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The Cali Boss
If you haven't heard of Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, it's because that's exactly the way he wants it.Gilberto and his brother Miguel were the leaders of the Cali Cartel and they specialized in flying under the radar. They opened tons of legitimate businesses and avoided attention.
The Blow Must Go On
Javier Peña did indeed have to fly to Miami during the days in which Escobar was killed, but it wasn't to be investigated for his involvement with Los Pepes. As mentioned before, Peña represents all of the corrupt officers that aided them. Peña flew to Miami on a tip that Escobar had fled to the Magic City so he was there with intentions of hunting him down. But soon after the news of Escobar's death, the focus was shifted towards an even more powerful monster: the Cali Cartel.
Miami's New Bosses
Escobar's shrinking cartel did nothing for the importation of drugs into Miami. The Cali Cartel swooped in and took the Miami business to new heights with a more careful operation. They once found 15,000 pounds of coke in a container packed with frozen broccoli. That's one way to get people to eat their veggies! Authorities also say that at one point, 80% of the cocaine in the United States was being provided by Cali through Miami.
Even More Bombs
Escobar wanted to send a message to the leader of the Cali Cartel by bombing the shit out of all of their drugstores. Gilberto Orejuela's son says that 50 of their pharmacy branches, Drogas La Rebaja, were bombed and many of their employees were killed. Orejuela didn't take this with a grain of salt. The hunt was on more than ever. Escobar's narco terrorist techniques still influence how cartels work today.
To watch a Netflix sponsored VICE special about Escobar's influence, starring the real Murphy and Peña, click here.
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The Chess Master
Gilberto Orejuela was nicknamed 'El Ajedrecista' or 'The Chess Master.' He was clever and stealth. His Cali Cartel was probably more powerful than Escobar's Medellín Cartel because of the depth of corruption. The Chess Master had politicians and business leaders in his pocket, and he would move them around like chess pieces. He was always able to stay a couple moves ahead of his opponents, which often times resulted in checkmates. His control was so strong that he almost rigged the 1994 presidential election in Colombia in his favor. He may not have been as violent as Pablo, but the man was someone to be feared.
Cali
Cali is the only major Colombian city with access to the Pacific Coast, making it ripe for cocaine trafficking. It provided the backdrop for the sophisticated Cali Cartel, Pablo Escobar’s biggest rival. Eventually, the Cali Cartel became the most powerful crime syndicate in history due to their deep infiltration into government, surveillance networks, and global intelligence spies.
Calí
Cali is the only major Colombian city with access to the Pacific Coast, making it ripe for cocaine trafficking. It provided the backdrop for the sophisticated Cali Cartel, Pablo Escobar’s biggest rival. Eventually, the Cali Cartel became the most powerful crime syndicate in history due to their deep infiltration into government, surveillance networks, and global intelligence spies.
