigfishusa.com.