Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela (born 15 August 1943) was the brother of Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela and a co-leader of the Cali Cartel of Colombia. He took over the leadership of the cartel after his brother's arrest in early 1995, and he presided over the cancellation of a surrender deal with the government, war with the Norte del Valle Cartel, and a series of escapes from the Colombian police and the DEA until he, too, was arrested in the Hacienda Buenos Aires raid.
Biography[]
Rodriguez Orejuela in Mexico, 1984
Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela was born in Mariquita, Colombia on 15 August 1943, and he was the younger brother and partner of Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela. In the 1970s, they founded the Cali Cartel, supplying 70% of the United States cocaine market and 90% of the Europe market. Meanwhile, they had legitimate banking and drug store businesses, and they owned the America de Cali soccer team. The Rodriguez brothers decided to make big earner Helmer Herrera a partner in the cartel, and the three of them rivalled the Medellin Cartel for control of the drug trade. It was Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela who suggested to Judy Moncada that she give the locations of the Medellin Cartel's drug labs to the Search Bloc to get rid of a common enemy, but the Search Bloc began a campaign against the Cali Cartel in 1995 after Escobar's downfall. Throughout 1995, he repeatedly evaded arrest, and he opposed his brother Gilberto's plan to surrender to the authorities in exchange for keeping their legitimate money; he oversaw the cartel's war against the Norte del Valle Cartel and started a relationship with the widow of Claudio Salazar.
Downfall[]
Rodriguez Orejuela about to be arrested
On 6 August 1995, Colombian police under Rosso Jose Serrano launched a raid against his penthouse, with his personal security team leader Jorge Salcedo leading the DEA and police to him. He attempted to escape by car after failing to kill Salcedo, but his car was crashed into by a police truck, and Serrano and several of his men arrived to put a wounded Rodriguez in handcuffs. Rodriguez was taken to prison, and he was extradited to the United States after continuing to smuggle drugs in prison. In 2006, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison with his brother.