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Navegante

Jorge "El Navegante" Velasquez (?-1995) was an associate of the Cali Cartel who worked as one of their sicarios. He infiltrated the Medellin Cartel in order turn Jose Rodriguez Gacha over to the DEA, and he would take part in the war with Medellin from 1992 to 1993. He was killed by DEA double agent Jorge Salcedo in 1995.

Biography[]

Jorge "El Navegante" Velasquez was born in Colombia, and he became a trusted sicario of the powerful Cali Cartel. Navegante was sent to infiltrate the Medellin Cartel in 1989 at the start of the Cali-Medellin conflict, which was caused by Jose Rodriguez Gacha's attempts to expand the Medellin Cartel into New York City, turf which had already been claimed by Cali. Navegante sold out Rodriguez to the DEA, meeting with Agent Javier Pena and giving up Rodriguez's location. Navegante's information was put to use by Colonel Horacio Carrillo, who raided Rodriguez's mansion in Cartagena. The Search Bloc captured one of his fleeing guards and interrogated him, leading to the 15 December 1989 Tolu raid and the deaths of Rodriguez and his son Fredy Rodriguez Celades. Velasquez was paid $1,000,000 for his role in bringing down Rodriguez.

Navegante eventually returned to the Cali Cartel, and he was involved in several murders during the Cali-Medellin war against Pablo Escobar and his Medellin cartel. He was frequently seen as a bodyguard for the Cali bosses Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, and Pacho Herrera, and he accompanied Herrera to Miami in early 1993 to help in taking the city from Escobar. Navegante then garroted Escobar's man from Miami, "El Leon", when he arrived in Colombia to meet with Herrera, ensuring that Cali would have complete control of Miami. During the 1990s, he took part in several other murders for the cartel, including the killing of Captain Gustavo Calderon. In 1995, he was sent to abduct Jorge Salcedo for betraying the cartel, and he was saddened to hear that Salcedo was a rat. He entered Salcedo's car as Salcedo waited outside of Guillermo Pallomari's house, and he told Salcedo that he would not kill him; David Rodriguez would. When Salcedo heard footsteps, he pulled a gun on Navegante, and he told him that he did not want to shoot him. Navegante said that the two of them both knew that he was lying, and Salcedo shot Navegante when Navegante lunged at him from the passenger seat.

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