USA Network's upcoming original drama series, QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, starring Alice Braga ("I Am Legend"), will premiere Thursday, June 23 at 10/9c.

A co-production from Fox 21 Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions (UCP), the series is based on the global best-selling novel "La Reina Del Sur," by internationally-acclaimed author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.  The literary page-turner also yielded a popular super series for USA's sister network, Telemundo.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH tells the powerful story of Teresa Mendoza, a woman who is forced to run and seek refuge in America after her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico.  In the process, she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run.

The series also stars Veronica Falcón ("Besos de Azúcar") as Camila Vargas, Justina Machado ("Six Feet Under") as Brenda Parra, Peter Gadiot ("Tut") as James Valdez, Hemky Madera ("Weeds") as Pote Galvez and Gerardo Taracena ("Apocalypto") as Cesar "Batman" Guemes.  Guest stars include Joaquim de Almeida ("Our Brand is Crisis"), Jon Ecker ("Narcos") and James Martinez ("Breaking Bad").

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH is executive produced by David T. Friendly ("Little Miss Sunshine," "Courage Under Fire"), along with M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller ("The Final Girls").  Scott Rosenbaum ("Gang Related") will serve as showrunner. The pilot was written by Fortin and Miller, directed by Charlotte Sieling and executive produced by Pancho Mansfield ("Damien").  Fox 21 Television Studios developed and produced the pilot and will run lead on the co-production with UCP.