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Part 6: Medellin Cartel Co-founder Carlos Lehder on Pablo Escobar Killing Colombian Politicians
Part 1: Medellin Cartel Co-Founder Carlos Lehder on Meeting Boston George in Prison
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In this VladTV interview, Carlos Lehder reflects on his February 4, 1987 capture in Colombia and the rapid DEA extradition that made him the first major Colombian trafficker sent to the United States. The Medellín Cartel co-founder says Pablo Escobar “gave me up,” explaining how paperwork found by his court-appointed American lawyer later pointed to Escobar’s role. Lehder describes being flown from Bogotá to Tampa, Florida, to face cocaine smuggling charges under U.S. Attorney Robert Merkle in the Middle District of Florida, then moved to Marion Penitentiary in Illinois before trial. He recalls feeling lost, believing he had wasted his life, and realizing he could no longer rely on the protections and influence available in Colombia. Lehder also says he felt fortunate that Colombian police spared his life during the raid, noting he had children at home when his decades-long prison ordeal began.
