Medellín Cartel

The Medellín Cartel was a well-organized network of drug smugglers originating in the city of Medellín in Colombia and operating through the 1970s and 1980s. It was built and run by Pablo Escobar. At its height, it was bringing in as much as $60 million per month, and was estimated by some to be worth as much as $28 billion in total. Other noted figures involved in, or connected with the cartel include the Ochoa family, Carlos Lehder and George Jung. It existed in permanent conflict with the Cali Cartel and, from the early 80s onward, the Colombian government.

Fear of Extradition

Perhaps the greatest threat posed to the Medellín Cartel and the other trafficers was the implementation of an extradition treaty between the United States and Colombia. It allowed Colombia to extradite any Colombian suspected of drug trafficking to the US and to be tried in the US for the crimes. This was a major problem for the Cartel since the drug traffickers had little access to their local power and influence in the US, and a trial there would most likely lead to imprisonment. Among the staunch supporters of the extradition treaty were Colombian Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, Police Officer Jaime Ramirez and numerous Supreme Court Judges.

However, the Cartel applied a "bend or break" strategy towards several of these supporters. When attacks against the police began to cause major losses, some of the major druglords themselves were temporarily pushed out of Colombia, going into hiding while they ordered cartel members to take out key supporters of the extradition treaty.

Rodrigo Lara Bonilla was killed during rush hour when motorcyclists came up behind his car and opened fire. The death of Lara Bonilla was the final straw that persuaded the President of Colombia, Belisario Betancur, to sign the extradition of Carlos Lehder and push for more action against the drug cartels.

Jaime Ramirez, who had made the most busts and seizures of cocaine in the year and caused the Cartel heavy losses, was killed on the highway when Medellín assassins in a red Renault pulled up beside his white Toyota minivan and opened fire. Ramirez was killed instantly; his wife and two sons were wounded.

The Cartel issued death threats to the Supreme Court Judges, asking them to denounce the Extradition Treaty. The warnings were ignored. Sometime later, 35 heavily armed members of the M-19 guerrilla group raided the Supreme Court's building, leading to the Palace of Justice siege in November 1985. The army and the police attempted to rescue the hostages, but the operation ended tragically as many of the hostages were killed in the crossfire and heavy casualties ensued. Some claimed at the time that the Cartel's influence was behind the M-19's raid, because of its interest in intimidating the Supreme Court. The issue has continued to be debated inside Colombia.

US Operations

DEA agents and US Customs made many busts and cocaine seizures using undercover informants. The most prominent witnesses were Barry Seal and "Max". Barry Seal had worked for the Cartel and illegally transported drugs to the US. When he was caught, he turned to help the US crack down on the Cartel and gave many names and details of cocaine pipelines which resulted in major busts. The Cartel avenged the loss by murdering Barry Seal. Max who had been assigned to kill Barry by the Cartel, had turned away from the job. Later he helped find and imprison the murderer of Barry Seal. He also gave much information to help the DEA.

End of the Cartel

The Cartel lost much of its consolidated power and influence after the death or capture of many of its leading figures, which led to its disappearance as a unified entity, but several of its surviving associates and former members are still active in the international drug scene.

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Fear of Extradition

US Operations

End of the Cartel

See also