The most notorious example was the arrest in 1997 of the Mexican drug enforcement chief, who was being paid off by the country's biggest cocaine kingpin at the time.

The rebels include former soldiers of the Haitian military, a force corrupted by Colombian cocaine kingpins and charged with political killings.

"They are essentially negotiating with much more organized, much more dangerous Pablo Escobars," the diplomat said, referring to the late cocaine kingpin.

Other important characters are excused from duty, minimalized or distorted (the Earl of Worcester is now a cocaine kingpin).

Federal authorities announced yesterday the extradition of a man they identified as a cocaine kingpin from Curaçao.

In Colombia, of course, the right-wing paramilitary leaders for whom these young people fight are considered cocaine kingpins responsible for thousands of deaths.

The generals, both retired, were jailed two years ago on charges of protecting cocaine kingpins and remain in detention.

But the decrees and subsequent treatment of the cocaine kingpins inevitably created the appearance of official capitulation.

For starters, an army general, appointed drug czar, was found to be on a cocaine kingpin's payroll in 1997.

Mr. Norris said the film owes its origins to an article he read two and a half years ago about a Colombian cocaine kingpin.