It wasn’t by chance that Colombia came to dominate the cocaine trade. Beginning in the early 1970s, the country became a prime smuggling ground for marijuana.

But as the cocaine market flourished, Colombia’s geographical location proved to be its biggest asset. Situated at the northern tip of South America, the country came to dominate the global cocaine trade with the USA, the biggest market for drug, just a short trip to the north.

Pablo Escobar moved quickly to grab control of the cocaine trade. In 1975, drug trafficker Fabio Restrepo, was murdered. It’s believed, his killing came at the orders of Escobar, who immediately seized power & expanded Restrepo’s operation into something the world had never seen.

Under Pablo Escobar’s leadership, large amounts of coca paste were purchased in Bolivia and Peru, processed, and transported to America. Escobar worked with a small group to form the infamous Medellin Cartel.

By the mid-1980s, Escobar had an estimated net worth of $30 billion and was named one of the 10 richest people on Earth by Forbes. Cash was so prevalent that Escobar purchased a Learjet for the sole purpose of flying his money.

At the time, Escobar controlled more than 80 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States; more than 15 tons were reportedly smuggled each day, netting the Medellin Cartel as much as $420 million a week.

As Escobar’s fortune and fame grew, he dreamed to be seen as a leader. In some ways he positioned himself as a "Robin Hood" like figure, which was echoed by many locals as he spent money to expand social programs for the poor.

As a young man, Escobar told friends & family that he wanted to become president of Colombia. In 1982, Escobar was elected as an alternate member of Colombia’s Congress. But the reasons for his wealth couldn't stay hidden, and two years after his election he was forced to resign.

The justice minister who revealed Escobar's notorious background was killed later. Escobar was responsible for the killing of thousands of people, including politicians, civil servants, journalists, and ordinary citizens.

Escobar’s terror campaign claimed the lives of three Colombian presidential candidates, an attorney general, scores of judges and more than 1,000 police officers. In addition, Escobar was implicated as the mastermind behind the bombing of a Colombian jetliner in 1989.

Escobar’s terror eventually turned public opinion against him and caused a breakup of the alliance of drug traffickers. In June 1991, Escobar surrendered to the Colombian government of President Cesar Gaviria.

In return, the threat of extradition was lifted and Escobar was allowed to build his own luxury prison called “La Catedral,” which was guarded by men he handpicked from among his employees. The prison lived up to its name and came complete with a casino, spa and nightclub.

In June 1992, however, Escobar escaped when authorities attempted to move him to a more standard holding facility. A manhunt for the drug lord was launched that would last 16 months.

During that time the monopoly of Medellin Cartel, which had begun to crumble during Escobar’s imprisonment as police raided offices and killed its leaders, rapidly deteriorated. Escobar’s family unsuccessfully sought asylum in Germany & eventually found refuge in a Bogota hotel.

Escobar himself was not so lucky: Colombian law enforcement finally caught up to the fugitive Escobar on Dec. 2, 1993, in a middle-class neighborhood in Medellin. A firefight ensued, as Escobar tried to escape across a series of rooftops, he & his bodyguard were shot & killed.

Escobar’s death accelerated the demise of the Medellin Cartel and Colombia’s central role in the cocaine trade. His end was celebrated by the country’s government and other parts of the world. His family was placed under police protection.

Still, many Colombians mourned his killing. More than 25,000 people turned out for Escobar’s burial.

Assisting in the manhunt for Escobar were two American Drug Enforcement agents, Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, both of whom had been working the Escobar case for years. Their story formed part of the backbone of the 2015 Netflix series Narcos.

In 2016, Escobar's brother Roberto announced he was prepared to sue Netflix for $1 billion for its misportrayal of their family in its series Narcos.

Roberto was Escobar's accountant for his drug gang in real life, but in the show, the accountant is depicted as a non-family member who turns out to be a CIA agent. Roberto Escobar has since abandoned his efforts.

The End.