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[narrator] By revealing this playbook,
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I've shown you how to reach
the top of the food chain,
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create a bulletproof business plan,
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terrorize your enemies,
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and stay one step ahead
of the authorities.
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I've even shown you what not to do.
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For your final lesson,
it's time to scale up your ambitions
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and find out just how powerful
a mob boss can become.
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[woman] The best mob bosses
spread their tentacles
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into every aspect of society
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so that they can eliminate
any obstacles to their criminal activity.
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[narrator] No criminal pioneer
rode his influence to greater heights,
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or with as much deadly precision,
as the cocaine king of Colombia,
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Pablo Escobar,
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who mastered every page of the playbook
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and even added
some final chapters of his own.
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He had political power,
he was a hero within his community...
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[in Spanish] A very special greeting...
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[Michael] ...he was ruthless
with his enemies,
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very Machiavellian,
and he was a good business guy.
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You don't make 30 billion by accident.
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[crowd cheering]
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[narrator] Follow Escobar's lead,
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and you too can become
the best in your class
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by learning how to win friends
and influence everything.
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[theme music playing]
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[narrator] Pablo Escobar rose
from the streets of Medellín, Colombia
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to become the head
of the largest drug syndicate in history,
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with an entire nation under his thumb.
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He was a mob boss. He was a terrorist.
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He was a criminal mastermind,
and he was really a global entrepreneur.
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[narrator] But before we outline
how Pablo made such a killing,
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here's a few key details
about his first steps
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on his path from pawn to kingpin.
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[spectators cheering]
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[announcer in Spanish]
Long live Pablo Escobar Gaviria!
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Escobar wanted to make
a million Colombian pesos
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by the time he was 30.
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[in Spanish] His mother
was a school teacher.
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His father was a farmer
who worked on a farm.
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They had no economic resources.
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[narrator in English]
By the time Pablo was a teen,
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he was already showing
his entrepreneurial flair.
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Escobar became a player
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in a pretty big
cigarette smuggling operation.
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Basically expanding it
and making more money for his boss.
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This sets him up to later be able to build
his own empire as a drug trafficker.
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Pablo Escobar saw the other traffickers
making money off cocaine.
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The profit margins were so much higher
with cocaine than they were marijuana.
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Basically, to get that kilo
of cocaine to the United States,
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we're talking $5,000 per kilo.
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If your return on that pure kilo
of cocaine is $80,000...
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I'm not an Economics major,
but even I can realize that
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that's a fantastic return
on your investment.
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[Asha] In 1975, Pablo Escobar
was a low-level drug trafficker
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that nobody had ever heard of.
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[Steve] An opportunity comes along
where an individual named Restrepo
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needed someone to help him
complete a drug deal in Medellín.
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So Pablo helps with the drug deal.
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[Asha] Two months later,
Fabio Restrepo was murdered.
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Reportedly, Escobar
ordered the assassination.
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And then Escobar
takes over his organization
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and basically tells his entire operation
that they're working for him.
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That's a boss move.
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[narrator] But Pablo Escobar's ambitions
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went beyond running
a local drug trafficking operation.
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He wanted to change the game.
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Pablo Escobar wanted to rule Colombia.
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[narrator] To do that,
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he'd need to radically expand
his sphere of influence,
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starting with any criminal leader's
most consistent adversary.
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POLICE
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For an ambitious mob boss on the rise,
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local police can be
a real thorn in your side.
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But we all know even the straightest cops
can be tempted by the right offer.
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Having corrupt cops on your payroll
is an excellent thing for a mob boss.
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It gives you more control
in the neighborhoods
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and over your business.
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So, when you have cops
in your pocket and you're paying them,
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there's nothing better than that.
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[narrator] As Medellín's
top cocaine dealer,
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Pablo knew the value
of getting the law on his side.
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Especially since he was eyeing
a risky move to increase his power.
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As Pablo became more involved
in the cocaine business,
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he realized the additional profits
he could make
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by manufacturing his own cocaine.
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He said, "Let's invest money
in making these cocaine laboratories."
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[narrator] But Pablo faced a problem
when it came to transporting his product.
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In the mid-'70s,
the Colombian national police
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had the responsibility
of going after the drug traffickers.
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The Colombian police set up roadblocks
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on main routes
being traveled throughout Colombia.
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If you don't have an attitude
that makes you persuasive,
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maybe with cash in your hand,
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you're probably gonna be arrested
at those roadblocks for smuggling.
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[narrator] Pablo had the right attitude
and more importantly, cash to spare.
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But in 1970s Colombia,
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not all law enforcement organizations
played by the same rules.
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One night, Escobar and his men
are heading back to Medellín
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from a supply run to Ecuador
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when they run into an unexpected delay.
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Pablo knows the drill,
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but he's not dealing
with the regular cops.
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It's the Colombian
secret police known as DAS.
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[Javier] There was an agency
in Colombia called DAS.
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Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad.
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DAS was like the FBI.
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They did a lot of intelligence work.
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[narrator] The agents knew
Pablo was coming
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and quickly discovered
39 kilos of raw coca paste
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inside the truck's spare tire.
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They've got him dead to rights.
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Pablo offers his usual bribe,
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but the DAS agents
aren't so easily bought off.
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They arrest Pablo for trafficking.
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Fortunately, Escobar
still has options to regain his freedom.
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He arranges for a gift to be sent
to the judge overseeing his case.
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The judge appreciates the gesture...
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and shows it.
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As for those stubborn DAS agents
who refused to bow to Pablo's influence...
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[grunting]
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[narrator] ...they become an example
of what happens
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when you don't accept
Pablo Escobar's generosity.
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From then on, all officers who cross
Pablo's path will have a simple choice.
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[narrator in Spanish] Plata...
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[gun cocks] ...o plomo.
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[Asha] Plata o plomo ,
it means silver or lead.
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You can either take money,
or you can take a bullet.
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It was an offer that no one could refuse.
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[narrator] Leaning on law enforcement
is a start,
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but the next phase
of your influence campaign
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means getting another
troublesome group onto your side,
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the competition.
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[bell dings]
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How do you turn
potential enemies into allies?
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They say if you want to go fast, go alone.
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But if you want to go far, go as a team.
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Because together everyone achieves more.
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Mob bosses have to have
strategic alliances with other mob bosses
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'cause they're all working
for that same successful outcome, right?
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To make money.
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There's plenty of money
out there to be made,
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but if I claim this, and he claims this,
and we start shooting at each other,
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nobody gets anything.
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You just have a lot of dead people.
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[narrator] That's how
these criminal supergroups were born.
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Sicilian mob boss Gaetano Badalamenti
partnered with the American Mafia
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to traffic heroin stateside.
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The operation was nicknamed
The Pizza Connection,
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because the drugs were moved
through New York pizza parlors.
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The human trafficking
ringleader known as Sister Ping,
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who grew a $40 million empire
smuggling Chinese migrants into the US,
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paid her former rivals,
the Fuk Ching gang,
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close to a million dollars
to assist with her operation
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and terrorized those who refused to pay.
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While Lucky Luciano,
Bugsy Siegel, and Meyer Lansky
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merged their Italian
and Jewish gangs during Prohibition
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to form what they called The Syndicate.
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The first American multi-ethnic mob.
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Now that's progressive thinking.
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As Pablo's ambitions grew,
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he had reasons to explore
constructive collaboration.
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[Asha] The cocaine trade
was a competitive market
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in Colombia when it started.
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You had a number of different players
competing for the market share.
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[Steve] All these drug traffickers
are doing their own thing,
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that they're having to create
their own sources to secure the chemicals,
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which is a challenge because
where do you get your chemicals from?
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There's only so many
chemical companies in the world.
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[narrator] Were they still making money?
Oh yes.
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But Pablo and his fellow narcos
were about to face a crisis
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that would change everything.
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Throughout Colombia, insurgent groups
begin kidnapping wealthy citizens
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and holding them for ransom.
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It's a most profitable racket,
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and for those who don't pay, a deadly one.
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Before long, they start coming
for the drug tycoons and their families.
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Marta Ochoa, younger sister
of top traffickers, the Ochoa brothers,
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is abducted off her college campus
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by members of the Marxist
guerrilla faction M-19.
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They demand millions for her safe return.
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In response, Pablo and the Ochoas
decide to convene a summit
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of Colombia's top traffickers.
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[indistinct chatter]
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As the drug lords gather, Pablo insists
that no more ransoms be paid.
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Instead, they should join forces
to fund their own private army
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with a catchy title.
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M.A.S. Muerte a Los Secuestradores.
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In other words, death to the people
who are kidnapping for ransom.
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[narrator] The price to join?
A mere two million pesos, around $33,000.
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And ten hitmen each.
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Within days of forming,
M.A.S. starts hunting.
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[gunshot]
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They slaughter
more than 100 suspected kidnappers
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across the country...
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until Marta Ochoa's abductors
finally get the message.
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What began as a tactical partnership
would soon deepen
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as these unlikely collaborators
decide to create a more lasting alliance,
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which the world will come to know
as the Medellín drug cartel.
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[people clapping]
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[Steve] So they all brought in
different things to the table
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to share amongst each other.
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That's when their profits
really started to grow.
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They became much, much more powerful
as a group than they were individually.
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By the late '80s, early '90s,
the Medellín cartel was responsible
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for 80% of the cocaine
that was reaching the world.
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They are monopolizing
the cocaine business.
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In other words, they're the ones
who are setting the price.
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But the person who's always above
all these people? Pablo Escobar.
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[narrator] And to the visionary
go the greatest rewards.
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By the mid-1980s, Pablo Escobar
was making a million dollars a day.
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[narrator] But when you're running
an illegal empire,
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00:13:27,224 --> 00:13:31,603
your growing bankroll is going
to draw ever more unwanted attention.
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Our trusty playbook will show you
how to keep the wolves at bay
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and expand your influence even further.
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Love.
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We all want that warm feeling
of being safe and protected.
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That even goes for powerful mob bosses.
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[Steve] High-level criminals understand
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the benefit of having
public opinion behind them.
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If you can get
that community support behind you,
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people tend to maybe not look at the fact
that you're doing things that are illegal.
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[man] The more public support
that a boss is able to garner,
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the more he'll be able
to ultimately insulate himself.
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[narrator] The first step in getting
the masses on your team?
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Show your charitable side.
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Like these guys.
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New York City Mafia boss
Carlo Gambino's sons, Thomas and Joseph,
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who reportedly made 70 million
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from a trucking scam
in the Garment District,
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gave over a million dollars
to help fund a children's cancer center,
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which still bears
the family's name on one of its units.
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After a devastating tsunami
struck Japan in 2011,
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the yakuza,
under supreme kingpin Kenichi Shinoda , ,
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00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:51,391
were among the first on the ground
delivering aid to devastated areas.
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And the Colombo crime family's
notorious underboss William Cutolo
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00:14:57,314 --> 00:15:01,902
was a major benefactor of the National
Leukemia Research Association.
238
00:15:03,195 --> 00:15:06,990
He even dressed up as Santa Claus
for its annual Christmas party.
239
00:15:10,035 --> 00:15:12,036
Pablo Escobar's charm offensive
240
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,831
also benefited
from understanding his audience.
241
00:15:15,624 --> 00:15:17,792
[in Spanish] Pablo Escobar came
from a humble background
242
00:15:17,876 --> 00:15:20,629
and knew the needs of his people.
243
00:15:21,588 --> 00:15:24,215
[Asha] The government was
only catering to the elites, and so,
244
00:15:24,299 --> 00:15:27,468
Pablo Escobar was able to fill a gap
245
00:15:27,552 --> 00:15:30,263
that the government wasn't filling,
246
00:15:30,347 --> 00:15:36,228
providing services and things
that people needed at the ground level.
247
00:15:37,229 --> 00:15:39,982
[narrator] Pablo's generosity
takes many forms.
248
00:15:40,607 --> 00:15:43,318
His money helps build
roads and power lines,
249
00:15:44,236 --> 00:15:45,362
hospitals,
250
00:15:45,862 --> 00:15:46,863
stadiums,
251
00:15:47,614 --> 00:15:48,615
roller rinks.
252
00:15:50,033 --> 00:15:54,704
Even a 600-unit housing complex
for Medellín's neediest citizens,
253
00:15:54,788 --> 00:15:57,833
christened Barrio de Pablo Escobar.
254
00:15:59,042 --> 00:16:02,128
He creates a private zoo
with free admission,
255
00:16:02,212 --> 00:16:04,464
featuring 200 exotic animals,
256
00:16:05,882 --> 00:16:08,010
sponsors local soccer teams,
257
00:16:09,302 --> 00:16:13,389
and constructs playing fields
all over the city with lights.
258
00:16:13,473 --> 00:16:14,474
[crowd cheering]
259
00:16:14,558 --> 00:16:17,019
Sometimes Pablo even suits up himself.
260
00:16:19,479 --> 00:16:22,482
He hands out money
in the city's poorest neighborhoods,
261
00:16:22,566 --> 00:16:24,985
often accompanied by Catholic priests.
262
00:16:26,445 --> 00:16:28,447
He gives money to the church too.
263
00:16:30,532 --> 00:16:33,576
[Asha] Pablo's community
saw him as a Robin Hood,
264
00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:38,707
where he stole from the rich capitalists
and gave back to the poor.
265
00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:44,588
And so, he was really seen as a hero
to the people in his own neighborhood.
266
00:16:45,964 --> 00:16:48,841
What it ultimately meant was loyalty.
267
00:16:48,925 --> 00:16:52,387
You know, people thought
Pablo Escobar was the good guy,
268
00:16:52,471 --> 00:16:54,473
and the government people
were the bad guys.
269
00:16:56,391 --> 00:17:00,604
When you have the will of the people
on your side, you're a winner.
270
00:17:01,980 --> 00:17:03,398
That's how you beat government.
271
00:17:04,524 --> 00:17:07,652
[narrator] But even when it seems
that your neighborhood is secure,
272
00:17:07,736 --> 00:17:10,947
outside threats
can be another matter entirely.
273
00:17:11,740 --> 00:17:13,533
Drugs are menacing our society.
274
00:17:14,367 --> 00:17:17,286
They're threatening our values
and undercutting our institutions.
275
00:17:17,370 --> 00:17:19,372
They're killing our children.
276
00:17:19,456 --> 00:17:20,957
We want you to say no.
277
00:17:21,041 --> 00:17:23,001
Knock drugs out of your life
by just saying no.
278
00:17:23,085 --> 00:17:24,252
Just say no.
279
00:17:24,336 --> 00:17:26,879
[newscaster] It's estimated
that about 96 tons of cocaine
280
00:17:26,963 --> 00:17:29,007
were smuggled into the US last year.
281
00:17:29,091 --> 00:17:32,301
We are indeed trying to do
everything government can do
282
00:17:32,385 --> 00:17:34,638
to combat drug traffickers.
283
00:17:35,138 --> 00:17:38,975
The Colombian government was under
a lot of pressure from the United States
284
00:17:39,059 --> 00:17:42,521
to really crack down
on the drug traffickers.
285
00:17:43,897 --> 00:17:46,858
[narrator] And that would lead
to a most troubling decision.
286
00:17:47,442 --> 00:17:50,695
The United States and Colombia
signed this treaty that allowed
287
00:17:50,779 --> 00:17:54,783
Colombian traffickers
to be extradited to the United States.
288
00:17:56,535 --> 00:17:59,204
[narrator] Scary stuff, but not to worry.
289
00:17:59,704 --> 00:18:01,289
The playbook will show you
290
00:18:01,373 --> 00:18:04,126
how to capitalize
on your newfound popularity.
291
00:18:09,798 --> 00:18:13,301
Politics. It's slow. It's messy.
292
00:18:15,011 --> 00:18:17,680
But when you want
to influence public policy,
293
00:18:17,764 --> 00:18:19,933
you have to go right to the source.
294
00:18:20,642 --> 00:18:22,602
And if you're Pablo Escobar,
295
00:18:22,686 --> 00:18:25,355
there's now one law
that matters above all.
296
00:18:25,856 --> 00:18:29,984
[Asha] Pablo Escobar
was especially scared of extradition,
297
00:18:30,068 --> 00:18:35,364
the possibility that he could be
forcibly transferred to the United States
298
00:18:35,448 --> 00:18:40,078
where he would face
almost certain justice and jail time.
299
00:18:41,037 --> 00:18:44,624
[narrator] Pablo needed to take
that scenario off the table.
300
00:18:44,708 --> 00:18:48,920
Pablo Escobar realized
if he really wanted to change the laws,
301
00:18:49,004 --> 00:18:51,423
the best way to do it was from the inside.
302
00:18:56,178 --> 00:18:57,512
He ran as an alternate
303
00:18:57,596 --> 00:18:59,931
for a congressional position
out of his district.
304
00:19:00,015 --> 00:19:03,559
[in Spanish] The main ideology
of our movement is public spirit,
305
00:19:03,643 --> 00:19:06,188
nationalism, social programs.
306
00:19:06,980 --> 00:19:10,066
[narrator] And as for Pablo's
complicated backstory...
307
00:19:11,193 --> 00:19:15,321
Escobar carefully curated
his public profile.
308
00:19:15,405 --> 00:19:20,284
He hired a PR person to make him seem
309
00:19:20,368 --> 00:19:23,371
like a legitimate businessman,
310
00:19:23,455 --> 00:19:29,085
to pay off journalists,
and basically wipe his past clean.
311
00:19:29,169 --> 00:19:32,672
[Steve] He ran on the coattails
of a man named Ortega,
312
00:19:32,756 --> 00:19:34,966
who was an incumbent, and had won.
313
00:19:35,050 --> 00:19:36,175
[crowd cheering]
314
00:19:36,259 --> 00:19:38,136
[Steve] Once the election was over,
315
00:19:38,220 --> 00:19:41,681
Pablo goes strutting into Congress
just like he's a normal person.
316
00:19:43,350 --> 00:19:46,352
[narrator] Besides the power
and prestige of his office,
317
00:19:46,436 --> 00:19:50,106
Pablo's new position
came with some other handy perks.
318
00:19:50,649 --> 00:19:52,233
[Asha] As a member of Congress,
319
00:19:52,317 --> 00:19:56,487
Escobar enjoyed immunity
from criminal prosecution.
320
00:19:56,571 --> 00:19:59,866
He got a diplomatic visa
to the United States
321
00:19:59,950 --> 00:20:04,996
and was in a position
to impact Colombia's extradition treaty,
322
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:06,498
which he wanted to get rid of.
323
00:20:07,457 --> 00:20:09,876
[narrator] However,
Pablo's grand ambitions
324
00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,088
brought him face-to-face
with a formidable opponent.
325
00:20:14,547 --> 00:20:19,594
Rodrigo Lara was the Minister of Justice
who had just been appointed
326
00:20:19,678 --> 00:20:22,889
when Pablo Escobar
was elected to Congress.
327
00:20:22,973 --> 00:20:24,932
He was a lifelong politician
328
00:20:25,016 --> 00:20:29,104
and a staunch adversary
to the drug traffickers.
329
00:20:30,063 --> 00:20:32,773
The minister knew who Pablo was.
330
00:20:32,857 --> 00:20:37,153
He realized that Pablo was making
a mockery of their congressional system
331
00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:38,863
by even being in the room.
332
00:20:41,449 --> 00:20:43,076
[sinister music plays]
333
00:20:44,244 --> 00:20:46,454
[narrator] On Pablo's first day
in Congress,
334
00:20:46,538 --> 00:20:48,873
it's clear he doesn't fit in.
335
00:20:52,544 --> 00:20:57,173
Rodrigo Lara is about to make things
even more uncomfortable.
336
00:20:59,843 --> 00:21:01,135
He starts the session
337
00:21:01,219 --> 00:21:03,930
and denounces
narcotrafficking's devastating effect
338
00:21:04,014 --> 00:21:05,849
on Colombian society ,
339
00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:09,311
and then turns his attention to Pablo.
340
00:21:11,730 --> 00:21:15,066
Lara unmasks
the new Congressman as a drug kingpin
341
00:21:16,526 --> 00:21:19,820
and declares that Escobar
has been lying to the Congress
342
00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:21,406
and the Colombian people.
343
00:21:23,658 --> 00:21:26,411
Pablo continues to deny the allegations.
344
00:21:26,911 --> 00:21:31,123
[in Spanish] From any point of view,
we are being slandered and attacked
345
00:21:31,207 --> 00:21:33,293
for false information
346
00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:37,004
and for harmful words
347
00:21:37,088 --> 00:21:39,758
launched against us
by our political enemies.
348
00:21:40,342 --> 00:21:42,635
[narrator] But after
a yearlong investigation,
349
00:21:42,719 --> 00:21:44,804
Escobar is expelled from Congress.
350
00:21:45,847 --> 00:21:48,599
[Asha] Not only does Escobar lose
351
00:21:48,683 --> 00:21:51,852
any kind of immunity
from prosecution that he might have had,
352
00:21:51,936 --> 00:21:56,482
any influence that he would
have had on Colombian drug policy,
353
00:21:56,566 --> 00:21:59,861
but he's personally humiliated
and exposed.
354
00:22:01,029 --> 00:22:04,032
[narrator] Pablo's attempt
to break into politics hit a wall.
355
00:22:04,574 --> 00:22:08,328
But there's more than one way
to bend the government to your will.
356
00:22:09,329 --> 00:22:11,915
And this next one isn't nearly as polite.
357
00:22:21,591 --> 00:22:24,969
[narrator] When you're a man of means,
you can usually count on your money
358
00:22:25,053 --> 00:22:26,512
to advance your interests.
359
00:22:26,596 --> 00:22:27,972
♪ I'm livin' the life, life ♪
360
00:22:28,056 --> 00:22:30,391
♪ Yeah, I'm livin' the life, life, life ♪
361
00:22:30,475 --> 00:22:31,893
[narrator] And by the late 1980s,
362
00:22:32,477 --> 00:22:36,147
few on Earth had greater means
than Pablo Escobar.
363
00:22:36,231 --> 00:22:37,815
♪ I got it made, made, made ♪
364
00:22:37,899 --> 00:22:39,692
♪ I'm doing it right, right, right ♪
365
00:22:39,776 --> 00:22:41,110
[Steve] He's in the limelight.
366
00:22:41,194 --> 00:22:43,905
He's got more money
than he knows what to do with.
367
00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:50,119
He's one of the richest,
if not the richest criminal in the world.
368
00:22:50,203 --> 00:22:52,038
And he doesn't want
to give any of that up.
369
00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:57,794
[narrator] But a new crop of politicians
was looking to make their names
370
00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:02,048
by promising to take Pablo
and his cartel colleagues down.
371
00:23:06,261 --> 00:23:08,346
[Steve] There was an individual
named Luis Carlos Galán
372
00:23:08,430 --> 00:23:10,097
that was running
for president of Colombia,
373
00:23:10,181 --> 00:23:14,436
and his platform was pro-extradition
for the drug traffickers in Colombia.
374
00:23:15,478 --> 00:23:17,646
His popularity rate was phenomenal.
375
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:20,066
[in Spanish] It arrived in our homeland
376
00:23:20,150 --> 00:23:24,695
as it arrived in more than 60 countries
of the world.
377
00:23:24,779 --> 00:23:26,697
[crowd cheering]
378
00:23:26,781 --> 00:23:28,407
[narrator] If you're Pablo Escobar,
379
00:23:28,491 --> 00:23:32,370
that's the last type of person
you can allow to run your country.
380
00:23:32,454 --> 00:23:36,541
[crowd continues cheering]
381
00:23:37,167 --> 00:23:40,670
[narrator] Time to exert
your influence more directly.
382
00:23:41,671 --> 00:23:43,673
[gunshots]
383
00:23:48,845 --> 00:23:51,931
Galán is assassinated on Escobar's orders.
384
00:23:52,765 --> 00:23:56,227
[narrator] But Galán's ideas
aren't as easy to snuff out.
385
00:23:56,978 --> 00:23:59,230
For Escobar,
his problems haven't gone away
386
00:23:59,314 --> 00:24:01,232
because Galán's chief of staff,
387
00:24:01,316 --> 00:24:04,360
César Gaviria,
becomes the presidential candidate.
388
00:24:04,444 --> 00:24:06,737
[newscaster 1] Gaviria was
also the only candidate
389
00:24:06,821 --> 00:24:08,489
who promised to continue extraditing
390
00:24:08,573 --> 00:24:11,284
some cartel leaders
to the United States for trial.
391
00:24:12,243 --> 00:24:14,162
[narrator] Guess he didn't get
the message.
392
00:24:15,413 --> 00:24:18,249
So, Pablo decides he'll take Gaviria out,
393
00:24:19,334 --> 00:24:22,169
and he goes through the level
of getting intelligence
394
00:24:22,253 --> 00:24:25,965
that César Gaviria is going to be
on the flight going from Bogotá to Cali.
395
00:24:26,549 --> 00:24:29,928
Pablo decided to authorize
to put a bomb on the flight.
396
00:24:31,888 --> 00:24:36,851
Plane takes off,
that bomb explodes in midair.
397
00:24:41,231 --> 00:24:44,775
[newscaster 2] 107 are dead
in Colombia in a plane crash.
398
00:24:44,859 --> 00:24:48,154
The plane went down minutes
after taking off from Bogotá.
399
00:24:48,238 --> 00:24:50,030
It might have been a bomb,
400
00:24:50,114 --> 00:24:53,076
and there is one claim
that drug dealers planted it.
401
00:24:53,868 --> 00:24:55,662
[narrator] But there was one problem.
402
00:24:56,496 --> 00:24:58,540
Gaviria did not travel.
403
00:25:03,378 --> 00:25:05,379
[Steve] So 110 people died
404
00:25:05,463 --> 00:25:10,301
simply because Pablo thought
one man was going to be on that plane.
405
00:25:11,719 --> 00:25:14,430
[Javier] After the airline bomb
by Pablo Escobar,
406
00:25:14,514 --> 00:25:19,852
people were starting to say this guy
needs to be locked up somewhere.
407
00:25:20,562 --> 00:25:24,982
And this is where all the efforts
were now being focused
408
00:25:25,066 --> 00:25:26,901
on finding Pablo Escobar.
409
00:25:28,403 --> 00:25:32,406
[newscaster 3] Colombian police continue
to find and destroy hidden runways,
410
00:25:32,490 --> 00:25:35,534
dismantle cocaine labs,
and search for Pablo Escobar,
411
00:25:35,618 --> 00:25:37,453
head of the Medellín drug cartel.
412
00:25:37,537 --> 00:25:40,206
[narrator] It may seem like
the walls were closing in,
413
00:25:40,832 --> 00:25:43,710
but Pablo still had
one more card up his sleeve
414
00:25:44,627 --> 00:25:47,130
to impose his will and secure his future.
415
00:25:52,969 --> 00:25:57,056
After making billions and becoming
Colombia's most influential citizen,
416
00:25:57,682 --> 00:26:01,310
Pablo Escobar now had
the Colombian authorities on his trail...
417
00:26:01,394 --> 00:26:04,146
[TV announcer speaking in Spanish]
418
00:26:04,230 --> 00:26:07,191
[narrator] ...and a population
cheering for his capture.
419
00:26:07,275 --> 00:26:10,737
He needed to shift the odds
back into his favor.
420
00:26:11,321 --> 00:26:13,740
Violence is Escobar's bargaining chip.
421
00:26:15,950 --> 00:26:18,953
It's the only leverage
that he has at this point,
422
00:26:19,037 --> 00:26:23,832
and the only way that he thinks
he can bring the government to the table.
423
00:26:23,916 --> 00:26:25,334
[siren wailing in distance]
424
00:26:25,418 --> 00:26:29,463
Colombia's drug lords responded today
to the government's new get-tough policy.
425
00:26:29,547 --> 00:26:31,215
They declared war on the government.
426
00:26:33,926 --> 00:26:38,514
As the heat is turned up on Escobar,
everything becomes a target,
427
00:26:38,598 --> 00:26:41,809
and basically Bogotá becomes a war zone.
428
00:26:44,562 --> 00:26:47,315
Thousands and thousands
of innocent people were killed.
429
00:26:50,151 --> 00:26:53,571
Then he placed leaflets at car bomb sites.
430
00:26:54,113 --> 00:26:57,200
The extraditables. Los extraditables.
431
00:26:57,700 --> 00:27:03,706
"I prefer a tomb in Colombia
to a jail cell in the United States."
432
00:27:03,790 --> 00:27:05,624
And it was signed "the extraditables."
433
00:27:05,708 --> 00:27:08,752
We knew "the extraditables"
was Pablo Escobar.
434
00:27:08,836 --> 00:27:10,505
That was his calling card.
435
00:27:11,005 --> 00:27:14,467
[narrator] It didn't take long
until Pablo's campaign bore fruit.
436
00:27:15,426 --> 00:27:18,637
[Steve] You get this public opinion
mounting and growing,
437
00:27:18,721 --> 00:27:21,890
going to the government to say,
"What are you gonna do about violence?"
438
00:27:21,974 --> 00:27:24,852
"We've had enough of this.
How are you gonna keep us safe?"
439
00:27:24,936 --> 00:27:26,604
[narrator] Fearing public revolt,
440
00:27:26,688 --> 00:27:29,482
the government had no choice
but to offer Pablo a deal.
441
00:27:31,693 --> 00:27:33,527
[Steve] President César Gaviria
442
00:27:33,611 --> 00:27:36,530
came up with an idea
of the "self-surrender program."
443
00:27:36,614 --> 00:27:39,742
And what that entailed was
you as a criminal come in
444
00:27:39,826 --> 00:27:43,496
and agree to plead guilty
to one crime of your choosing.
445
00:27:44,163 --> 00:27:47,041
And in exchange,
we will absolve you of every other crime
446
00:27:47,125 --> 00:27:49,836
you've ever committed in your life,
to include murders.
447
00:27:50,378 --> 00:27:55,216
This was primarily aimed at bringing in
or bringing down Pablo Escobar.
448
00:27:59,595 --> 00:28:02,890
[narrator] The only thing better
than bringing the government to the table
449
00:28:02,974 --> 00:28:06,018
is having them come on their knees.
450
00:28:07,061 --> 00:28:11,940
[Javier] Pablo Escobar called up
the government of Colombia and said,
451
00:28:12,024 --> 00:28:16,945
"I am willing to stop my bombing campaign,
452
00:28:17,029 --> 00:28:19,449
and I am willing to self-surrender."
453
00:28:20,908 --> 00:28:22,743
"However, I have certain conditions."
454
00:28:22,827 --> 00:28:24,495
They said, "Okay. What is it you want?"
455
00:28:24,579 --> 00:28:26,956
He said, "Well, first of all,
I'm gonna build my own prison."
456
00:28:28,458 --> 00:28:31,627
"Because I need to know
that it's a place that I feel safe in."
457
00:28:32,670 --> 00:28:34,922
And what did the government say? "Okay."
458
00:28:35,006 --> 00:28:36,757
He said,
"Second of all, I need to handpick
459
00:28:36,841 --> 00:28:39,176
all my fellow prisoners
because I got a lot of enemies."
460
00:28:39,260 --> 00:28:42,305
"I've got to make sure there's not people
that would kill me while in prison."
461
00:28:42,805 --> 00:28:44,598
And the government of Columbia said,
"Okay."
462
00:28:44,682 --> 00:28:47,017
"I'm gonna hire my own prison guards."
463
00:28:47,101 --> 00:28:49,770
"Don't worry about their salaries.
I'm gonna pay their salaries."
464
00:28:49,854 --> 00:28:52,064
And the Colombian government said, "Okay."
465
00:28:53,316 --> 00:28:58,696
On top of that, there were no stipulations
to take any of Pablo's assets.
466
00:28:59,322 --> 00:29:03,159
"The big factor is
I need that extradition thing gone."
467
00:29:04,619 --> 00:29:07,163
The government of Colombia said, "Okay."
468
00:29:08,289 --> 00:29:11,417
It was the worst plea deal
in the history of law enforcement
469
00:29:11,501 --> 00:29:13,419
in the entire history of the world.
470
00:29:15,254 --> 00:29:19,717
Basically, Pablo Escobar had won,
and we had lost.
471
00:29:22,303 --> 00:29:24,513
[narrator] But what about
that prison sentence?
472
00:29:24,597 --> 00:29:29,351
The facility of his choice
is known as La Catedral.
473
00:29:29,435 --> 00:29:32,814
[upbeat salsa music playing]
474
00:29:37,318 --> 00:29:43,741
This prison has big-screen TVs,
a jacuzzi, a pool with a waterfall,
475
00:29:43,825 --> 00:29:47,453
and all of the things that Escobar needs
to continue his business
476
00:29:47,537 --> 00:29:50,832
safely inside walls with guards outside.
477
00:29:56,462 --> 00:29:57,922
[music ends]
478
00:30:01,050 --> 00:30:03,260
[narrator] And when after a year
at La Catedral,
479
00:30:03,344 --> 00:30:06,514
the Colombian government
decided to renege on their deal
480
00:30:07,014 --> 00:30:10,184
and transfer Escobar
to a less comfortable prison.
481
00:30:10,268 --> 00:30:12,227
[guns firing]
482
00:30:12,311 --> 00:30:14,313
Pablo's men took up arms,
483
00:30:14,897 --> 00:30:17,441
and Escobar walked
right out the back door.
484
00:30:18,776 --> 00:30:20,736
[newscaster 4] Hundreds of Army troops
485
00:30:20,820 --> 00:30:24,114
scouring the countryside
for Colombia's most wanted man.
486
00:30:24,198 --> 00:30:27,243
So far, Pablo Escobar has outfoxed them.
487
00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,329
[narrator] Though he didn't stay
on the run forever,
488
00:30:30,997 --> 00:30:35,334
the man who said he preferred death
in Colombia to prison in the US
489
00:30:35,418 --> 00:30:37,003
ultimately got his wish.
490
00:30:41,215 --> 00:30:45,261
Thanks to the Colombian police
and the American Drug Enforcement Agency.
491
00:30:46,304 --> 00:30:49,724
[newscaster 5] Pablo Escobar died
as he had lived, violently.
492
00:30:50,224 --> 00:30:53,978
His death may well be
the final blow to the Medellín cartel.
493
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,440
[narrator] By carving his unique path
through the playbook,
494
00:30:57,982 --> 00:31:01,902
Pablo Escobar became
one of the 10 richest people in the world
495
00:31:01,986 --> 00:31:05,698
with a reported net worth of $30 billion.
496
00:31:06,782 --> 00:31:08,951
Who says crime doesn't pay?
497
00:31:11,662 --> 00:31:13,497
[Michael] The mob mentality is this.
498
00:31:13,581 --> 00:31:16,208
Anyone that hasn't took the oath
is a sucker.
499
00:31:17,627 --> 00:31:19,711
Going into this business
you're gonna make money,
500
00:31:19,795 --> 00:31:21,672
but we don't just kill people.
501
00:31:21,756 --> 00:31:25,426
We see what the public wants,
and we give it to them.
502
00:31:26,552 --> 00:31:30,681
At least the Mafia is not looking
to pull wool over everybody's eyes.
503
00:31:33,476 --> 00:31:37,813
[narrator] Each of these criminal giants
took control of their own destiny
504
00:31:37,897 --> 00:31:41,692
and achieved heights
most mortals can only dream of.
505
00:31:41,776 --> 00:31:45,863
Mob bosses are so respected, so feared.
506
00:31:48,115 --> 00:31:51,034
[narrator] If you're satisfied
with your current existence,
507
00:31:51,118 --> 00:31:54,664
then maybe you're not cut out
for this sort of career change,
508
00:31:55,331 --> 00:31:56,707
but let's be real.
509
00:31:57,208 --> 00:32:00,168
It's plain and simple.
You want money, power, respect?
510
00:32:00,252 --> 00:32:01,837
You want to be the boss.
511
00:32:02,588 --> 00:32:05,800
[narrator] Couldn't we all use more
of the finer things in life?
512
00:32:06,717 --> 00:32:08,427
I've given you the tools.
513
00:32:09,762 --> 00:32:12,515
So, what are you waiting for?
514
00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:20,064
[theme music playing]