Born in Rionegro and raised in Medellín, Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. In 1976, Escobar founded the Medellín Cartel, which distributed powder cocaine, and established the first smuggling routes from Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, through Colombia, and eventually into the United States.
Escobar’s infiltration into the U.S. created an exponential demand for cocaine and by the 1980s it was estimated Escobar led monthly shipments of 70 to 80 tons of cocaine into the country from Colombia.
How was Pablo Escobar caught?
On December 2, 1993, Escobar celebrated his 44th birthday, allegedly enjoying cake, wine, and marijuana. The next day his hideout in Medellín was discovered. While Colombian forces stormed the building, Escobar and a bodyguard managed to get to the roof. A chase and gunfight ensued, and Escobar was fatally shot.
Escobar was shot and killed while trying to escape from the roof. He was hit by bullets in the torso and feet, and a bullet struck him in the ear killing him. This sparked debate about whether he killed himself or whether he was shot dead.
