Medellin cartel Jan 28, 2019 · Colombian Parliament member Pablo Escobar Gaviria is also the mythic leader of the Medellin Cartel, a criminal organization dedicated to the smuggling of cocaine between South America and the The Medellín Cartel was a powerful and notorious drug trafficking organization based in Medellín, Colombia, that operated primarily during the 1970s and 1980s. [11][12] Originally from Armenia Nov 7, 2025 · Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellín cartel, surrendered in June 1991 and was subsequently imprisoned following an extensive manhunt and parallel negotiations with the Colombian government about his surrender. Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia's legendary drug lords has been released from prison and is expected to be deported. While these numbers are likely major over-estimates of how Notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Fabio Ochoa Vasquez has been freed from a US prison after serving 25 years of a 30-year sentence. According to Lehder, who had previously Aug 7, 2025 · The Medellin Cartel rose in the 1980s by flooding the United States with cocaine, providing dope to dance floors in Miami all the way to crack houses in Los Angeles. Drug cartels are extremely well-organized, well-financed, efficient, and ruthless. Dec 24, 2024 · The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some Feb 15, 2025 · Across from Plaza Cisneros is an area known as Alpujarra, which is where the center of government for Medellin and Antioquia sits. Escobar was killed by a specially assigned police unit on Jan 23, 2025 · Colombia is known for exporting petroleum, coffee, and flowers, but at one point in its history, illicit drug exports surpassed coffee as the country’s primary source of foreign exchange. The Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia's legendary drug lords has been released from prison and is expected to be deported. He became famous for all kinds of excesses, building an image as a womanizer, a drunk, a lunatic and a fascist. Mar 28, 1994 · Just a few months after the killing of Escobar, DEA officials traveled to Bogotá to meet with DEA and CNP officials from the Medellín Task Force to get a clearer understanding of “the Medellin Cartel’s past, present and future. Source: AAP Back in the 1970s, Colombia was in a Pablo Escobar We discuss the life of Pablo Escobar and his initiation into crime. By the 1990s, Colombia had become the world’s leading cocaine exporter, with the period from 1970 to 2000 markin José Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha (14 May 1947 – 15 December 1989), also known by the alias of El Mexicano (English: The Mexican), was a Colombian drug lord who was one of the leaders of the Medellín Cartel along with the Ochoa brothers and Pablo Escobar. - See NCJ-168395) Protracted conflict is one of the largest human challenges that have persistently undermined economic and social progress. Ochoa was first indicted in the U. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. prison and is expected to be deported back home. For Medellín’s residents, the threat of random, deadly shootings and bombings was real and Dec 5, 2024 · Medellin cartel drug lord who ran cocaine in Miami released from prison after 25 years Living in Miami, Fabio Ochoa Vásquez ran a distribution center for the cocaine cartel once headed by Pablo The Medellín Cartel (Spanish: Cartel de Medellín) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. The 67 year old, who was a key figure in the infamous Medellin This article details the reasons why the supply reduction strategies aimed at winning the drug war adopted by the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations cannot work, with emphasis on the organizational structure and operations of the Medellin cartel. May 1, 2017 · Posters of Pablo Escobar, killed by police in Medellin in 1993, that read "Pablo for President-Sovereignity-Independence". [2][3] In January 1991, Juan David Ochoa Vásquez, together with his Apr 1, 2025 · Colombian authorities released former Medellin Cartel boss Carlos Lehder on Monday after a judge ruled that a drug trafficking sentence issued in Colombia against the 75-year-old had expired The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. 7 billion. Dec 5, 2024 · Colombian drug lord Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, formerly of the Medellin cartel, was released from a U. in 2001 Aug 17, 2024 · The once powerful Cali Cartel fought against Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel for dominance of the Columbian drug trade. It was founded and run by Ochoa Vázquez brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio together with Pablo Escobar Explore the ongoing war against drug cartels in Colombia, a complex conflict rooted in decades of violence and corruption. Learn More About Medellin: From Murderous Drug Cartels to Smart City. The Norte de Valle cartel emerged from the remnants of the Cali cartel in the late 1990s. Jorge Luis Ochoa Vásquez (born 30 September 1950) is a Colombian former drug trafficker who was one of the founding members of the Medellín Cartel in the late 1970s. The Medellin Cartel is regrouping under younger, more sophisticated, and more dangerous leadership. Photos. P. and is expected to be deported back home. Bureau of Prisons show Fabio Ochoa Vásquez was released Tuesday after completing 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence. 2, Carlos Lehder, another $2. May 10, 2024 · The untold story of the greatest anti-money laundering operation in American history Sep 13, 2025 · The Ochoa Brothers were major Colombian drug trafficking figures, Pablo Escobar's associates and co-founders of the Medellin Cartel. Bogota, Colombia. It is often considered to be the first major Colombian "drug cartel" and was referred to as such (a cartel) due to the organization's upper echelons and overall power Cali Cartel Drug barons of Colombia refer to some of the most notable drug lords which operate in illegal drug trafficking in Colombia. A lot has changed in the country's underworld since the fall of one of the world's most legendary criminals. 23 Sep 13, 2023 · Total Peace is the most ambitious peace process ever attempted in Colombia. Read the profile of the most famous Colombian drug lord. At its height, it earned as much as $4 billion a year—most of it cash—for its members and controlled 80 percent Sep 10, 2024 · Back in the 1980s, Medellín, Colombia was in the middle of a full-blown crisis. He became one of the wealthiest criminals in history. Dec 24, 2024 · The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some (5:57) A look at the rise of Pablo Escobar and his Medellin cartel, and how it divided up drug trafficking for U. Several of them, notably Pablo Escobar, were long considered among the world's most dangerous and most wanted men by U. markets with its rival, the Cali cartel. Discover the origins of drug trafficking, the notorious Medellín and Cali cartels, the impact of Pablo Escobar, and modern challenges that persist today. In 1988, Forbes magazine The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of " drug suppliers and smugglers " originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Law enforcement oficers and judges were favored targets of these brutish drug cartels that controlled entire towns and economies to support The Medellín Cartel stands as one of the most infamous criminal organizations in modern history, synonymous with the explosive growth of the global cocaine trade in the late 20th century. The main draw here is the impressive Monumento a la Raza at the center of the plaza. 30 years ago, this was the murder capital of the world. "Ruthless and immensely powerful", several political leaders, such as President Virgilio Barco Vargas, became convinced that Dec 5, 2024 · Former Medellin Cartel Leader and Associate of Pablo Escobar Released From U. The massive manhunt by the government—reportedly aided by U. From Pablo Escobar to the present day, learn the real history of the narco trade of Medellin. Carlos Lehder, a 70-year-old Colombian-German national Feb 21, 2024 · Pablo Escobar, often dubbed the “King of Cocaine,” remains one of the most infamous and enigmatic figures in the annals of criminal history. Since the real-life Seal was involved with Escobar’s cartel, of which Jorge Ochoa was a significant part, the latter drug lord ends up playing an instrumental role in the film’s narrative with varying degrees of truth behind it. Further, cartel members do not hesitate to employ violent means, including assassinations, to achieve their goals and are not intimidated by 5 days ago · Pablo Escobar was a notorious Colombian drug lord and billionaire criminal mastermind. The Cali Cartel (Spanish: Cartel de Cali) was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around Cali and the Valle del Cauca. Medellin Cartel: Why We Can't Win the Drug War (From Drug Use and Drug Policy, P 89-110, 1997, Marilyn McShane, Frank P. This article delves into the life and legacy of Pablo Escobar, tracing his meteoric rise as the Oct 11, 2023 · This comedy-filled action movie takes substantial reference from real life, primarily focusing on Barry Seal and some of his infamous undertakings. and was arrested at Bogota airport. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and even Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Discover how they smuggled, hid, and fought the authorities until their demise in the 90s. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The drug cartel operated from the mid-1970s until the early-1990s in Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Peru, and the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. Records from the U. Sep 28, 2021 · Learn how Pablo Escobar and his associates built the most ruthless drug cartel in Colombia, supplying 96 percent of the US cocaine market and killing thousands of people. We explain why he is considered one of the greatest criminals in history. prison after serving 25 years. In the early 1970s One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cartel has been deported back to the South American country, after serving 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence in the United States. Known for its immense wealth and violent tactics, the cartel was instrumental in the production and distribution of cocaine, significantly impacting both Colombian society and international drug trade dynamics. Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a federal prison in the U. Founded by notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, the cartel raked in an estimated $100 million in drug trade profits every day at the height of its operations and was responsible for about 96 percent of the cocaine that entered the United States. The Rise of the Medellin Cartel By the early 1980s, the drug lords of the Medellin cartel were well established in Colombia, where they used murder, intimida tion, and assassination to keep journalists and public oficials from speaking out against them. This statue depicts the history of Colombia and the many struggles it has faced. The Ochoa brothers were the business brains of the criminal organization, while Escobar oversaw the group's "protection" before he became known as the cartel leader "El Patron. They broke away from Pablo Escobar and his Medellín associates in 1988, when Hélmer Herrera joined what became a four-man executive board that ran the Dec 9, 2013 · Even today, some 20 years after his death, there is still debate in Colombia on how to interpret the mythology surrounding feared drug lord Pablo Escobar and his Medellín Cartel. It is often considered the first major "drug cartel" and was referred to as such (a Dec 5, 2024 · Legendary Medellin cartel drug lord released from US prison after serving 25 years Authorities were never able to seize all of the the Ochoa family’s illicit drug proceeds, so he will likely Sep 22, 2018 · If the Colombian city cannot bury the memory of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, it at least wants to control how and where his story gets told. Forbes magazine once estimated the tidal wave of powder made the cartel’s top trafficker Pablo Escobar $9 billion and its No. Jun 17, 2020 · The man who set up the notorious Medellín drug cartel alongside Pablo Escobar has arrived in Germany after his release from a US prison. For those years, the market was Oct 18, 2025 · Drug cartel, an illicit consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition and control the production and distribution of illegal drugs. Operating primarily out of Medellín, Colombia, the cartel transformed from a loose alliance of smugglers into a multibillion-dollar empire that supplied the majority of the world’s cocaine supply during Medellín Cartel The Medellín cartel was a powerful Columbian drug cartel that controlled most of the global cocaine market in the 1980s. Escobar was Medellin has a long dark past of narco history. Thank you, Netflix! If untold truths are still out there of the Cartel and its cocaine-crazed capers across Colombia, they're probably safely tucked away inside the aging brains of people who have a deep personal interest in Dec 1, 2023 · Pablo Escobar and his Medellín Cartel transformed the cocaine trade during their heyday in the 1980s. However, his life was changed in 1979 when Chilean Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia's legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a federal prison in the U. His death signaled the end of one era of drug trafficking and the birth of another, as the drug trade continued apace, with Medellin still at its heart. It was founded and run by Ochoa Vázquez brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio, together with We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Records from Juan David Ochoa Vásquez (13 April 1946 – 25 July 2013) was a Colombian drug trafficker and one of the founders of the Medellín Cartel, a major drug trafficking cartel based in the city of Medellín. for his alleged role in the 1986 killing of a DEA informant. It is often considered to be the first major Colombian "drug cartel" and was referred to as such (a cartel) due to the organization's upper echelons and overall Feb 3, 2025 · Learn about the rise and fall of the Medellín Cartel, one of the most notorious drug trafficking organizations in Colombia's history. Nov 30, 2018 · It's been nearly 25 years since authorities in Colombia gunned down former Medellín Cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar on a city rooftop. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. In the heyday of the Medellin cartel, in the 1980s and early 1990s, Escobar used these young men to maintain his dominance in a Dec 24, 2024 · Return of former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from United States has reopened old wounds among victims of Medellín cartel, with some expressing dismay at Mar 31, 2025 · Carlos Lehder, one of the founding leaders of the Medellín Cartel and a key figure in the history of cocaine trafficking, was arrested by Colombian authorities upon his arrival from Germany on Friday 28. Ochoa, 67, and his older brothers amassed a fortune when cocaine Drug Cartels A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. More than thirty years after Pablo Escobar’s death, there are more than a dozen of his long list of hitmen still alive. It is often considered the first major “drug cartel” and was referred to as such (a cartel) due to the organization's upper echelons being built on a partnership Mar 29, 2025 · Colombia’s migration authority jailed Medellin Cartel founder Carlos Lehder after he arrived in the capital Bogota on Friday. The term was applied when the largest trafficking organizations reached an agreement to coordinate the production and distribution of cocaine. Ochoa, 67, and his older brothers amassed a fortune when The leaders of the cartel in Medellin The Medellín Cartel was a Colombian drug cartel that was founded in 1972 by Pablo Escobar and his cousin Gustavo Gaviria in the city of Medellín. Sep 11, 2017 · Pablo Escobar made staggering amounts of money by smuggling cocaine to the US. Sep 11, 2017 · The Cali cartel had long been a Medellin rival, but it reached the height of its power after Escobar was killed, eventually controlling 80% of the world's cocaine trade and moving hundreds of tons of it to the US. Mar 29, 2025 · Carlos Lehder, co-founder of the Medellin Cartel, is back in Colombia after 38 years in the U. ¿What is the Origin of the Medellin Cartel? The Medellin Cartel was born at the end of the seventies from the need of the drug lords who in principle shared distribution channels of the product of allying to face the offensive of the Colombian state that had assumed as a policy the fight against all activity of production and distribution of illegal drugs. Cartel leaders control peasants in Peru and Bolivia who grow coca leaves for a living so that peasants do not branch out into their own businesses. His return brings back old pain from a time known for violence, corruption, and the control of the cocaine trade, giving him a chance to think about the rise and fall of one of the world's most notorious criminal groups. The Medellín cartel was a Colombian drug cartel based in Medellín. But the 30 years since the kingpin’s death have shown that the business remains one of the world’s most dynamic criminal economies. The cartel smuggled contraband such as television sets and jewelry at first, and Escobar became a wealthy person, buying half of the local police force. Dec 4, 2024 · Medellin drug cartel chief released after 25 years in US prison He was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the U. Credit: A. The Medellín cartel, along with their rivals, the Cali cartel both sent their cocaine to the United States through the Guadalajara cartel following the closure of the Caribbean corridor in the early 1980s. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine ", Escobar was one of the wealthiest conventional criminals in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by his Apr 24, 2023 · Twenty years ago, on December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar, the pioneer of Colombia's cocaine trade, was killed on a rooftop in his native Medellin by police. Since that agreement was Jun 21, 2021 · Many terrifying truths have been told of the infamous Medellin Cartel. The cartel's key members were Pablo Escobar, Carlos Lehder, José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, Gustavo Gaviria, Jorge Ochoa, and his brothers Juan David and Fabio. Bureau of Prisons show that Fabio Ochoa Vásquez was released Tuesday after completing 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence. Learn about Colombia's efforts and international cooperation to tackle drug-related crime and the quest for a safer Aug 30, 2025 · More than 30 years since the death of Pablo Escobar in Colombia, some of his most notorious hitmen are still alive. . In recent years, there has been increased emphasis on using statistical and physical science models to better understand both Nov 7, 2025 · Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug trafficker and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Therefore, fans May 17, 2025 · In a revealing interview with Martí Noticias, Carlos Lehder, a founding member of the notorious Medellín Cartel, claimed that the Cuban regime under Fidel and Raúl Castro played a pivotal role in cocaine trafficking to the United States during the 1980s. Dec 15, 2022 · Research Questions: Why did the people of Medellin, Colombia, support a known drug dealer and the drug cartel, Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel, was it for a spot in the Colombian government? Should the Colombian government use narco-tourism and the story of Pablo Escobar to their advantage or start to remove the association of Escobar and the Medellin Cartel from their image? How has Oct 23, 2023 · The alliances Don Berna formed with bureaucratic elites in Medellín are key to understanding the evolution of Colombian organized crime. It is often considered to be the first major Colombian "drug cartel" and was referred to as such (a cartel) due to the organization's upper echelons and overall power The Medellín Cartel was an empire of stunning sweep and unimaginable violence. prison and is expected to be deported home. In doing so, the Petro administration is seeking not only to demobilize specific groups Apr 15, 2024 · The truth about Carlos Lehder, Pablo Escobar’s feared associate The drug lord recounts his life as a key member of the Medellín Cartel after leaving a US prison, where he served 33 years Mar 29, 2025 · Carlos Lehder, former drug trafficker and one of the founding leaders of the Medellin Cartel, was arrested on Friday by Colombian authorities upon his arrival from Germany on a warrant in the Latin American country. Bureau Jan 22, 2024 · Carlos Lehder, 74, was one of the founders of the Medellín Cartel. After his death, there was no shortage of traffickers eager to succeed him. See more in this scene from Season 1, Episode 3 Template:Short description Template:Infobox criminal organization Template:Medellín Cartel The Medellín Cartel (Template:Lang-es) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. Apr 15, 2023 · The success of the Medellin Cartel can also be attributed to the Ochoa brothers, namely Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio, according to InsightCrime. Pablo Escobar’s notorious Medellín Cartel was waging a bloody drug war right on the city’s streets. The cartel at its zenith supplied approximately 80% of the cocaine entering the United States. In his bizarre criminal career, he even founded a political party: the National Latin Civic Movement, an anti-communist Dec 26, 2024 · As Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a former lieutenant of the Medellín Cartel, returns to Colombia after two decades in a U. The cartel's key members were Pablo Escobar, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, Jorge Ochoa and his Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia's legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a U. The Medellín Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Medellín) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and narcoterrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. officials and rival drug traffickers—began after Escobar’s cartel, which focused largely on the Aug 30, 2021 · Pablo Escobar Gaviria was the pioneer in industrial-scale cocaine trafficking. He rose to infamy as the leader of the Medellín Cartel during a reign marked by violence, corruption, and unimaginable wealth. S. At the height of his criminal career, Rodriguez was acknowledged as one of the world's most successful drug dealers. The notorious founding member of the Medellin Cartel arrived on a flight from Germany, where he has lived since his […] Sep 3, 2024 · The Medellin Cartel becomes the most powerful cocaine traffickers in the world, but when they go to war with Colombia the cartel tests their limits. Williams, III, eds. " Medellin Cartel was known to be the main supplier of cocaine in the Dec 24, 2024 · Media swarm Fabio Ochoa, center, a former member of Cartel of Medellin, upon his arrival at El Dorado airport, after being deported from the United States, in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Dec. Dec 5, 2024 · One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a U. Its founders were the brothers Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela and José Santacruz Londoño. Since the 1980s, they have dominated the international The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free. Dec 24, 2024 · Fabio Ochoa, one of Colombia's legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cartel, has been deported back to the South American country, where he has walked free. Born to a German father and Colombian mother, [10] he was the first high-level drug trafficker extradited to the United States, after which he was released from prison in the United States after 33 years in 2020. intelligence. Prison After Serving 25-Year Sentence Fabio Ochoa Vásquez was one of the leaders of the cartel between 1987 and Mar 27, 2017 · Pablo Escobar loomed large over Colombia's criminal landscape, and cutting him down cleared a path for smaller, more sophisticated criminal groups. prison, the nation stands at a crossroads. Dandeny Muñoz Mosquera (born August 27, 1965), also known as " La Quica " (Colombian slang for "the fat girl", a childhood nickname), [1] is a former sicario (hitman; paid assassin) for the Colombian Medellín Cartel, a prominent drug trafficking enterprise in Colombia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Discover how Pablo Escobar and his allies controlled the cocaine trade, corrupted the state, and waged a war against the government and its enemies. Lehder was detained on El Dorado Airport while trying to enter the country on a tourist visa. ” The report reviews the narcotrafficking landscape in Colombia after the fall of Escobar, focusing on individuals and organizations well positioned to take Dec 1, 1989 · Here is the most complete and revealing account ever of the Medellin Cartel, the powerful Colombian narcotics organization that controls as much as 80 percent of the world cocaine market, written by the Miami Herald reporters whose prizewinning series of articles broke the story. S Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (/ ˈɛskəbɑːr /; Spanish: [ˈpaβlo eskoˈβaɾ]; 1 December 1949 – 2 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. [1] Juan David was the elder brother of Jorge Luis and Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, powerful figures inside the Medellín Cartel. Mar 31, 2025 · Colombian authorities have released former Medellin Cartel boss Carlos Lehder after a judge ruled that a drug trafficking sentence issued in Colombia against the 75-year-old had expired. Dec 11, 2024 · MIAMI (AP) — One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a U. 2006. The Medellín Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Medellín) was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. / ColombiaOne. Mar 31, 2025 · Colombian authorities released former Medellin Cartel boss Carlos Lehder on Monday after a judge ruled that a drug trafficking sentence issued in Colombia against the 75-year-old had expired Apr 17, 2023 · Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar helped create and run the notorious Medellín cartel and was responsible for killing thousands of people. Contact Us Today For Your Total Immersion Experience In A Foreign Language so you can finally speak Spanish. The Medellín Cartel was a highly organized network of drug traffickers and smugglers originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Born into modest beginnings in Colombia, Escobar ascended to unprecedented heights of power and wealth through his involvement in the illicit drug trade. To carry it out, the government is seeking simultaneous negotiations with more than 20 armed groups representing the different faces of Colombia’s criminal world: guerrilla insurgencies, drug trafficking armies, and urban gangs. He was described at one point as the "chief assassin" for the Cartel's leader Pablo Ochoa was a drug trafficker from Medellin and helped to found the Medellin cartel in the late 1970s. It is often considered to be the first major Colombian "drug cartel" and was referred to as such (a cartel) due to the organization's upper echelons and overall power Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas (born 7 September 1949) [9] is a Colombian and German former drug lord who was co-founder of the Medellín Cartel. ylqzi cci vtzik qvi kpgui suyq okld veuu uytrkak lsuog jwqbeas grgdmp ruwru szhwdn xfngptl