Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel follows the rise and fall of Owen Hanson, who went from playing for the 2004 national championship-winning University of Southern California football team to becoming a global cocaine kingpin.
In anticipation for Prime Video’s three-part docuseries, fans are wondering about the true crime story, as well as details about the show.
What’s the True Story Behind ‘Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel’?
Hanson earned popularity when he joined the football team at the University of Southern California. After he graduated with a business degree, he got his real estate license and undertook several seemingly successful business ventures that helped him live a lavish life.
Authorities Confirm ‘Ongoing’ Manhunt After Fatal Charlie Kirk Shooting
However, the truth behind his success was what made him make global headlines. It was revealed that his most successful business ventures involved violent international drug trafficking, sports gambling and a money laundering enterprise that operated in the United States, Central America, South America and Australia from 2012 to 2016, according to the FBI’s website.
The FBI teamed with the New South Wales Police Force in Australia to launch an investigation into Hanson in 2014, and they uncovered that he was leading an illegal sports-gambling, money-laundering and a drug-trafficking enterprise of thousands of kilograms of illegal narcotics. He was ultimately arrested in 2015.
Author Colleen Hoover Shares Cover and Release Date for ‘Dark’ New Novel ‘Woman Down’
Was Owen Hanson Found Guilty of His Crimes?
In 2017, Hanson was sentenced to serve more than 21 years in federal prison for being the mastermind behind the criminal enterprise. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $5 million in criminal forfeiture. The order included $100,000 in gold coins, his luxury vehicles, jewelry, vacation homes, a sailboat and interests in several of his businesses, according to the FBI.
Not only was Hanson found guilty of his crimes, but so were 21 of his associates.
When Was Owen Hanson Released From Prison?
Hanson was released early from prison in March 2024, which his attorney Mark F. Adams confirmed to Deadline at the time. Following his release, Hanson lived in transitional housing in Long Beach, California.
Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Call Off Engagement, Split After 5 Years of Dating
What Is ‘Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel’ About?
Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel will break down Hanson’s modest beginnings leading up to him joining the powerhouse USC football team. The project will then reveal how he got involved in illegal sports bookmaking, which eventually led to him smuggling cocaine.
After graduation, Hanson felt pressure to make money as he watched his friends and former teammates succeed in the NFL. He eventually began a risky alliance with a powerful Mexican drug lord, and the documentary will explain how Hanson’s money-laundering scheme lost millions of the cartel’s cash. In light of the scandal, he quickly found himself in the middle of an FBI takedown.
The project is produced by Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips and David Wendell. Additionally, Jody McVeigh-Schultz executive produced and directed the docuseries.
When Does ‘Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel Explainer’ Premiere?
Cocaine Quarterback: Signal-Caller for the Cartel premieres on Prime Video on Thursday, September 25, and will consist of three episodes.
About the Author
