Pablo Escobar: 18 Insane Facts About One of the Biggest Names in Drug Trafficking

If you are a fan of sitcoms, then you should be aware of the recent debut of a television series called “Narcos” on Netflix. Based on Pablo Escobar's life, she recounts the efforts of the US and Colombian governments to combat one of the greatest drug traffickers of all time and to dismantle the bloody Medellin Cartel.

The series will follow the dizzying rise of the Colombian criminal - which is played by Brazilian Wagner Moura in the series - as well as the organization he created. And to get you ready to watch the show, here are some insane facts about this man who was one of the biggest drug dealers in the world. Check out:

1 - Pablo Escobar was born in the city of Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia, in 1949, and was the son of a farmer and an elementary school teacher - who had nothing to do with the consumption or trafficking of illegal substances;

Escobar began his criminal career as a teenager by selling counterfeit cigarettes and lottery tickets. In the 1970s, already in his twenties, he became a car thief and kidnapper, until at one point he became involved in drug trafficking;

Escobar's cartel smuggled 15 tons of cocaine a day to the United States - equivalent to the weight of two African elephants on drugs;

4 - Pablo Escobar became so influential that at the height of his career as a drug trafficker, he accounted for 80% of all cocaine illegally entering the US;

One of the methods used to smuggle cocaine was to hide the drug in aircraft tires - and the drug dealer even paid up to $ 500, 000 per trip to pilots who worked for him. The shipments were also carried by two submarines in the service of the cartel;

6 - It is estimated that Escobar's cartel was around $ 1 million a day with its dealers;

With a fortune valued at over $ 25 billion, Forbes listed Escobar as the seventh richest man on the planet in 1989;

8 - The Medellin cartel spent about $ 2, 500 a month on rubber bands to hold money rolls;

9 - That's what he was losing about $ 2 billion a year - or 10% of his annual income - due to the damp and gnawing mice in the stacks of sheds;

10 - Pablo Escobar has built his own paradise near a small Colombian city. In addition to a huge mansion, the property - which was over 20 square kilometers - had a zoo that housed hippos, giraffes and elephants, and a bullring;

11 - On one occasion, when the drug trafficker was hiding with his family in a mountainous area outside Medellin, he burned $ 2 million to keep his daughter warm;

12 - Adept of the strategy " plata o plomo " - "money or lead", in free translation -, Pablo used this trick to bribe politicians, members of the government, judges, police etc., and anyone who did not accept the bribe was executed;

13 - It is estimated that the drug trafficker has been responsible for the deaths of over 4, 000 people over his 20-year career - including more than one candidate for Colombia's presidency, over 200 judges, thousands of police officers, a former Minister of Justice and dozens of journalists;

14 - Pablo Escobar had a fleet of at least 15 planes - including a private Learjet jet - and 6 helicopters at his service;

Escobar became known as one of the most ruthless, brutal, violent, ambitious and powerful traffickers of all time;

16 - On the other hand, despite all the blood he had on his hands, Pablo was also known for his - believe me! - paternalism and its philanthropy. That's because, while he mercilessly eliminated his competitors, plotted against government and political figures, ordered murders and spurred intrigue, the drug dealer gave food to beggars, built houses for the poor, and soccer fields for the children of the suburbs;

17 - Escobar's "humanitarian" actions gave him strong support from the poorer communities of Colombia, but things began to change in the early 1990s, when the siege on drug traffickers began to close. At that time, he promised to give up criminal activity in exchange for political influence, but his bloody campaign ended his popular acceptance, caused the alliance of drug traffickers to break, and eventually his arrest;

18 - Although Escobar was killed during a confrontation with the Colombian police in 1993, after escaping from jail and spending several months on the run, there is a possibility that he committed suicide. That's because, despite being shot more than once, Pablo died of a gunshot wound above one ear - just where he told his brother he would pull the trigger if he was ambushed by the authorities. A photo of the members of the Special Operations Joint Command near the trafficker's body was famous for contradicting this theory, claiming that they captured him.