<p>A growing, but still relatively recent literature has begun questioning traditional gender stereotypes that portray women as passive victims of organized crime, showing that they fulfill important tasks in criminal organizations. This article contributes to the debate by comparatively examining the role of women in the international drug trade, focusing on two of Latin America’s most powerful criminal organizations: the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Mexican Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Previous research has demonstrated a gendered division of labor in organized crime, with men predominantly occupying power positions and women often relegated to support roles. However, in the two organizations under study, we identify a noteworthy participation of women assuming key roles in middle rank and leadership positions. The analysis illustrates how the gendered division of labor manifests within different criminal organizations according to their specific model of operation and governance, and how the strategic considerations of organized crime both reproduce traditional gender norms and undermine them by bringing women into positions of power. Our findings inform broader discussions on gender, crime and security and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of women’s roles in criminal organizations.</p>