Colombian Drug CartelsColombian drug cartels are, in general, organizations formed to control drug trafficking operations and range from loosely managed agreements between individual traffickers to formalized enterprises. Main cartels in Colombia are the Medellin Cartel, the Cali Cartel and the Norte del Valle Cartel but, also involved in drug trafficking are the AUC, ELN and FARC guerrillas. Medellin CartelThis was a network of drug suppliers and smugglers in the city of Medellin in Colombia that also operated in Bolivia, Peru and Central America as well as in the United States, Canada and Europe. It was originally founded and run by Jorge, Juan and Fabio Ochoa Vasquez along with Pablo Escobar between 1976 and 1993.Due to the implementation of an extradition treaty between Colombia and the United States, the local government could extradite any member of a Colombian drug cartel so such individuals would face trial in the United States, a country where they had no strings to pull. This led the Medellin Cartel to initiate a terror campaign and corner the government and avoid extradition. In the late 80s they were responsible for the death of hundreds of people including politicians, journalist, law enforcement members and innocent people. These hostile actions led the local government aided by the US government to hunt down and kill Pablo Escobar and the rest of the Medellin Cartel leaders. Cali CartelAlso known as Cali’s Gentlemen, Cali’s cartel was based in Cali and was founded by Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela along with Jose Santacruz Londoño. The cartel originally began as a kidnappers ring known as Las Chamas whose profits allowed the small organization to eventually move up to drugs trafficking.This organization got to influence members of the political and justice systems in Colombia and played an important role in the search and killing of Pablo Escobar by providing information on his whereabouts as well as that of other Medelin Cartel members’. Between June and July of 1995, heads of the Cali Cartel were arrested and later extradited to the United States for trial. Norte del Valle CartelAfter both Medellin and Cali cartels were taken down, the Norte del Valle cartel became well known in the late 1990s and is now known as one of the most powerful cartels in drug trafficking.This cartel is charged with using violence and brutality against individuals who are either rivals or fail to keep a promise or act as whistleblowers. It is believed that the cartel has employed the services of the AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia to protect their drug routes and labs as well as its members and associates. Key members of this Colombian drug cartel have been arrested or have been found dead though, the organization has not been brought down entirely. Therefore, the government of Colombia is on the lookout for other key members who may take control of the cartel and arrest them before they do so, this way they can continue their fight against drug trafficking with one name less on their to-do list.
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