Who Is María Elvira Murillo? The Untold Story Of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo’s Ex-Wife

María Elvira Murillo is a Mexican businesswoman best known as the former wife of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a major figure in Mexico’s drug trade and co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. Her connection to Félix Gallardo brought her public attention, but she has lived a mostly private life away from the media. She was reportedly involved in a real estate business and raised children during her marriage. Her story also inspired a character in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. In this article, we explore María Elvira Murillo’s background, business activities, marriage, children, divorce, media portrayal, and life after Félix Gallardo.

Quick Bio

Who Is María Elvira Murillo?

María Elvira Murillo is a Mexican businesswoman who became widely known because of her marriage to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. He was a powerful drug lord known by nicknames such as El Padrino and Jefe de Jefes. María Elvira was his second wife and lived with him during an important period of his life. Unlike her former husband, she did not build a public image and generally remained away from media attention. Her name later attracted renewed interest because her life and marriage helped inspire a character in the crime drama series Narcos: Mexico.

María Elvira Murillo’s Early Life

María Elvira Murillo was born and raised in Mexico. Details about her childhood, parents, education, and early family life have remained outside the spotlight. Most information about her focuses on her adult years and her relationship with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Her private lifestyle has made her an interesting figure for people who want to learn about the families connected to major figures in Mexico’s criminal history. Despite the attention surrounding Félix Gallardo, María Elvira largely stayed outside his public image and later chose an even quieter lifestyle after their relationship came to an end.

María Elvira Murillo’s Business Career

María Elvira Murillo has been described as a businesswoman. She and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo reportedly co-owned a real estate company called Delia Real Estate. The business was part of their financial interests while they were together. Her involvement in real estate gives another perspective on her life beyond being known simply as Félix Gallardo’s former wife. After Félix Gallardo was arrested in 1989, authorities seized business properties connected to them. María Elvira subsequently moved away from public attention, and her later professional activities have remained largely private as she has maintained a quiet life.

Marriage to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

María Elvira Murillo became Félix Gallardo’s second wife during a period when his power and influence were growing. She was also stepmother to children from his previous marriage, while the couple had children of their own. During the earlier part of their relationship, María Elvira knew about his smaller-scale drug activities and appeared supportive of him. The couple also moved within influential social circles and reportedly served as godparents at the wedding of a relative of a Sinaloan governor. Their marriage therefore developed during a complicated period when Félix Gallardo’s criminal operations and powerful connections were expanding.

Problems in María Elvira Murillo’s Marriage

As Félix Gallardo became increasingly involved in managing his operations, problems developed within his marriage. He spent much of his time focused on cartel affairs and gave less attention to his family. His relationships with other women created additional tension between him and María Elvira. He reportedly had several extramarital relationships and gave expensive gifts to other women. These circumstances gradually damaged their marriage. María Elvira eventually decided to separate from him rather than continue living with the situation. Their relationship ended sometime after 1988, bringing an important chapter of her life with Félix Gallardo to a close.

Children

María Elvira Murillo and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo reportedly had two children together, named Abril Félix Murillo and Miguel Félix Murillo. María Elvira was also a stepmother to Félix Gallardo’s children from his earlier marriage. Family life became increasingly difficult as Félix Gallardo devoted more time to his criminal activities and relationships outside the marriage. After separating from him, María Elvira took her children and returned to Sinaloa. Her decision marked a major change for the family because she moved away from the environment surrounding Félix Gallardo and began living a considerably more private life with her children.

Divorce and Life After Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo

María Elvira and Félix Gallardo’s marriage ended in divorce sometime after 1988. Following their separation, she returned to Sinaloa with their children and distanced herself from her former husband. Félix Gallardo later survived an assassination attempt connected to the Gulf Cartel, but María Elvira still chose not to reunite with him. His situation changed dramatically when he was arrested in 1989. Authorities subsequently seized properties associated with their businesses. After these events, María Elvira largely disappeared from public attention and maintained a private lifestyle instead of seeking publicity from her connection to her famous former husband.

María Elvira Murillo in Narcos: Mexico

María Elvira Murillo became familiar to a wider audience through Narcos: Mexico, where Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola portrayed a character based on her. The series presents her as initially supportive of Félix Gallardo but increasingly frustrated by his lifestyle, absence, and relationships with other women. Eventually, the character confronts her husband and leaves him. The television series combines historical events with fictional storytelling, so some dramatic scenes were created for entertainment. Nevertheless, the character introduced many viewers to María Elvira and increased curiosity about the real woman who had been married to Félix Gallardo.

María Elvira Murillo and Fernanda Urrejola

Fernanda Urrejola is the actress who portrayed María Elvira Murillo in Narcos: Mexico. María Elvira herself is not an actress and did not play the character in the Netflix production. Urrejola’s performance instead brought a dramatized version of María Elvira’s relationship with Félix Gallardo to television audiences. Through the series, viewers saw a woman dealing with the pressures surrounding her husband’s growing criminal empire and troubled personal life. The popularity of the show resulted in María Elvira’s name becoming more widely searched, even though the real María Elvira continued to maintain her private lifestyle away from entertainment and publicity.

Where Is María Elvira Murillo Now?

After her divorce from Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, María Elvira Murillo stepped away from the public spotlight. She returned to Sinaloa with her children and has maintained a quiet life in Mexico. She has not become a regular public personality despite the continuing interest in her former husband and the success of Narcos: Mexico. There is also no information in the supplied account indicating that she remarried following her divorce. Her decision to remain private stands in contrast to the enormous attention surrounding Félix Gallardo, whose criminal activities, arrest, imprisonment, and portrayal in popular culture have remained subjects of public interest.

Final Thoughts

María Elvira Murillo became publicly known because of her marriage to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, but her story extends beyond that relationship. She was involved in business, raised children, and experienced family life during one of the most complicated periods of Félix Gallardo’s rise. Their marriage eventually ended as his criminal activities and relationships with other women created growing problems. María Elvira returned to Sinaloa with her children and largely disappeared from public life. Years later, Narcos: Mexico renewed interest in her story through Fernanda Urrejola’s portrayal, while the real María Elvira continued to maintain a private lifestyle.

(FAQs)

Who is María Elvira Murillo?

María Elvira Murillo is a Mexican businesswoman best known as the former wife of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. She also gained wider attention after a character inspired by her appeared in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico.

Who was María Elvira Murillo married to?

María Elvira Murillo was married to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a Mexican drug lord associated with the Guadalajara Cartel. She was his second wife, and their marriage ended sometime after 1988.

Does María Elvira Murillo have children?

Yes. María Elvira Murillo and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo reportedly had two children together, Abril Félix Murillo and Miguel Félix Murillo. She was also stepmother to children Félix Gallardo had from an earlier marriage.

What did María Elvira Murillo do for a living?

María Elvira Murillo has been described as a Mexican businesswoman. She reportedly co-owned a real estate company called Delia Real Estate with her former husband, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo.

Who played María Elvira Murillo in Narcos: Mexico?

Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola portrayed the character inspired by María Elvira Murillo in Narcos: Mexico. The series presents a dramatized version of her marriage and includes fictional elements alongside events inspired by real life.

Where is María Elvira Murillo now?

María Elvira Murillo returned to Sinaloa, Mexico, after separating from Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. She has since maintained a low profile and stayed largely away from public and media attention.