It is believed to have about 1,800 armed members, who are mainly recruited from far-right paramilitary groups. On 2 December 1993, Escobar was found in a house in a middle-class residential area of Medellin by Colombian special forces using technology provided by the United States. [29] She was killed by motorcycle hitmen in Colombia on 3 September 2012 as she was coming out of a butcher's shop. President Ivn Duque hailed Otoniel's capture in a televised video message. When the AUC dissolved in 2005, he began working for the drug lord Daniel Rendn Herrera . Before he gave himself up, the extradition of Colombian citizens to the United States had been prohibited by the newly approved Colombian Constitution of 1991. He died of liver cancer in 1962. 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. On 31 August 2011 Santofimio was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in the crime. When the AUC dissolved in 2005, he began working for the drug lord Daniel Rendn Herrera, known as Don Mario - head of the Urabeos, which later became known as the Gulf Clan. 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. Otoniel now faces a number of charges, including sending shipments of cocaine to the US, killing police officers and recruiting children. 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. Drug Lord Name Generator. [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. As of 2023, the single remaining fugitive of the 37 most-wanted drug . He was known for violence and cruelty in eliminating rival gang members, the most infamous incident being the St. Valentines Day Massacre. [37][38] On 24 July, a video in which Vallejo had accused Santofimio of instigating Escobar to eliminate presidential candidate Galn was aired by RCN Television of Colombia. Otoniel is a household name and has been hugely powerful, especially in the north west of the country. Aliases: "El Mexicano". The list includes names such as Al Capone, Richard Wershe Jr., Ross Ulbricht, George Jung and Robert Evans. El Chapo. [36], Colombian kingpin Jose Evaristo Linares-Castillo was arrested in 2013. Dubbed "The King of Cocaine", Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of his death (equivalent to $58 billion as of 2018), while his cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States in the 1980s and 1990s.Born in Rionegro and raised in Medelln, Escobar studied briefly at Universidad Autnoma Latinoamericana of Medelln, but left without graduating; he instead began engaging in criminal, Frank Lucas (September 9, 1930 May 30, 2019) was an American drug trafficker who operated in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The compound, now half-demolished and overtaken by vegetation and wild animals, featured a mansion, apartments, courtyards, a large swimming pool, a helicopter landing pad, reinforced windows, tiled floors, and a large but unfinished building to the side of the mansion. Some of the drug barons of Colombia have been portrayed by actors on the big screen. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned drug lords. Eventually, the government negotiated with Escobar and convinced him to surrender and cease all criminal activity in exchange for a reduced sentence and preferential treatment during his captivity. ", "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. One half of the Guadalajara Cartel's split, the Sinoloa Cartel is led by the most-wanted drug trafficker in Mexico, Joaqun Guzmn. 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. [35][36], On 18 July 2006, Vallejo was taken to the United States on a special flight of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), for "safety and security reasons" due to her cooperation in high-profile criminal cases. Raffaela D'Alterio is an Italian Mafia godmother who was the leader of a faction of the Camorra family. Dairo Antonio suga, better known as Otoniel, was seized after a joint operation by the army, air force and police on Saturday. 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". Vain says he can find a name by "researching their gamer tag (a . [10] His life has also served as inspiration for or has been dramatized widely in film, television, and in music. [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. [24], Griselda Blanco (19432012), known as the "Godmother of Cocaine", was a drug lord who operated between Miami and Colombia during the 1970s and 1980s. [23] He is considered to be one of the most important Colombian drug kingpins to be successfully prosecuted in the United States. Local media were alerted, and after being exposed as Escobar's widow, Henao was imprisoned for eighteen months while her finances were investigated. Levyas forfeiture amount was set based on a forgiving estimate of the value of the cocaine that he smuggled to the United States border. 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. Colombia's most wanted drug trafficker and the leader of the country's largest criminal gang has been captured. . A snappy nickname is not uncommon in Mexico, but it seems to be a prerequisite to being a Mexican drug lord or top enforcer. [6] In 1992, the DEA seized two of Santacruz Londoo's cocaine conversion laboratories in Brooklyn. [9] Another was a Dominican and naturalized American citizen, a former U.S. Marine who was accused by Venezuelan president Hugo Chvez of being a U.S. Dairo Antonio suga was led away in handcuffs following the raid. Drug Money Earned: $5 billion. 15. 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. His killing was mourned and his funeral attended by over 25,000people. $5 million is offered to anybody who can reveal him. Source: wikimedia.org. [64][65] In 2009, two adults and one calf escaped the herd and, after attacking humans and killing cattle, one of the adults (called "Pepe") was killed by hunters under authorization of the local authorities. 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. A few months later, Liberal leader Luis Carlos Galn expelled Escobar from the party. A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a type of crime boss, who is in charge of a drug-trafficking network, . The gang controls many of the routes used to smuggle drugs from Colombia to the US, and as far away as Russia. On 12 December 2017, it was announced that Mesa Family leader Juan Carlos Mesa had been captured. Police chief Jorge Vargas has said the drug lord was fearful of capture, "never approaching inhabited areas". 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. A notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar was the founder and leader of the infamous Medelln Cartel. 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. According to a BBC Mundo Mexico report, the 37 drug lords "have jeopardized Mexico national security." As of 8 January 2016, 25 drug lords had been captured, eight had been killed and four remained fugitives. [6] He was killed in 1996. 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? [46] Due to threats, and her cooperation in these cases, on 3 June 2010 the United States granted political asylum to the Colombian journalist. Juan David, the eldest, enlisted his two brothers help in contributing to the establishment of the infamous Medellin Cartel. Arturo was killed in a 2009 shootout, but Alfredo continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison. Chief Vargas said his movements were traced by more than 50 signal intelligence experts using satellite imagery. What do you think, did we get it right? Escobar was buried at the Monte Sacro Cemetery. [33], Escobar faced threats from the Colombian police, the U.S. government and his rival, the Cali Cartel. 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. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? In March 1976, the 26-year-old Escobar married Mara Victoria Henao, who was 15. Read about our approach to external linking. This list of notable drug lords is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be sorted for various bits of information, such as where these historic drug lords were born and what their nationality is. Marcos Arturo Beltran Leyva. Joe Profaci was an Italian-bornNew York Citymafiaboss. prison. Escobar left high school in 1966 just before his 17th birthday, before returning two years later with his cousin Gustavo Gaviria. Earning himself the title of No. 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. Escobar's victory over the judiciary was short-lived, with new president Virgilio Barco Vargas having quickly renewed his agreement with the United States.