If you’ve heard of the infamous drug lord known as Pablo Escobar, you surely need to know more about his base of operations – the Medellin Cartel, which he has built into one of the most ruthless cartels in history. The Medellin Cartel operated highly organized operations in Medellín, Colombia that allowed them to expand their operations into Colombia, Central America, Bolivia, Panama, Peru, Canada, Europe and the United States within the 1970s and 1980s.
At the pinnacle of its success, the MedellinCartel has been able to smuggle tons of cocaine into these countries, raking in a staggering $60 million in daily profits. They were believed to supply 80% of the cocaine used in the United States. Given that the illicit cocaine trade was a major source of profits in the late 1970s, the Medellin cartel could easily kill.
Who Were the Members of the Medellin Cartel?
Such a highly organized cartel was no doubt larger than one person. A number of people have helped the cartel run smoothly and while we may never know all of them, a few names need to be mentioned when we discuss the Medellin cartel. Below we take a look at some of the most prominent members of the cartel.
Pablo Escobar
Before and after his death, Pablo Escobarda was the most popular member of the dreaded cartel. He became known as the king of cocaine and was recorded as the wealthiest criminal in history with an estimated death toll of $30 billion. He was the public face of the cartel, always to be brought down by all authorities, but Escobar had a few able lieutenants at his side to ensure the cartel’s continuity and prosperity.
Carlos Lehder was another cartel member. He was an air trade expert and organized flights to South Florida via the Bahamas. He and his partner used small biplanes that could fly undetected and land on dirt dirt roads.
george young
George Jung is the partner of Carlos Lehder (mentioned above). He was also an expert in the field of air trafficking and together the two ensured the transport of drugs by plane.
Gustavo de Jesus Gaviria Rivero
Another member of the Medellin cartel worth mentioning is Gustavo de Jesus Gaviria Rivero. He was Pablo Escobar’s cousin and was therefore hired by Escobar to operate the cartel. He was the man behind the scenes, developing the avenues used by the cartel and keeping things in order while Pablo Escobar was in the public eye to make a name for himself.
Here are facts you should know
There are many very horrifying stories about the Medellin Cartel, however, some of their activities and the way they work make them stand out. Listed below are some facts you need to know about the Medellin cartel.
When authorities began cracking down on drugs, the Medellin cartel looked and found alternative means by which they could hide their drugs in shipments of legal goods such as fruit, wine, cocoa powder and even clothing. The drug would then be extracted by chemists once the goods reached their destination.
The cartel also constantly changed its channels. The cartel’s interaction with locals in their various channels led to the formation of new cartels, including the Juarez, Sinaloa, and Tampico cartels.
The cartel was also quite deadly. The number of murders they have committed over the years has been estimated by experts at over 4000. These killings included journalists, police officers, judges, and even politicians who stood in their way. They killed a Colombian presidential candidate named Luis Carlos Galan just as he was about to go on stage to address 10,000 people.
Pablo Escober and his Medellin cartel were responsible for the deadliest criminal attacks in Colombian history. In an attempt to assassinate another presidential candidate named Cesar Gaviria Trujillo, they bombed an Avianca Flight 203, killing 107 people.
The implementation of an extradition treaty between Colombia and the United States was the biggest threat to the Medellin cartel, as it would have allowed them to stand trial for their crimes in the United States, and their incredible local influence would not have been able to save them. The cartel therefore resorted to many acts including bribery, extortion and violence to ensure they killed the contract. When they failed to influence Supreme Court justices, they resorted to kidnapping, murder and terrorist activities.
Pablo Escobar was killed on his 44th birthday after staying too long on a phone call to trace it and allowing authorities to surround his home and gun him down as he tried to flee from the rooftops.
The Medellin cartel did not close with the death of Pablo Escobar. Its well-organized networks and routes are still used to transport drugs from Colombia. By 1993, however, most of Pablo Escobar’s lieutenants were rounded up and executed.