---
born: 1949-12-01
category: Iran-Contra
died: 1993-12-02
location: Rionegro, Colombia
summary: Pablo Escobar was the leader of the Medellín Cartel who allegedly made a
  deal with Vice President George Bush's administration and whose cocaine empire supplied
  Contra-connected trafficking networks.
tags:
- person
- colombian
- contra-war
---

Pablo Escobar was the leader of the [Medellín Cartel](/organizations/medellin-cartel/) who allegedly made a deal with Vice President [George H.W. Bush](/people/george-hw-bush/)'s administration and whose cocaine empire supplied [Contra](/organizations/contras/)-connected trafficking networks. An informant told federal officials that Escobar began ranting about Bush and his South Florida Drug Task Force, describing "an agreement or relationship between Bush and the American government and members of the Medellín cartel which resulted in planes flying guns to the cartel in [Colombia](/places/colombia/)." Escobar claimed to have a picture of Bush posing with Medellín cartel leader Jorge Ochoa in front of suitcases full of money.[^1]

### Connection to the Contra Supply Chain

The [Blandón](/people/danilo-blandon/)-[Meneses](/people/norwin-meneses/) ring sourced its [cocaine](/concepts/cocaine/) from the Ochoa family in Colombia, founders of the Medellín Cartel, and from the Suarez family in [Bolivia](/places/bolivia/). The cartel's vast distribution network overlapped with the [Central Intelligence Agency](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/)'s Contra supply chain, as the same aircraft and pilots moved weapons south and drugs north. Barry Seal, a CIA and [DEA](/organizations/dea/) contract agent, was flying loads in directly for the Medellín Cartel while simultaneously working on U.S. government missions.[^2]

[^1]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 15.
[^2]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 7, Ch. 6.