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Persecuted By Pablo Escobar

Los Pepes were a paramilitary vigilante group made up of enemies of the drug lord, led by Carlos and Fidel Castaño and Don Berna, along with betrayed family members of Kiko Moncada and Fernando Galeano. After killing several of Escobar's sicarios in 1992, they finally decided to give themselves a name in January 1993, signing their victims off after killing them. The name was straightforward: Pepes, or People Persecuted By Pablo Escobar.

To view a video showing the formation of Los Pepes and clips from their leader click here.

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Other Escobar Death Theories

We give a slight nod to Los Pepes and Don Berna as Murphy walks away from the scene of the crime. There are tons of DEA documents that show the connection between their cooperation with the U.S. intelligence agencies. Accounts from former Pepes members claim that Los Pepes got to the scene first using Israeli equipment provided by the CIA. They said it was Carlos Castaño himself who killed Escobar, but was told to flee the scene before the reporters arrived so it could appear to be a victory for the Colombian Police. Another version from Don Berna claims that it was his brother Rodolfo who shot Escobar down with an M-16, which would explain the accuracy. A 2003 confession from a former Pepes member corroborates this story claiming Hugo Aguilar arrived minutes later after the shooting and asked them to not be anywhere in sight of the media. Others claim that without the funding and help from the Cali Cartel that neither Los Pepes or the Search Bloc would have had the resources to hunt Escobar down. All version are of course denied as true by the Colombian National Police.

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Pepes vs Search Bloc

Los Pepes had a distinct advantage over Search Bloc. They operated above the law. They had that muscle and weren't concerned about crossing lines or being perceived as immoral. They had one objective and that was to see Escobar dead. They also offered cash rewards for intel from the public. No other organization brought down more destruction to Pablo's organization than Los Pepes.

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Deadly Autographs

In their eyes, Los Pepes were painting a masterpiece in sicario blood and, like any artist they liked to sign their work. Every time they killed someone linked to Pablo, they would leave a cardboard sign hanging from their neck with messages that would say, "For working with the narco terrorist and baby killer Pablo Escobar. For Colombia. Los Pepes."

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Carlos The Leader

Carlos' brother Fidel was nicknamed Rambo, but Carlos was the real mastermind. He became a vocal public figure and eventually formed the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a group that was accused of atrocities and involvement in the drug trade, something they never denied.

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Super Castaño Bros

Fidel and Carlos Castaño were "right-wing, psychopathic, commie-killers." After their father was murdered, they vowed to avenge his death. They led armed paramilitary groups called the Auto-Defensas against other vigilante communist groups like the M-19. After Escobar escaped, he quickly became one of their targets, and they formed the man-hunting group Los Pepes. But more on that in Episode 6.

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Los Pepes

Los Pepes or People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar is a paramilitary organization dedicated to hunting down Escobar by any means necessary. They were led by the crazy Castaño brothers Fidel and Carlos.