[1] Hundreds of government officials, judges and policemen who failed to accept bribes were assassinated under the orders of the barons. After voting for drug lord and certificate forger your will hear them "me and my family will prosper under this drug lord in Jesus name" Stop disturbing Jesus with your stupidity please. During the height of her operation, she smuggled nearly 3,500 pounds (1,600kg) of cocaine into the United States every month through a well-established network in south Florida. The luxury house contained a colonial house, a sculpture park, and a complete zoo with animals from various continents, including elephants, exotic birds, giraffes, and hippopotamuses. The ongoing Mexican government campaign has led to the killing of two major drug lords, Nazario Moreno Gonzalez and Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas at the end of 2010, and the arrest in June 2011 of Moreno's apparent successor Jesus Mendez Vargas. This sparked debate about whether he killed himself or whether he was shot dead. Rum and Monkey isn't responsible for its content, however good it may be. He died of liver cancer in 1962. Despite revolutionizing the Colombian drug trade with mules and air travel, Lehders true dream was to head up a new Colombian Neo-Nazi government. According to an article in Revista Semana, Barrera initiated his illegal drug activities in San Jose del Guaviare in the 1980s with the support of his brother, Omar Barrera. Escobar spent millions developing some of Medelln's poorest neighborhoods. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [12], Soon after Escobar's death and the subsequent fragmentation of the Medelln Cartel, the cocaine market became dominated by the rival Cali Cartel until the mid-1990s when its leaders were either killed or captured by the Colombian government. "Ruthless and immensely powerful", several political leaders, such as President Virgilio Barco Vargas, became convinced that the drug lords were becoming so powerful that they could oust the formal government and run the country.[1]. Mr Duque, quoted by AFP news agency, described the operation as "the biggest penetration of the jungle ever seen in the military history of our country". [50] Living under her assumed name, Henao became a successful real estate entrepreneur until one of her business associates discovered her true identity, and Henao absconded with her earnings. List of famous drug lords, with photos, bios, and other information when available. [39][40], Among Escobar's biographers, only Vallejo has given a detailed explanation of his role in the 1985 Palace of Justice siege. Known for his use of sophisticated tunnels to smuggle illegal drugs from Mexico into the United States, he gained the image of a folk hero in the narcotics world. All Rights Reserved, 25+ Interesting Facts About Bomb and Explosions, A Unique Diamond With Another Diamond Moving Freely Inside, 13 Best Apps Like Possible Finance In 2023, How Does Zelle Make Money? "This blow is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s.". [29], A drug distributor, Griselda Blanco, is also reported to have conducted a clandestine, but passionate, relationship with Escobar; several items in her diary link him with the nicknames "Coque de Mi Rey" (My Coke King) and "Polla Blanca" (White Cock). [20], The Colombian judiciary had been a target of Escobar throughout the mid-1980s. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? President Ivn Duque hailed Otoniel's capture in a televised video message. The following year, the agent who arrested Escobar was assassinated. Ultimately, authorities were unable to link her funds to illegal activity, and she was released. And the comparisons with Pablo Escobar are understandable. 2 leader of the same Medellin Cartel that Carlos Lehder helped establish, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha was one of the most wanted men in Colombia while he was at large. [19], In Congress, the new Minister of Justice, Rodrigo Lara-Bonilla, had become Escobar's opponent, accusing Escobar of criminal activity from the very first day of Congress. All were murdered during Mexico's ongoing cocaine wars. [6] He was killed in 1996. [21][22], Escobar still held a grudge against Luis Carlos Galn, who kicked him out of politics, and was assassinated on 18 August 1989, at Escobar's orders. The list includes names such as Al Capone, Richard Wershe Jr., Ross Ulbricht, George Jung and Robert Evans. According to his brother, Escobar did not purchase Norman's Cay; it was instead a sole venture of Lehder's. In 2007, Barnes released a book, Mr. Untouchable, written with Tom Folsom, and a documentary DVD of the same title. I met a man who claimed to be Ersa at a ball and took her on the road of drug trafficking. With the enormous profits generated by this route, Escobar was soon able to purchase 20 square kilometres (7.7sqmi) of land in Antioquia for several million dollars, on which he built the Hacienda Npoles. Escobar's victory over the judiciary was short-lived, with new president Virgilio Barco Vargas having quickly renewed his agreement with the United States. Escobar managed to change the first judge in the lawsuit and bribed the second judge, so he was released along with other prisoners. The two dropped out of school after more than a year, but Escobar, who did not give up, briefly became autonomous in Latin America by forging high school diplomas. Please report any inappropriate content. entered into the criminal world by selling stolen vehicles, while serving a prison sentence for selling stolen cars that Lehder decided, Lehders true dream was to head up a new Colombian Neo-Nazi government, bestowed upon him because of how carefully he considered his every move, joint leader of the Cali Cartel alongside his brother, Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, he said misrepresented the true facts and tarnished his reputation as a result, one of the most wanted men in Colombia while he was at large, resulted in the death of himself and his 17-year-old son, Freddy, name means Prince Prosperous in the Burmese Shan dialect, turned himself in during 1991 and served only five years, purportedly handling thousands of pounds of cocaine, with a reward of $25 million being offered in return for his capture, involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2008, Pakistan claims no knowledge of his whereabouts and evidence is scarce, smuggled multi-ton loads of methamphetamine and cocaine, continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison, based on a forgiving estimate of the value of the cocaine that he smuggled, he also laundered money through Colombia to finance his fleets, died in a Mexican hospital in 1997 after getting intensive plastic surgery, the first drug lord to use private planes to traffic cocaine, he established programs to assist impoverished members of the community, a harrowing five-week ordeal with many casualties, gained plenty of popularity by sponsoring charities and sports, excessive and often indiscriminate violence. The property has been converted into a theme park surrounded by four luxury hotels overlooking the zoo. Greatest Generation (before 1946) Baby Boomer (1946-1964) Generation X (1965-1984) Millennial (1982-2004) Generation Alpha (2005 till now) This is a user-written post. 6. Lito Belandres, alleged top drug lord in Negros Occidental, was shot dead after resisting arrest and trying to shoot police on July 1, 2016. Three months later, Lara-Bonilla was murdered. Arturo Beltran Leyva's own downfall was even more unsubtle. Barnes led The Council into an international drug trafficking ring, in partnership with the Italian-American Mafia, until his arrest in 1977. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (/skbr/; Spanish:[palo eskoa]; 1 December 1949 2 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and a politician, who was the founder and sole leader of the Medelln Cartel. He first entered into the criminal world by selling stolen vehicles at his fathers used car business. He led a now-defunct criminal group called the Guadalajara Cartel alongside Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo. The Robin Hood image that Escobar had cultivated maintained a lasting influence in Medelln. Police tried to arrest Escobar, but the situation quickly escalated to an exchange of gun fire. The YouTuber behind the 'African Drug Lord' pranks reveals his secrets - and a disturbing truth about our online privacy. The book provides a firsthand insight into details of his father's life and describes the fundamentally disintegrating effect of his death upon the family. He and cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder worked together to develop a new trans-shipment point in the Bahamas, an island called Norman's Cay about 350km (220mi) southeast of the Florida coast. After many months, the case was dropped. Members of the Cali Cartel even replayed their recordings of her conversations with Pablo for their wives to demonstrate how a woman should behave. Lucas boasted that he smuggled heroin using the coffins of . [68] A report published in a Yale student magazine noted that local environmentalists are campaigning to protect the animals, although there is no clear plan for what will happen to them. [49][non-primary source needed], After escaping first to Mozambique, then to Brazil, the family settled in Argentina. [41] As of late, Guillermo Alejandro of the Mesa Family has been pinpointed as one of the main suppliers of mainland Europe. This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 02:48. One of the few old school drug lords still out there is Ismael Zambada, who is 72 years old and still heading the Sinaloa cartel. In the past, police have found special orthopaedic mattresses for Otoniel in these sparse homes, as he suffered back pain from a herniated disc. Mayor Federico Gutierrez had been pushing to raze the building and erect in its place a park honoring the thousands of cartel victims, including four presidential candidates and some 500 police officers. Lucas boasted that he smuggled heroin using the coffins of dead American servicemen, but this claim is denied by his Southeast Asian associate, Leslie "Ike" Atkinson. Frank Lucas was a notorious drug trafficker from the 1960s and the 1970s. [27] They had two children: Juan Pablo (now Sebastin Marroqun) and Manuela. But now police in Mexico hope to keep hold of Joaquin Guzman, one of the world's most wanted drug barons. The action was seen as too late. This is a list of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords as published by Mexican federal authorities on 23 March 2009. A few months later, Liberal leader Luis Carlos Galn expelled Escobar from the party. [7] Several political leaders, such as President Virgilio Barco Vargas, became convinced that the ruthless drug lords were intent on becoming so powerful that they could oust the formal government and run the country. [34] On 9 June 1995, he was arrested by the Colombian National Police (CNP) during a house raid in the city. Jemeker Thompson: Crack Queen of L.A 42m. Escobar left high school in 1966 just before his 17th birthday, before returning two years later with his cousin Gustavo Gaviria. One half of the Guadalajara Cartel's split, the Sinoloa Cartel is led by the most-wanted drug trafficker in Mexico, Joaqun Guzmn. Initially, Escobar tried to bribe the Medelln judges who were forming the case against him. Otoniel was captured in his rural hideout in Antioquia province in north-western Colombia, close to the border with Panama. Frank Lucas (September 9, 1930 - May 30, 2019) was an American drug trafficker who operated in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Location: Colombia. [12][15] Escobar and many other Colombian drug lords bought Colombian politicians, in both the New Liberalism Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, by contributing political donations to their political campaigns. [45] In her book, Amando a Pablo, odiando a Escobar (Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar), she had accused several politicians, including Colombian presidents Alfonso Lpez Michelsen, Ernesto Samper and lvaro Uribe of having links to drug cartels. A drug lord (also known as drug baron, kingpin, or narcotrafficker) is a person who controls a sizable network of people involved in illegal drug trade. We'll have to see what happens in the coming months but most experts seem to think that while demand for cocaine remains strong, it's likely there will be new "capos" rising to the top to replace him. Fox Telecolombia produced in 2019 a TV Series. Escobar had also planned to construct a Greek-style citadel near it, and though construction of the citadel was started, it was never finished. Pablo Escobars accountant claimed that he spent $2,500 a month on nothing but the rubber bands needed to wrap up his staggering amount of illegal cash. Santacruz Londoo was arrested on 4 July 1995. Read about our approach to external linking. It is believed to have about 1,800 armed members, who are mainly recruited from far-right paramilitary groups. JULY 1, 2016. Londoo escaped La Picota Prison in Bogot on 11 January 1996. Pablo Escobar was the largest drug lord in the world in terms of drug revenue. Henao even successfully negotiated for her son's life by personally guaranteeing he would not seek revenge against the cartel or participate in the drug trade. In March 1976, the 26-year-old Escobar married Mara Victoria Henao, who was 15. Her statements prompted the reopening of the case in 2008; Vallejo was asked to testify, and many of the events she had described in her book and testimonial were confirmed by Colombia's Commission of Truth. "In South America, there is no larger cocaine trafficker," says Toby Muse, author of Kilo: Inside the Cocaine Cartels. Dubdogz's "Pablo Escobar" (feat. [1][7] U.S. law enforcement officials in the 1990s estimated that Colombian drug cartels spent more than $500 million on bribing officials every year. [62], After Escobar's death, the ranch, zoo and citadel at Hacienda Npoles were given by the government to low-income families under a law called Extincin de Dominio (Domain Extinction). The Medelln Cartel's massive wealth and power enabled them from the outset to bribe government and legal officials, and buy sophisticated weaponry for their protection. [60] Escobar's body was exhumed on 28 October 2006 at the request of some of his relatives in order to take a DNA sample to confirm the alleged paternity of an illegitimate child and remove all doubt about the identity of the body that had been buried next to his parents for 12 years. Along with his brother Arturo, he gained infamy as one of the most-wanted drug traffickers in Mexico. His life inspired numerous books and films. By the time of his arrest in 1995, he dominated much of the U.S. market, operating large-scale cocaine operations in most of the major U.S. cities. ", "La trama de narcotrfico detrs de muerte de extraditable en Medelln", "Narcotics Rewards Program: Dario Antonio Usuga David", "Principal cabecilla de la estructura delincuencial 'El Mesa' fue capturado en operacin de la Fuerza Pblica: Presidente Duque", "Benicio del Toro set to play Pablo Escobar", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drug_barons_of_Colombia&oldid=1151665795, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 13:11. Under Escobar's mastermind, Restrepo was assassinated in 1975, and Escobar seized his market and business. DAS agents found 39kg of cocaine in the spare tire of Escobar's car. [44] Franz Sanchez played by Robert Davi in Licence to Kill is strongly implied to be Colombian; incidentally, Benicio Del Toro also appears in that film as a drug trafficker. Netflix's original show Narcos depicts the life of Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. [16] Although the Medelln Cartel was only established in the early 1970s, it expanded after Escobar met several drug lords on a farm in April 1978, and by the end of 1978 they had transported some 19,000 kilograms of cocaine to the United States. He is accused of producing cocaine in Colombia, storing it in Apure, and then transporting it to Central America and Mexico before smuggling it into the United States. Source: wikimedia.org. $5 million is offered to anybody who can reveal him. He's quite possibly the most volatile and unstable member of the Juarez Cartel and the Salamanca family, and that's saying something. [33] U.S. District Judge Gregory Howard Woods called Barrera's crimes "staggering" and stated: "It's hard to exaggerate the quantity of narcotics for which he was responsible."[33]. "This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century," he said. Carlos Lehder (1949) was one of Colombia's most dangerous drug barons in the early to mid-1980s. Mr Untouchable, written with Tom Folsom, and a documentary DVD of the same name, about his life. [9] Additionally, his private estate, Hacienda Npoles, has been transformed into a theme park. This King of the Golden Triangle changed his name to Khun Sa to reflect his trade power and maternal heritage, since the name means Prince Prosperous in the Burmese Shan dialect. One such example is the romantic film Paradise Lost, which sees Benicio Del Toro playing the role of Pablo Escobar. Read about our approach to external linking. [3] At one point, it was estimated that 70 to 80 tons of cocaine were being shipped from Colombia to the United States every month. Soon, the demand for cocaine was skyrocketing in the United States and Escobar organized more smuggling shipments, routes, and distribution networks in South Florida, California, and other parts of the United States. A great lover. One police officer was killed. Escobar has been the subject of several books, including the following: Two major feature films on Escobar, Escobar (2009) and Killing Pablo (2011), were announced in 2007. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Otoniel had used a network of rural safe houses to move around and evade the authorities, and did not use a phone, instead relying on couriers for communication. Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela was arrested on 6 August. After a few months, in October of that same year, Barrera escaped from prison. Several other films include Blow with Johnny Depp show the activities of Pablo Escobar. In support of the 6 November 1985, far-left guerrilla movement that attacked the Colombian Judiciary Building and killed half of the justices of the Supreme Court. He was known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly from his source in the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia. Local media were alerted, and after being exposed as Escobar's widow, Henao was imprisoned for eighteen months while her finances were investigated. Three notable Colombian drug lords who were captured are Diego Perez Henao in June, Javier Antonio Calle Serna, who surrendered in Aruba in May, and Daniel Barrera Barrera who was caught in September. In the 1982 Colombian parliamentary election, Escobar was elected as an alternate member of the Chamber of Representatives as part of the Liberal Alternative movement. When the AUC dissolved in 2005, he began working for the drug lord Daniel Rendn Herrera . [39] Evading capture for decades,[39] el Tio had by this point in time had become employed by Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The luxury house he created contained a zoo, a lake, a sculpture garden, a private bullring, and other amenities for his family and the cartel. [30], Daniel Barrera Barrera (known as "El Loco" or "Mad Barrera") is a former drug lord suspected of being the boss of the illegal drug trade in Colombia's eastern plains. Born in Armenia, Colombia, Lehder eventually ran a cocaine transport empire on Norman's Cay island, 210 miles (340km) off the Florida coast in the central Bahamas. The video was seen by 14 million people, and was instrumental for the reopened case of Galn's assassination. His drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States and he became one of the wealthiest criminals ever in history. His notoriety came to fruition after multiple reports of shipments transported in living animals, with the title "El bestiality bandito" coined thereafter. 4 Raffaela D'Alterio. Escobar founded the Medelln cartel and was one of the wealthiest and most notorious drug lords until his death. In 2012, serious action was initiated by the Venezuelan, Colombian, and U.S. authorities working together to apprehend the drug lords in Venezuela. Colombian President Ivan Duque said the demolition "means that history is not going to be written in terms of the perpetrators, but by recognizing the victims," hoping the demolition would showcase that the city had evolved significantly and had more to offer than the legacy left by the cartels.[72]. Is climate change killing Australian wine? 29 Apr 2023 15:21:39 Originally born Zhang Qifu, this infamous drug lord got military training from the Kuomintang and the Burmese Army before becoming independent and establishing himself as the Opium King of Myanmar. Otoniel was escorted by the security forces after his capture - and some posed for photos, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. [34], On 4 July 2006, Virginia Vallejo, a television anchorwoman romantically involved with Escobar from 1983 to 1987, offered Attorney General Mario Iguarn her testimony in the trial against former Senator Alberto Santofimio, who was accused of conspiracy in the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galn. El Vicentillo, is the son of Ismael Zambada Garcia, one of the most dangerous drug lords of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel. Escobar was initially involved in many illegal activities in Puerto Vallarta with Oscar Bernal Aguirrerunning petty street scams, selling contraband cigarettes and fake lottery tickets, and stealing cars. He earned so much community support that capturing him in Kingston, Jamaica was a harrowing five-week ordeal with many casualties. [27] Arrested in 1985 for drug-trafficking charges, she was subsequently convicted and spent almost 20 years in a U.S. [31], In 2014, Roberto Escobar founded Escobar Inc with Olof K. Gustafsson and registered Successor-In-Interest rights for his brother Pablo Escobar in California, United States. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Escobar's meteoric rise also caught the attention of the Colombian Security Service (DAS), who arrested him in May 1976 on his return from drug trafficking in Ecuador. Colombia's armed forces later released a photo showing its soldiers guarding Otoniel, who was in handcuffs and wearing rubber boots. In 1982, the Drug Enforcement Administration indicted him in a money laundering operation, but he fled back to Mexico where he was finally arrested in 1985. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally . Vicente Zambada Niebla. Some of the drug barons of Colombia have been portrayed by actors on the big screen. He gained plenty of popularity by sponsoring charities and sports but eventually undermined his own reputation with excessive and often indiscriminate violence. In 1991, Escobar surrendered to authorities, and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on a host of charges, but struck a deal of no extradition with Colombian President Csar Gaviria, with the ability of being housed in his own, self-built prison, La Catedral. When we talk of drug lords, probably the first name to crosses our minds would be of El Chapothe most significant drug lord in history! The Los Extraditable Organization was subsequently accused of participating in an effort to prevent the Colombian Supreme Court from studying the constitutionality of Colombia's extradition treaty with the United States. Jesus Vicente Zambada Niebla, a.k.a. Al Capone, John Gotti, Frank Lucas, and Whitey Bulger are just some of the gangsters, drug dealers, and hitmen whose names are notorious from coast to coast. Besides his illegal activities, he also maintained several legitimate businesses. The relationship was discouraged by the Henao family, who considered Escobar socially inferior; the pair eloped. [48] This attitude proved to be the reason the cartel did not kill her and her children after Pablo's death, although the group demanded (and received) millions of dollars in reparations for Escobar's war against them. At the same time, Escobar was gradually becoming a public figure, and because of his charitable work, he was known as "Robin Hood Paisa." Escobar's influence allowed him to discover the plan in advance and make a successful escape, spending the remainder of his life evading the police.[25][26]. [28] Her book inspired the movie Loving Pablo (2017). [38] In January 2020, it was announced previous Pablo Escobar associate Luis Del Ro Jimnez, alias "el To", or "Seor T", was among 10 people arrested during an operation conducted by Colombian and DEA forces on 24 November 2019. For other uses, see, infiltrate every level of the Colombian government, Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw, Pablo Escobar: El Patrn del Mal (Pablo Escobar, The Boss Of Evil), "10 facts reveal the absurdity of Pablo Escobar's wealth", "Here's How Rich Pablo Escobar Would Be If He Was Alive Today", "Pablo Escobar Gaviria English Biography Articles and Notes", "Pablo Emilio Escobar 1949 1993 9 Billion USD The business of crime 5 'success' stories", "Familiares exhumaron cadver de Pablo Escobar para verificar plenamente su identidad", "Decline of the Medelln Cartel and the Rise of the Cali Mafia", "Escobar's Former Mansion Will Now Be A Theme Park", "Colombia: Coexistence, Legal Confrontation, and War with Illegal Armed Groups", "Cali Colombia Nacional Pablo Escobar financi la toma del Palacio de Justicia Escobar financi toma del Palacio de Justicia", "25 years on, Colombia still mourns Escobar plane bombing, still wants answers", "Colombian Drug Baron Escapes Luxurious Prison After Gunfight", "Escobar escape humiliates Colombian leaders", "Loving Pablo Director on Reuniting Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz: It's Been Very Intense", "Me Matan, Limon!