---
category: Organized Crime
summary: Danilo Blandón's wife, identified by the DEA as closely involved in his trafficking
  activities, who was arrested in 1992 and had all charges dropped when her husband
  agreed to become a DEA informant.
tags:
- Person
- Person/Drug_Trafficker
- Nicaragua
- Contra
- 1980s
---

Chepita Blandón was the wife of [Danilo Blandón](/people/danilo-blandon/) who was identified by the [DEA](/organizations/dea/) as being closely involved in her husband's cocaine trafficking activities.[^1]

### Trafficking Activities

Chepita was a member of the wealthy Murillo family of [Nicaragua](/places/nicaragua/). Her uncle, [Orlando Murillo](/people/orlando-murillo/), was an economist who served on the board of Nicaragua's Central Bank before the revolution and was a suspected money launderer for the Blandón organization. The DEA opened a NADDIS file on Chepita on March 15, 1985, after she was reported as a "member of a cocaine distribution organization." Despite this, she was granted U.S. political asylum later that same year.[^2]

### Arrest and Cooperation

Chepita was arrested alongside Blandón on May 5, 1992, as part of a conspiracy case that carried a mandatory life sentence. All charges against her were dropped when Blandón agreed to become a full-time paid DEA informant. She was subsequently made a naturalized [U.S.](/places/united-states/) citizen.[^3]

### Role in Drug Operations

Chepita was involved in the financial operations of Blandón's trafficking network. After Blandón moved to [Miami](/places/miami/), Ross wired drug money to [Florida](/places/florida/) in Chepita's name, which Blandón said was paid to [Roger Sandino](/people/roger-sandino/). Chepita also called [Ricky Ross](/people/ricky-ross/) to invite him to dinner and pressure him to find someone to sell drugs, as part of the DEA sting operation that led to Ross's arrest.[^4]

[^1]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Cast of Characters
[^2]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 10: "Teach a man a craft and he's liable to practice it"
[^3]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Prologue: "It was like they didn't want to know"
[^4]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 24: "They're gonna forget I was a drug dealer"