Historical Study: Medellin Cartel

In anticipation of our recent trip to Colombia, I've made a deep dive into Colombian culture and history the past month. Sadly one of Colombia's biggest claims to fame is their history of drug trafficking, much thanks to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. From 1976-1993 Pablo Escobar operated one of the largest and most profitable drug cartels in the world. His organization was based out of the city of Medellin, Colombia. Their specialty was in the production and distribution of cocaine, but they also branched out into other criminal dealings as well. In order to sustain power the Medellin Cartel often used corrupt bribery, violence, and terrorism to keep their operation flowing. It is believed that over 4,000 people were killed in relation to the Medellin Cartel.

There can be no question that Pablo Escobar only cared about money and power. However it does bring into question the character of this man who was able to operate an illegal business for over 20 years. At one point Escobar was the 7th wealthiest person in the world thru his drug trafficking empire that managed 80% of the world's cocaine distribution at one point. His operation was based throughout Colombia but also parts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and into America (notably Florida, California, and New York). Also worth noting is that he did pour a lot of his finances into the infrastructure of Medellin and Colombia. Many locals considered him somewhat of a Robin Hood for his contributions to the poor, schools, and building projects. 

I've watched the Netflix show Narcos twice now and find it be one of the best produced television shows about Latin American history. The setting provides a very insightful look into the rise of Escobar and the Medellin Cartel, as well as the sweeping landscape of this beautiful city. One thing I came to understand from the show, was that it was thru American intervention that finally brought Pablo down. There was simply to much money coming from this operation and that considered the higher ups in America. So without further ado I want to understand two aspects to this topic. Who was Pablo Escobar and how did he create such a successful illegal operation that rivaled some of the most famous Mafia organizations. Also who were the other key players of this Medellin Cartel and what was it's operating structure.

The Rise of Pablo Escobar

Quite interestingly Colombia was slow to the cocaine business and first known for it's marijuana trafficking throughout the 1960s. It was actually Chile, Argentina, and Brazil that had become the first major cocaine distributors in South America. When Augosto Pinochet came to power in Chile in 1973, with the backing of the United States, who led a violent campaign against the illegal drug production. This led to many Chilean cocaine traffickers to flee to Colombia and set up a new operation there. While Chile had mastered the art of cocaine production they needed new Colombian smugglers and traffickers to work with.

Pablo Escobar was born in Rionegra, Colombia in 1949 and grew up in the city of Medellin. As a young teenager he quickly turned to a life of crime trading cigarettes, fake lottery tickets, stealing cars, and other smuggling activities. By the early 1970s he had established a network of smuggling trade routes thru Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It was the success of his smuggling operation that brought him attention by the Chilean cocaine distributors looking to traffic their product. In 1976 Escobar established the Medellin Cartel with other prominent drug dealers with cocaine as their primary source of trade. 

The Medellin Cartel

While Pablo Escobar was the undisputed leader of the organization he established an alliance of other prominent Colombian drug lords. This included the Ochoa brothers (Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio); Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, aka El Mexicano, known for his routes and partnerships in Mexico; and Carlos Lehder, an experienced pilot and drug trafficker. Escobar had much of his family involved in his operation including his brother Roberto as the cartel's accountant. Also there was his right hand man and chief advisor, his cousin Gustavo Gaviria who controlled most of the financial aspects of the organization. It can be disputed that Gustavo was the brains of the operation, however he kept a low profile in contrast to Escobar's natural charisma and leadership qualities.

One of the keys to success for the Medellin Cartel was their creative methods of illegal distribution. One of their biggest methods to easily distribute their product was thru corrupt bribes of local officials. However they also had other transport methods such as hiding the cocaine in balloon pellets that could be transferred by mules to carry thru international customs. For bigger loads they incorporated smaller private jets to arrive at loading drop zones, which could then be transferred to trucks. The Cartel also used advanced strategies of decoy routes and even misinformation to confuse heightened attention from the authorities. And of course when all else failed and their route was interrupted then violence would take into effect. 

The operation quickly began to thrive and brought about a cocaine boom from the late 1970s to early 1980s, throughout Latin America and into Florida. The cartel was smuggling tons of cocaine worldwide and at it's height was bringing in $200 million a day. However this major boom of profit suddenly concerned the United States government, specifically since Miami had become a new major hub for drug dealings. While the Medellin Cartel was bringing in massive profit, they had to simultaneously establish a paramilitary organization to fight off their various enemies such as the United States, Colombian authorities, other criminal cartels (such as the Cali Cartel), and even guerilla organizations such as M19.

Muerte a Secuestradpres (Death to Kidnappers)

In 1981 the Medellin Cartel established a paramilitary organization to defend their economic interests against their many enemies. This was referred to as Muerta a Secuestradores "Death to Kidnappers". The MAS ushered in a new era of violence throughout Colombia where anyone who tried to bring down the cartel was answered with terror. Escobar used this new form of muscle to assassinate any political or prominent leader who sought to oppose him. Heavy funds from the Medellin cartel were poured into this branch to recruit fighters, weapons, communications, and even propaganda against new waves of Communism brought on by the M19 guerilla groups. Another branch of this organization was the Oficina de Envigado, a collection agency that used violent tactics to settle unpaid debts. 

While Escobar began to pour heavy funds into his military organization he also contributed heavily into the infrastructure of Colombia. This included new building projects of roads, bridges, parks, schools, football stadiums, and health clinics. He quickly became popular with the general public thru these financial contributions and even considered a run for political office. He assassinated various political opponents who sought to bring down his cocaine empire such as Rodrigo Lara and Luis Carlos Galan. By 1984 Escobar was forced to withdraw from the public political life after he was accused of various murders and an arrest warrant was issued against him by the United States.

By the mid to late 1980s Escobar's public image quickly began to decline as he ramped up his acts of terrorism against political opponents. At this point both the United States (DEA and CIA) and Colombian authorities were actively pushing for his arrest. In an effort to stay ahead of them Escobar made unlikely alliances with the M19 terrorist organization and the Cali Cartel. In 1985 Escobar funded the M19's assault on the Supreme Court of Bogota which killed 43 civilians. He also organized the bombing of a domestic flight in 1989 in an effort to assassinate the presidential candidate Cesar Gaviria who was not on the plane. The bombing killed all 107 passengers onboard. Escobar also bombed the Department of Security 9 days later in another failed assassination attempt, that still killed 63 innocent civilians.

The Downfall of the Cartel

By 1991 Escobar decided to surrender to the Colombian authorities on the terms that he could be self-imprisoned. He promised to cease his operations at his new "prison" residence of La Catedral overlooking Medellin. However it did not take long for authorities to realize that Escobar was still managing his cartel and committing crimes. By 1992 Escobar was forced to go into hiding as a national manhunt began for him by the Colombian Search Bloc, the US Authorities, and the Cali Cartel. The Medellin Cartel quickly began to collapse at this point while Escobar hid from the authorities. Escobar had many chances to flee his country at this point, but he proudly chose to stay there hoping to strike a deal that would restore his prominence. 

On December 2nd of 1993, Escobar was located in a residential neighborhood in Medellin with intel provided by the United States secret service. The Colombian Search Bloc carried out the mission to arrest Escobar at the scene, however a gunfight ensued. While trying to escape on the rooftops, Escobar was shot and killed in the head. His death marked the abrupt end to the Medellin Cartel and the quick takeover by the Cali Cartel. Escobar's death was met with mixed reaction, and some 25,000 people attended his funeral. While most saw him as a ruthless violent drug lord, others saw him as a Robin Hood who gave much of his wealth back to the poor.