"El Leon" (?-1992) was a Colombian drug trafficker associated with the Medellín Cartel. In 1979, he smuggled some of the first cocaine into the American city of Miami via his contact Carlos Lehder, beginning a drug epidemic that enriched the cartel.
Biography[]
"El Leon" (meaning "the Lion") was a friend of Gustavo Gaviria who spent his childhood in the United States, and he was fluent in both English and Spanish. In 1979, Gaviria recruited him into the Medellín Cartel, and Gaviria's cousin Pablo Escobar gave him a suit that was packed with three kilograms of cocaine, telling him to head to Miami and sell the cocaine for a high price. Leon met neo-Nazi and drug smuggler Carlos Lehder more than twenty times, bringing jackets full of cocaine from Medellín to Miami each trip, bringing drugs in and taking cash out. The rich and famous from the city purchased the drug, and Leon was able to bring back tons of money to his friends. During the 1980s and 1990s, he made Miami his town, investing money in art, car dealerships, cheap banks, racehorses, and other assets. However, he needed a way to send the money back to Colombia, so he had cash put inside of beds and sewn into the mattresses. He sent the money back to Escobar, who needed more money than ever as he fought against the government. In 1992, he flew to Medellín to meet with Escobar, but he was instead taken to the Cali Cartel by Navegante and told to return to Miami. He did not give Escobar his money, and El Leon was warned to stay away.
Downfall[]
El Leon's death
El Leon eventually decided to cut a deal with the Cali Cartel, introducing Helmer Herrera to Pablo's bankers in the city and giving his drug money to Cali. El Leon saw a future with Cali as Escobar headed towards his doom, but the Cali Cartel believed that he had outlived his usefulness by the time that he had set them up in the city. El Leon returned to Colombia with Herrera and arrived at Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela's mansion in Cali, where he was garroted by Navegante. Herrera drowned out the sounds of his death by turning up the volume of the radio, playing Erasure's "Respect". El Leon's death ensured that the Cali Cartel had sole control over Miami, removing all links to Pablo's old organization.