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History of the Colombian Drug Cartels

  • Pablo Escobar is born

    Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord, was born in the village of Rionegro in Antioquia, Colombia.
  • Medellín Cartel was founded

    Medellín Cartel was founded and run by Ochoa Vázquez brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio together with Pablo Escobar.
  • Cali Cartel was founded

    The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño.
  • Medellin Cartel Assasination

    Luis Vasco and Gilberto Hernandez, two DAS agents who had arrested Pablo Escobar in 1976. One of the earliest assassinations of authority figures by the cartel.
  • Medellin Cartel Assasination

    Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, Minister of Justice, killed on a Bogotá highway when two gunmen riding a motorcycle approached his vehicle in traffic and opened fire.
  • Jaime Ramirez Killed

    Jaime Ramirez was hunted down by the Medellin Cartel and murdered for being a police officer
  • Luis Carlos Galán is murdered

    Luis Carlos Galán is murdered
    On August 18, 1989, the cartel murdered leading presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán, and declared "total and absolute war" against the Colombian government.
  • Medellin Cartel Assasination

    Valdemar Franklin Quintero, Commander of the Antioquia police, killed by gunmen in Medellín.
  • Medellin Cartel Terrorism

    Medellin Cartel Terrorism
    Medellin Cartel bombs Avianca Flight 203 during flight over Bogotá while attempting to kill presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo, who had not boarded the plane. 110 are killed.
  • Medellin Cartel Terrorism

    DAS headquarters in downtown Bogotá is bombed with over 1,100 pounds of explosives during the morning rush. The attack kills over 50, injures more than 600, and levels several city blocks, destroying more than 300 commercial properties.
  • M-19 make a deal.

    M-19, whom Pablo Escobar was fueding with, had made a deal with the government that allowed them to end violence.
  • Constitution change

    Forbid extradition. Colombians would always be tried for crimes committed in Colombia in Colombian Courts
  • Medellin Cartel Terrorism

    A car bomb in downtown Bogotá kills 20. The bomb was set off in a high-rise area, and most of the dead were in higher floors as the explosive wave traveled up the buildings.
  • Pablo Escobar dies

    Notorious drug lord of the Medellin Cartel was gunned down in a middle-class barrio in Medellín.
  • Plan Colombia is published

    Plan Colombia, which has to mention of military aid from the United States, was published