Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s ambition and ruthlessness made him one of the most powerful, prosperous, and most violent criminals of all time. Escobar was a Colombian drug trafficker who ultimately controlled over eighty percent of the cocaine shipped to the United States, earning him the rank of one of Forbes Magazine’s top ten wealthiest people in the world. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born December 1, 1949, in the Colombian city of Rionegro, Antioquia. Escobar came from modest means, his father worked as a peasant farmer while his mother was a schoolteacher. From an early age, Escobar had a unique drive and ambition to raise himself up from his humbling beginnings. Moreover, Escobar got his felonious start as a petty thief, stealing …show more content…
In 1991, Escobar turned himself in with the stipulation that he would be placed in a specially built prison that evidently was not secure enough to hold him there. Escobar escaped from prison, and in one of the most famous manhunts in history pursued. Moreover, Escobar managed to evade a search team that consisted of an elite Colombian police commando squad, members of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for over a year. Escobar moved secretly among friends and his supporters, occasionally dressing as a woman and hiding out in secret rooms. Nonetheless, his closeness to his family would be his downfall. After a call he made to his family in December of 1993, the DEA traced his call and located him. When law enforcement arrived at his location, Escobar tried to escape to the rooftop, however, a barrage of bullets ended his life (Levinthal, 2012). On December 2, 1993, Escobar was killed by Colombian law