Why are drug dealers (narcos) so idolized in Mexican culture?

I don't think they're any more idolized than they were in Colombia. In Colombia, the narco lords tended to provide lots of services to their immediate communities, vs. read more

So, I'd assume narcos are less respected in Mexico than they ever were in Colombia; it's a simple matter of a lack of jobs for those lacking skills in parts of Mexico, and people idolizing the local rich guy and employer. read more

In the same way that other subcultures around the world that are related to crime and drug use (for example the Scottish neds and European hooligans, or the American street-gangstas and outlaw bikers), Mexican narco culture has developed its own form of dress, music, literature, film, religious beliefs and practices and language (slang) that has helped it become a part of the mainstream fashion in some areas of the country, mainly among lower-class, uneducated youth. read more

He was the leader of Beltran Leyva cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization that was involved in the production and transportation of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. The gang has been blamed to be involved in contact killing, kidnapping, torture and human trafficking in Mexico. read more