Los Pepes' killings put heat on Escobar
Also, the group expanded into trafficking Colombian heroin, a product that most of the groups stayed away from. Off-Broadway News Max Crumm, Jakeim Hart, Brinie Wallace, Tiffany Engen, More to Star in Millennials Are Killing Musicals Musical Off-Broadway . No one has been prosecuted for the murders committed by Los Pepes. A deadly manhunt guided by the U.S. [3] The independent clandestine cell system is what set the Cali Cartel apart from the Medelln Cartel. ", "Kuchma's 'Parallel Cabinet' The center of President Kuchma's authoritarian rule based on the Melnychenko recordings", , " ". The Search Bloc was able to converge on the house where Escobar was speaking on the phone with his son. JESUS ABAD-EL COLOMBIANO/AFP/Getty ImagesColombian police and military forces storm the rooftop where drug lord Pablo Escobar was shot dead just moments earlier during an exchange of gunfire between security forces and Escobar and his bodyguard. With so much stuff happening in the world on social media, its easy for things to get lost. Leading a cartel can be worth billions of dollars. In early 1993, there were up to six killings a day. Things got so bad that Col. Hugo Martinez, the Search Bloc commander, finally sent the unit's leaders back to Bogota. Capturing or killing Escobar was no easy task. Stock Images, Photos, Vectors, Video, and Music | Shutterstock Another report further said Pablo's brother, Rodolfo, was . [23], Capitalizing on this basis, Gilberto was able to found the First InterAmericas Bank operating out of Panama. They were met with a hail of gunfire, and both fell from shots to their heads Escobar with one that entered his right ear and killed him instantly. 3 pages. [3][10], Juan Carlos Saavedra represented the Cali KGB Cartel in Spain.[11]. Nasi Pepes Robet Naufal. As the Medelln Cartel weakened due to the fighting and constant pressure, the Cali Cartel grew in strength, eventually founding Los Pepes, or Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar ("People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar"). Now he would block him again. The day after several of Pablo Escobar's properties were bombed in January 1993, the fugitive drug boss sent a note to Col. Hugo Martinez, who headed the police Search Bloc. The Delta soldiers who arrived in Colombia just four days after Pablo Escobar left his prison in July 1992 had initially hoped to hunt down the notorious narco-terrorist themselves. According to a report by the DEA in 1994, the Rodriguez brothers, Miguel and Gilberto, were the most successful and powerful of the cartel's members. [3] By the mid-1990s, the trafficking empire of the Cali Cartel was a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Popeye, Escobars main Sicario, says that number is more like 50 thousand people.. According to journalist Alma Guillermoprieto, who spoke with a former Los Pepes member, the group was most likely led by former members of the Medelln cartel who, seeking vengeance, had offered money to members of Escobar's crew, members of the Search Bloc, or anyone else who was willing to take on the kingpin. [22][24][52], The Rodrguez brothers were extradited in 2006 to the United States and pleaded guilty in Miami, Florida, to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. Escobar's rise to power: From small-time gangster to the terror of Colombia
The assassination also targeted Escobar's lawyers, supporters and anyone close to the drug lord, reports abcnews.al. The CIA and US government even helped Los Pepes try to track down Escobar by relying on Castano's intelligence-gathering efforts. Col. Hugo Martinez was delighted when he got the news, in Madrid, that Pablo Escobar had walked out of jail. Experiencia de la Fiscala Anticorrupcin", "New Book Poses Question of Putin's Links with Underworld", " - 2. "[37], Revealed in late September 2020, Cali KGB cocaine was being transported through the Russian embassy in Argentina to Russia for many years. Los Pepes, a name derived from the Spanish phrase "Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar" ("Persecuted by Pablo Escobar"), was a paramilitary group composed of enemies of Pablo Escobar. [4] The recognition of this social background was displayed in the group's nickname as "Los Caballeros de Cali" ("Gentlemen of Cali"). The organization of the cartel was structured so that only people who had family in Colombia would handle operations that involved both Cali and U.S. sites, keeping the family within reach of the cartel. [54] Salcedo felt it was his patriotic duty and accepted the deal to bring the mercenaries back to Colombia and help plan the operation to kill Pablo Escobar. First is that the police took a photo of men standing over the bloodied corpse as it lay sprawling on a rooftop. How about taking down the worlds most notorious drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar? "" ", "CIA & Cocaine: Agency Assets Cross the Line", "CIA's Latin Assets Cross the Cocaine Line", "Venezuelan General Indicted in C.I.A. Inside The Rooftop Shootout That Ended El Patrn. Martinez had spent nearly three years hunting Escobar before his infamous 1991 "surrender" to a luxury prison cell guarded by his cronies, which Martinez viewed as the evasive drug lord's most ingenious escape to date. Menu - Check out the Menu of Los Pepes Groesbeck, Groesbeck at Zomato for Delivery, Dine-out or Takeaway. On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar, perhaps the wealthiest drug kingpin the world has ever seen, attempted to flee a hideout in his home base of Medelln, Colombia, by scrambling across a. [51], In later years, as Pablo Escobar's narco-terror war escalated against the Colombian government, the government began to strike back in ever escalating battles. That suit has resulted in the declassification of thousands of documents from the CIA as well as other U.S. agencies including the Department of State, Drug Enforcement Administration, Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S Coast Guard. We came close so many times, especially when he first escaped his so-called prison. Manuela Escobar, his daughter suffered from partial deafness due to the explosion. Taqueria G De Gordito. Wikimedia CommonsPablo Escobars death was captured in this now infamous image. In 2014 Los Angeles-based photographer Merrick Morton (a onetime LAPD reserve officer) spotted a derelict stash of LAPD crime photos dating from the 1920s to 1970s. Homegrown Escobar enemy joins fight
Wikimedia CommonsPablo Escobar, all smiles until Los Pepes came along. Tired of how Escobar was ruining everything, they built the drug cartels, Castano decided to run everything. The group MAS, however, would continue to operate, with hundreds of killings attributed to them. What would you consider the highlight of a law enforcement career? They covered the walls with giant photo-maps of the city of Medellin and surrounding areas. The Search Bloc was continuing to provide security for the men, but the unit itself was considered a joke. The group was financed by the Cali Cartel and was led by the Castao brothers. Lt. Hugo Martinez and his team of electronic surveillance experts started getting better with their funny little boxes. The True Story Of Julianna Farrait, The Wife Of 'American Gangster' Frank Lucas, The Macabre Story Of Josef Mengele, The Nazi 'Angel Of Death', What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Nse doni t jeni i pari pr t'u informuar mbi lajme ekskluzive, regjistrohuni m posht. Castano was scheduled to be at that meeting, but he declined to go. [28] Alexander Litvinenko provided a detailed narcotics trafficking diagram showing relationships between Russian government officials and Russian mafia and implicating Vladimir Putin and numerous others in obschak including narcotics trafficking money. Two 17-year-olds arrested for murder of mother and daughter in Connecticut, Michigan sheriffs, prosecutor attack Whitmers executive orders: Not clear and concise.. He then told me Im going to kill whoever the boss wants me to because thats my life and I owe him even though Ill be dead by 22 or 23., Escobar put a bounty on police officers and another 15-year-old thug nonchalantly said Ive already killed 10 police officers, at a hundred bucks a head, I get paid at the end of the day. Thats the attitude the Sicarios had multiply that by 500 Sicarios.. You had to travel with your gun to your chest ready to engage targets because two riders on a motorcycle was one of their favorite ways to assassinate people.. His merciless strikes against judges, government officials and the police were swift and deadly. But instead of facing the government, Escobar escaped from his prison in July 1992, reports abcnews.al. "You have to surmise.". Los Pepes had guns, bombs, ammunition, and of course they were motivated to take down Escobar. Ciara Rene will direct the new musical by Nico Juber. Colombian police, as part of the group known as the Search Block, arrived at the house where Escobar lived. A former ally offers a profile of Escobar
They attempted to load the four bombs, and what was planned to be a few minutes, it took them over 20minutes. Manuela Escobar, his daughter suffered from partial deafness due to the explosion. [26][27] Yuri Skuratov supported Turover's statements and began numerous investigations into corruption with high ranking Russian government officials. On December 2, 1993, one day after Escobar's birthday according to Mark Bowden's book "Killing Pablo," he celebrated with marijuana, a birthday cake, and wine the Search Bloc tracked the drug baron to Los Olivos neighborhood in Medelln. Although the war on drugs will likely never end, law enforcement agencies around the world have to continue to fight and reinforce the notion that if you traffic drugs, you will get caught. The body of an unidentified man hangs from an overpass in the city of Cuernavaca, some 90 km., 60 miles, south of Mexico City, early Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show portrayed Javier using dirty tactics by unethical means. Its one of the most horrendous situations in the world right now.. Along the way, Escobar made more than a few enemies. Any power vacuum in the Colombian cartels would give people a chance to rise up to the occasion. He would say to me every day that if he was really cornered without a way out, he would shoot himself through the ear.'. He said Escobar has given him another life by giving him money. When it comes to ice cream, the options in the freezer aisle of your grocery store are myriad these days, from full-fat dairy-based ice creams to brands like Halo Top that pack a . On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar was shot in the head as he attempted to flee across the rooftops of the barrio Los Olivos in his hometown of Medelln, where he had been hiding out. 57 were here. [37][38] Jalol Khaidarov (Russian: ) stated that the final destination of the funds was to the "Operator Trade Center" in Liechtenstein but also said that the Bank of New York was a participant. With all that violence and death Steve and Javier were embroiled in, one would have to assume their daily job was extremely dangerous. The bureaucracy cost thousands of people their lives.. After her husband was murdered by his former boss Pablo Escobar, Dolly Moncada began providing valuable information to the Americans who were helping direct and finance the hunt for the fugitive drug lord. The mercenary group was made up of 12former special operations soldiers, including the British Special Air Service. They trained for a few months until they heard Escobar was going to be staying at the compound, celebrating the fact that his football team had won a tournament. A perfect example of the viciousness of Escobar and the fact that he killed 100 people with that bomb., If Pablo wanted to kill you, he would not only come after you, he come up to your wife, your children, your parents, anybody that he could find associated with you, he would take everybody out.. Main Menu In Bowden's account, despite all of the group's gadgets, a positive ID was made only when a member spotted Escobar through a second-story window. "The Cali Cartel: The New Kings of Cocaine Drug Intelligence Report." They had to get the job done somehow and now have created the blueprint for fighting narcotraffickers around the world. While its initial encounters with the Medelln network left the Bloque de Bsqueda, or Search Bloc, dazed and weakened, it eventually became a hardened task force that hunted down Escobar and his associates. . Basic / Breeders Info. Pepe's Tacos Decatur LV. His brazen hits on judges, government officials, and police were swift and deadly. Los Pepes were more of a terrorist organization than a paramilitary group. Mark Bowden's book Killing Pablo highlights some of the operations of Los Pepes and describes some of the forms of cooperation and support that the group allegedly received from members of the Colombian National Police. The assassination also targeted Escobar's lawyers, supporters and anyone close to the drug lord, reports abcnews.al. However, in another claim by a group called Los Pepes which consisted of people prosecuted by Escobar, many members of the group accompanied Search Bloc to raid Escobar's hide-out in Medellin. Menu. Herrera is believed to have been a founding member of Los Pepes, a group which operated alongside authorities with the intention of killing or capturing Pablo Escobar. Escobar complains of unfair treatment
That was very eye opening when I found out because they are stone cold killers! The gunman opened fire using a machine gun on the crowd where Herrera was sitting, killing 19. Whether Los Pepes managed to kill Escobar or escalated his decline after 16 months outside prison, Escobar's death marked a turning point for Colombia. With Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal, Damin Alczar. In early 1993 there were up to six killings a day. The bodies of those murdered were often tossed into the Cauca River, which later became known as the "River of Death". " " ", " " " ", Ministry of Stranger Affairs. Navy Seals are the studs of the world. Propolis and bee pollen. You may be familiar with the 959 and 960 statutes that allows the United States to go after people that havent set foot in the United States. Escobar's wife, children become the bait
10 Robert Ben Rhoades Photo via Pinterest Serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades stalked the highways of Texas in his mobile torture and death chamber. Four days after Pablo Escobar's escape from prison in July of 1992, a team of American DEA agents took a leisurely tour of La Catedral, the site of Escobar's luxury prison suite. As they ran, the Search Bloc opened fire, shooting El Limn and Escobar as their backs were turned. Col. Hugo Martinez did not protest when he learned that his superiors in Bogota were planning to replace him, and had even picked his successor. [1] According to documents released to the public by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2008, "Colombian National Police director general Miguel Antonio Gmez Padilla said 'that he had directed a senior CNP intelligence officer to maintain contact with Fidel Castao, paramilitary leader of Los Pepes, for the purposes of intelligence collection'."[2]. "Nobody is ever going to tell you" whether Los Pepes killed Escobar or if it was someone else, an US soldier involved in the hunt told Bowden. [50], Along with some of the locals, the Cali Cartel formed parties self-named grupos de limpieza social ("social cleansing groups") who murdered the desechables, often leaving them with signs on them stating: "Cali limpia, Cali linda" ("clean Cali, beautiful Cali"). Fed up with how Escobar was destroying everything the drug cartels built, Castano took matters into his own hands. No one knew better than the colonel what a charade that imprisonment had been. [37] In the early 2000s, the company's co-founder Rudolf Ritter was arrested in Liechtenstein for laundering cocaine cash for the Cali cartel. Finally, read up on Gustavo Gaviria, Pablo Escobars criminal cousin. Because Escobar had contacts in the government, Colombian officials routinely relied on Los Pepes as an extra-legal organization to carry out justice without the morality of following the law. A conditional offer to surrender
And, it seemed that Escobar knew they were on to him as the call was cut short. By November of 1993, Gustavo de Greiff was becoming a problem. The Principle of Gratitude. Escobar employs a ruse as his family takes flight
In Don Berna's telling, it was his brother, Rodolfo, who delivered the coup de grace, shooting Escobar in the head with an M-16. One of the more violent of the kingpins, Jose Santacruz-Londono had his talent in international cocaine transportation, creating a vast network for the cocaine to get from Colombia to its final destination, most often the United States. We attribute 15, maybe 20 thousand murders to Escobar. . Nadie ha sido jams procesado por los . His life and his death left a dark stain on Colombia, and the commitment to forgetting how he died seems to be one shared by officials and others in Colombia and in the US. And the show was certainly interesting. The first is that the police took pictures of the men standing over the bleeding corpse as he lay on a roof. After Escobar killed Kiko Moncada, Judy's husband, she went on a rampage to seek revenge. Viva Colombia! a Search Bloc soldier screamed as the gunshots subsided. His merciless strikes against judges, government officials and the police were swift and deadly. [41][42][43][44][45], According to Alexander Litvinenko, Putin, while he was Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of St Petersburg in the early 1990s, organized an Afghanistan origin heroin supplying ring using ethnic Uzbek criminals and corrupt KGB and later FSB officers including the Moscow-based KGB Colonel Evgeny G. Khokholkov, the Oleg Ivanov created Izmaylovskaya Russian mafia and led by Anton Malevsky including mafia leaders Gafur Rakhimov, Vyacheslav Ivanov ("Yaponchik" () or Little Japonese), who governed Uzbek networks in America, and Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov (Russian: ) ("Taiwanchik" () or Little Taiwan), who governed Uzbek networks in Europe, and Salim Abdulaev. [58], It is believed Los Pepes provided information to Search Bloc, a joint police and army unit specifically created to track down Medelln leaders. The institution was later cited by United States officials as a money laundering operation, which allowed both the Cali Cartel and the Medelln Cartel to move and launder large amounts of funds. [12] The five groups all coexisted under the name of the Cali Cartel. In 1991 alone, law enforcement agencies seized 67 tons of cocaine, 75% originating from the Cali Cartel. los pepes killings pictures. The photo was taken in an abandoned Illinois barn, where Rhoades killed Walters after cutting off her hair and . Law enforcement failed to find him on time and were forced to leave the apartment. [54][55], There was no turning back for Salcedo. "The Pepes affair is the archetype for the pattern of collaboration between drug cartels, paramilitary warlords and Colombian security forces that developed over the next decade into one of the most dangerous threats to Colombian security and U.S. anti-narcotics programs. On another visit, he discovered a radio transceiver hidden behind the trap door on the ceiling of the building elevator. Bloody handprints on walls, stained clothes, plastic cable ties, machetes and, as one person observes, the crunch of bones beneath a thick blanket of ash. He organized Los Pepes, or "Perseguidos por Pablos Escobar", which translates to People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar. This picture was taken by serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades. They combined the various components, American, French and German, and developed techniques through trial and error. He heard the noise. Leonid Derkach: Leonid Danilovich. Ambassador Morris Busby wrote a long, secret memo to the State Department in August 1993. Pena tells THR the real Moncada was a "major force behind Los Pepes" and that they were told Don Berna was an informant working with the Search Bloc, authorized by the then-Attorney General. LOS PEPE'S - 26 Photos & 39 Reviews - 933 15th Ave, Longview, WA - Yelp Los Pepe's 39 reviews Unclaimed $$ Mexican Closed 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM See hours See all 26 photos Write a review Add photo Menu Popular dishes Chicken Fajitas 1 Photo 1 Review Fish Taco 1 Photo 1 Review Macho Burrito 1 Photo 1 Review Seafood Enchiladas 1 Photo 1 Review As long as Escobar's interests were hindered or limited, the group didn't care about the collateral damage. Another member of Los Pepes, Diego Murillo Bejarano aka "Don Berna", eventually became Inspector General of the AUC as well as an important drug trafficker with The Office of Envigado. According DEA documents cited by Bowden, the group probably received funding from the rival Cali cartel and likely got information from the Colombian National Police and, allegedly, US intelligence agents operating in the country. Gilberto, known as the "Chess Player," used his skills of strategy to plan long-term for the cartel while his younger brother handled day-to-day operations, micromanaging every detail. Castanos breaking point came when Escobar murdered two prominent members of his cartel Fernando Galeano and Gerardo Moncada as they visited Escobar at La Catedral. Violence was finally eliminated in the country and citizens could go on with their lives without brutal drug wars. As the hunt wore on late into the summer of 1993, at least one member of the top brass at the Pentagon began to worry about how far the Americans in Colombia seemed willing to go to get Pablo Escobar. In the three years since their unit had arrived in Colombia, the men of Centra Spike had come to recognize not just the voice of Pablo Escobar, but his idiosyncrasies and unique personal style. Pedro Perez, 30, is shot in the head by an unknown assailant on Myrtle Street in Santa Ana. How Did Pablo Escobar Die? Their operation took them to Western Europe where they tried to establish new routes from Colombia. In photographs provided by Mexican authorities, uniforms, including CDN patches, and insignias are visible on cartel operatives killed at the scene. It is believed these successive raids forced the cartel to funnel its shipments through Mexico; however, that did not stop the US Customs Service. Leaflets soon after were dropped in a football pitch in Cali announcing the formation of the group. A group of smiling Colombian police officials along with members of the Search Bloc stand over the bloody, limp body of Pablo Escobar splayed across the barrio rooftop. Omuerta Genetix' Los Pepes is a THC dominant variety and is/was never available as feminized seeds. as well as other partner offers and accept our. By having numerous taxi drivers on the payroll, the cartel was able to monitor the movements of officials and dignitaries. The drug kingpin killed them both while staying in his luxury prison. 41 talking about this. Displaying the photos to a Delta Force operator one afternoon, the colonel said of Medellin cartel members his men had not yet found, "As long as I'm the commander here, they're not going to live.". "Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar," or People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar known as Los Pepes was made up of rival drug traffickers, paramilitaries, and others scorned by the Medelln cartel boss. Jane Carter, who goes by Jane Schneck on Facebook, posted the images on her page Wednesday in an effort to get authorities to investigate the "I Want Candy" singer's November death as a possible homicide. Los Pepes had guns, bombs, ammunition, and of course they were motivated to take down Escobar. Los Pepes is a mostly indica variety from Omuerta Genetix and can be cultivated indoors (where the plants will need a flowering time of 63 days) and outdoors. By January 1993, the Americans directing the search for Pablo Escobar had managed to produce elaborate organizational charts for his Medellin drug cartel. Colombian police and military forces storm the rooftop where drug lord Pablo Escobar was shot dead just moments earlier during an exchange of gunfire between security forces and Escobar and his bodyguard. I would rather have a grave in Colombia than a jail cell in the U.S.. Eventually, Los Pepes forced Escobar into hiding. They gave them all out. [19][20], In order to launder the incoming money of the trafficking operations, the Cali cartel heavily invested its funds into legitimate business ventures as well as front companies to mask the money. Steve and Javier recently published their tell-all book about their adventure chasing down Escobar called Manhunters: The Hunt for Pablo Escobar. Martinez pushes ahead with the hunt
But Steve and Javier werent alone. Leadership in a cartel could be worth billions of dollars. Pablo Escobar was one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. Col. Hugo Martinez did not want his son coming to Medellin. how do floodplains jeopardize the livelihoods of agricultural workers. Based in Medellin, Colombia, Escobar's brutal reign over the illegal cocaine industry claimed thousands of lives in the country. After we started a reward for Pablo Escobar, one of the dumbest things we did was wed meet informants for the first time at a bus station in MedellinI was always scared it was going to be a hit on us.. [35], Former Ukrainian presidential bodyguard Nikolai Melnichenko bugged the following conversation between Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his security chief Leonid Derkach about SPAG:[35][40]. los pepes killings pictures bunker branding jobs oak orchard fishing report 2021 June 29, 2022 superior rentals marshalltown iowa 0 shady haven rv park payson, az Castano opened an office in Medellin where people came in and delivered information about Escobars activities. March 1, 2023 Updated: March 1, 2023 4:41 p.m. Find address, phone number, hours, reviews, photos and more for Los Pepes Mexican Grill - Restaurant | 73091 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA on usarestaurants.info Then, take a look inside Hacienda Napoles, Pablo Escobars lavish Colombian estate. The other men in that image, a group of Colombian troops, have long been regarded as the ones responsible for delivering to Escobar the justice he had so long avoided. Click to check it out. Previous: View Gallery Random Image: More: Death of George Floyd Uploaded by Matt Pablo Escobar was one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. By the autumn of 1993, Pablo Escobar was in bad shape. After Escobars death, we found out he was the head of Los Pepes! Los Pepes were more of a terrorist organization than a paramilitary group. If were ever kidnapped, thats who I want to come and get us because Ive seen them operate.. The police simply outnumbered him and his bodyguard, and Escobar couldnt get away fast enough. In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, the drug lord ran across rooftops in Los Olivos. Colombian officials raided and seized the Drogas la Rebaja pharmacy chain, replacing 50 of its 4,200workers on the grounds that they were "serving the interests of the Cali Cartel". The Cali Cartel operated as a tight group of independent criminal organizations, as opposed to the Medellns' centralised structure under leader Pablo Escobar. The Cali Cartel would become known for its innovations in trafficking and production, by moving its refining operations out of Colombia to Peru and Bolivia, as well as for pioneering new trafficking routes through Panama. General Maza Marquez was the head of DAS (The Administrative Department of Security) and Escobars prime target. Leonid Kuchma (reading aloud): Ritter, Rudolf Ritter. Despite evidence that the Search Bloc was working with Los Pepes and evidence, cited by Bowden, that Don Berna worked with both the Search Bloc and the DEA the accuracy of Don Berna's account hasn't been confirmed. Gracias a Revista Molcajete por hacer un reportaje de nosotros y muchas gracias a nuestros clientes por elegirnos Megalodon: The Prehistoric Shark 10 Times The Size Of T-Rex, Why The Blobfish Might Not Be The World's Ugliest Animal After All, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The focus on the war on drugs has moved to Mexican Cartels, who are just as brutal as the days of Escobars reign. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On the night of Nov. 26, 1993, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota learned that Pablo Escobar's wife and children were planning once more to flee Colombia. [3] By the mid-1990s, the leaders of the Cali Cartel's multibillion-dollar international drug trafficking empire were operating a US$20 billion a year global criminal empire. Traffickers contributed funds, rewards, equipment and manpower for MAS operations.