[46] Due to threats, and her cooperation in these cases, on 3 June 2010 the United States granted political asylum to the Colombian journalist. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? But now police in Mexico hope to keep hold of Joaquin Guzman, one of the world's most wanted drug barons. It was in 2004 that heir to her legacy and to some of her vast fortune that . With an estimated net worth of $1 billion, Guzmn is extremely powerfulthere is no doubt why the Sinoloa Cartel won a bloody battle against its former partner, the Juarez Cartel. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Besides his illegal activities, he also maintained several legitimate businesses. [8], Illegal cocaine trafficking from Colombia is routed through Venezuela to the northern part of Mexico and then further to the United States. Al Capone, also known by the nickname Scarface, was one of the most notorious American gangsters who controlled the organised crime in Chicago between 1925 and 1931. [2023 Business Model]. Arturo Beltran Leyva's own downfall was even more unsubtle. Along with his brother Arturo, he gained infamy as one of the most-wanted drug traffickers in Mexico. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (/ s k b r /; 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.Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar was the wealthiest criminal in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of . Escobar founded the Medelln cartel and was one of the wealthiest and most notorious drug lords until his death. He once escaped from a high security jail by hiding in a laundry basket. [10] His life has also served as inspiration for or has been dramatized widely in film, television, and in music. The YouTuber behind the 'African Drug Lord' pranks reveals his secrets - and a disturbing truth about our online privacy. Christopher Cokes attitude in court in 2012 was remarkably unapologetic, with him stating Im pleading guilty because I am, before being given his 23-year sentence. Three months later, Lara-Bonilla was murdered. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He goes by a whopping 21 different aliases and is suspected to have been involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2008. 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. In 1976, Escobar founded the Medelln Cartel, which distributed powder cocaine, and established the first smuggling routes from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, through Colombia and eventually into the United States. Along with Gilberto Rodrguez Orejuela and Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, Santacruz Londoo was a leader of the Cali Cartel. Is climate change killing Australian wine? [53] On 5 June 2018, the Argentine federal judge Nestor Barral accused her and her son, Sebastin Marroqun Santos, of money laundering with two Colombian drug traffickers. The following year, the agent who arrested Escobar was assassinated. He's quite possibly the most volatile and unstable member of the Juarez Cartel and the Salamanca family, and that's saying something. Arturo was killed in a 2009 shootout, but Alfredo continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison. [49][non-primary source needed], After escaping first to Mozambique, then to Brazil, the family settled in Argentina. 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. Amado Carrillo Fuentes was the first drug lord to use private planes to traffic cocaine around the world, earning him his nickname El Seor de Los Cielos, or Lord of the Skies. A great lover. [70], By October 2021, the Colombian government had started a program of chemically sterilizing the animals. He gained plenty of popularity by sponsoring charities and sports but eventually undermined his own reputation with excessive and often indiscriminate violence. Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela (19392022) was formerly one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel, based in the city of Cali. Londoo escaped La Picota Prison in Bogot on 11 January 1996. Known . The Colombian government, however, believes it has decimated its numbers in recent years, forcing many leading members to hide in remote regions in the jungle. This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 02:48. The action was seen as too late. De Berdouare would later hire a documentary film crew and professional treasure hunters to search the edifice before and after demolition, for anything related to Escobar or his cartel. Although only an alternate, he was automatically granted parliamentary immunity and the right to a diplomatic passport under Colombian law. [4] Jos Santacruz Londoo, Gilberto Rodrguez Orejuela, and Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela were key figures in the Cali Cartel in the end of 1970s. 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! [36], Colombian kingpin Jose Evaristo Linares-Castillo was arrested in 2013. The operation involved 500 soldiers supported by 22 helicopters. While arrest records have been lost, Escobar apparently sat in a Medellin prison for several months before his 20th birthday. For a time, the Cali Cartel eventually grew big enough to supply 70% of the United States cocaine demands through Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, who oversaw all major shipments entering the United States and were able to meet 90% of the European cocaine market. . 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. Even though I was a casual fan of The Lord of the Rings and having already taken two pharmacology courses in college, . His father was a small farmer and his mother was a teacher. In the early 1970s, he was a thief and bodyguard, and he made a quick $700,000 on the side kidnapping and ransoming a Medelln executive before entering the drug trade. He was a joint leader of the Cali Cartel alongside his brother, Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, before beginning his 30-year prison sentence in the United States. In 1992, Escobar escaped and went into hiding when authorities attempted to move him to a more standard holding facility, leading to a nationwide manhunt. He then studied in college with the goal of becoming a criminal lawyer, a politician, and eventually the president, but had to give up because of lack of money. 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 and his gang stole cars and dismantled them to sell their parts, and with enough money on hand, Escobar bribed officials to launder his loot. Vain says he can find a name by "researching their gamer tag (a . El Vicentillo, is the son of Ismael Zambada Garcia, one of the most dangerous drug lords of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel. A notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar was the founder and leader of the infamous Medelln Cartel. Pixabay/Public Domain. Through this, he was responsible for community projects such as the construction of houses and football fields, which gained him popularity among the locals of the towns that he frequented. When the AUC dissolved in 2005, he began working for the drug lord Daniel Rendn Herrera . [51] According to her son, Henao fell in love with Escobar "because of his naughty smile [and] the way he looked at [her]. 5, Yuanlunzi: Yuanlunzi, known as "general", has secretly made drugs in Myanmar for 7 years. Accounts of Escobar's continued criminal activities while in prison began to surface in the media, which prompted the government to attempt to move him to a more conventional jail on 22 July 1992. From 1978 until 1987, the Cay was the Caribbean's main drug smuggling hub for the Medelln Cartel, as well as a tropical hideaway and playground for Lehder and associates. Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. Ismael Zambada. Escobar spent millions developing some of Medelln's poorest neighborhoods. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned drug lords. Police tried to arrest Escobar, but the situation quickly escalated to an exchange of gun fire. According to his brother, Escobar did not purchase Norman's Cay; it was instead a sole venture of Lehder's. He was captured in 1996 and jailed for life in the US. Following in the footsteps of his father Christopher Coke, founder of the notoriously violent Shower Posse, this Jamaican drug lord trafficked huge amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and firearms. Santacruz Londoo was arrested on 4 July 1995. [22] In 1987, he was extradited to the United States, where he was tried and sentenced to life without parole, plus an additional 135 years. These include making public statements in the press, leaving letters on the graves of his victims and on the 20th anniversary of his death organizing a public memorial for his victims. Colombia's fierce battle with cocaine traffickers, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. prison. His life inspired numerous books and films. There have been several huge operations involving thousands of officers to capture the 50-year-old in recent years, but until now none has been successful. In addition to his drug-related crimes, he also laundered money through Colombia to finance his fleets. The campaign began in the summer of 1995, leading to the arrest of several Cali leaders; Gilberto Rodrguez Orejuela was arrested on 9 June. "We are living in the golden age of cocaine, we are producing more cocaine than ever - that's a fact.". Griselda Blanco Restrepo [2] (February 14, 1943 - September 3, 2012), known as the Black Widow, was a Colombian drug lord of the Medelln Cartel, and in the Miami -based cocaine drug trade and underworld, during the 1970s through the early 2000s. "This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century," he said. Eventually, he controlled over 80 percent of the cocaine . [43][44] Vallejo would subsequently testify in Galn's assassination. Otoniel is a household name and has been hugely powerful, especially in the north west of the country. Members of the Cali Cartel even replayed their recordings of her conversations with Pablo for their wives to demonstrate how a woman should behave. "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]. Six drug lords were handed into the custody of Colombia for further trial or deportation to the United States for trial. [21] Lehder's ultimate scheme was to revolutionize the cocaine trade by transporting the drug to the United States, using small aircraft from Norman's Cay. Source: wikimedia.org. I fell in love with his desire to help people and his compassion for their hardship. 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. [41] As of late, Guillermo Alejandro of the Mesa Family has been pinpointed as one of the main suppliers of mainland Europe. In 2007, the journalist Virginia Vallejo published her memoir Amando a Pablo, odiando a Escobar (Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar), in which she describes her romantic relationship with Escobar and the links of her lover with several presidents, Caribbean dictators, and high-profile politicians. This sparked debate about whether he killed himself or whether he was shot dead. Fox Telecolombia produced in 2019 a TV Series. Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman is the world's most wanted drug lord. His killing was mourned and his funeral attended by over 25,000people. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on 1 December 1949 in Rionegro, Antioquia Department. [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. His 70-year prison sentence was . Speaking of the devil, here's Tuco Salamanca. 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. Escobar managed to change the first judge in the lawsuit and bribed the second judge, so he was released along with other prisoners. [28] Her book inspired the movie Loving Pablo (2017). 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". Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. 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. [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. Escobar's victory over the judiciary was short-lived, with new president Virgilio Barco Vargas having quickly renewed his agreement with the United States. Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela was arrested on 6 August. Drug traffickers are often wanted for their crimes in multiple countries since a lot of their money is earned by sneaking illegal narcotics across borders. ( Example : app brand cool kids ) The DEA cited him as "one of the premier drug traffickers in the world, who has been involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking since 1970". He founded what later became theColombo crime family in 1928 and was the family's boss for over three decades. Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug trafficker who collaborated with other criminals to form the Medelln cartel in the early 1970s. Some of the drug barons of Colombia have been portrayed by actors on the big screen. Some are whimsical, like . By 2007, the animals had multiplied to 16 and had taken to roaming the area for food in the nearby Magdalena River. Barnes was sentenced to life imprisonment, eventually becoming a federal informant that led to the collapse of The Council in 1983. [17][18][19][20] Escobar was confined in what became his own luxurious private prison, La Catedral, which featured a football pitch, a giant dollhouse, a bar, a Jacuzzi, and a waterfall. Escobar's infiltration into the U.S. created exponential demand for cocaine and by the 1980s it was estimated Escobar led monthly shipments of 70 to 80tons of cocaine into the country from Colombia. Raffaela D'Alterio is an Italian Mafia godmother who was the leader of a faction of the Camorra family. One of his biggest quirks and differences is being a regular user of the products he helps distributes, making him rather unprofessional. Photo credit: EPA. However, alongside his criminal activities, he established programs to assist impoverished members of the community. Otoniel was captured in his rural hideout in Antioquia province in north-western Colombia, close to the border with Panama. Otoniel was escorted by the security forces after his capture - and some posed for photos, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. This was the beginning of his dealing with the authorities, using bribery or other means to achieve his goals.[2]. [54][55][56] The judge ordered the seizing of assets for about $1m each. Although Escobar fought back, he announced his retirement from politics in January 1984. [16] Hence, Escobar and many other Colombian drug lords managed to infiltrate every level of the Colombian government, because many of the political candidates whom they backed financially, were eventually elected. DAS agents found 39kg of cocaine in the spare tire of Escobar's car. Gilbertos nephew, William Rodriguez Abada, spoke out against the Netflix series Narcos, which he said misrepresented the true facts and tarnished his reputation as a result.