This account is based on those interviews, corroborated by court records, sworn testimony and additional interviews with federal agents involved in the case. Still no sign of Miguel, the agents told him. For years he had protected the bosses, their wives and children. Im calling from Cali, Colombia, and I have important information on how to locate the heads of the cartel.. Rosenthal's arrest led to Salcedo being introduced to Chris Feistl and David Mitchell, two Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents operating in Cali. We had about 150 persons dedicated to caring for the safety of these people, Salcedo recalled. UCLA said that Salcedo has been placed on leave pending a review and will have no involvement with the team. Across town, Salcedos pager went off. He told Pallomari he would be arrested and die in jail. I was buying four U.S.-made bombs 500-pounders that the bosses wanted to drop on Pablo Escobar. Jose Santacruz Londono got right to the point. The Cali Cartel informant is currently in the witness protection program. The Orejuela brothers wanted four Panamanian operatives questioned. He was arrested as he scurried for a vault in the wall. And I told them [Cali], with these guys, you better give up. So they told [my friend] Mario, "We need you." He has done an inestimable service to the U.S. and Colombia, said his lawyer, Robert F. Dunlap of Miami. Ryan, the federal prosecutor, in a recent interview called Salcedo one of the countrys least-known heroes, one of the people most responsible for bringing down the most powerful criminals in the world., Ryan still marvels at Salcedos contribution, saying he and federal agents thought at the time that the effort had no more than a 1% chance to succeed., He recalled: You cant imagine just how alone this guy was -- talking on phones that he knew were bugged knowing so well how easily he could be compromised. In telephone interviews ranging from a few minutes to more than an hour, he shared details of his role in the cartel and occasional frustrations with life in U.S. exile. "I had to go. Military leaders grew restless with the impotent and corrupt government and tried to fill the vacuum, taking military actions without approval from Bogot. I also left a home, a country, friends, family, even my past. I decided to play on the fact that I might not be discovered, Salcedo said. It was a mess. SALCEDO had arrived in Cali just in time for a business boom. But I've thought many times, why did they make me do that, to be there? Miguel literally tried to wipe out all non-Colombian nationals operating in Colombia, said Ryan. The chilling episode was a turning point for him. My channel in English: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO30d7NyhO_lS_Qex1WbnfASorry for any mistake that I could have made as english its not my first lengu. The families were huge. For Jorge Salcedo, who made vengeful enemies of the most notorious crime bosses in the drug world, hiding has been a way of life for nearly two decades. Boston, MA 02210, Boston:617-748-3100 It was very risky, but I was trapped in a nightmare, in a totally corrupt environment. [3][pageneeded] At this initial meeting, the Cali godfathers asked Jorge to coordinate an attack on Pablo Escobar, a rival drug cartel leader. There were suspicions of a leak, Salcedo said. We've received your submission. At its peak, the family ran what one U.S. Justice Department official told Congress was the most prolific and successful criminal enterprise in history.. District of Massachusetts He was arrested without incident in his underwear, scurrying for a vault in the wall. As the head of security for the Cali Cartel and an eventual. Assistant U.S. Shipments of drugs and money were lost. Federal drug agents would have to prove that the cartel leaders continued to operate their smuggling empire from prison, after the extradition ban was lifted. It was a bonus for the captains help getting the boss away from a police raid. They could do it to me. I had nothing to do with drugs, he said. It was aborted at the last minute. He was removed from his post in the reserve. But a few months after then, everything was falling. He had very good connections, and when he retired he started working for some oil and chemical companies. Not with Harleys, they used two Land Cruisers. The extraditables came to be seen as security risks. Jorge Salcedo, 48, of Dana Point, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and forfeiture in the amount of $200,000. Did those dangers include the North Valley cartel depicted in Season 3? I dont know where to direct your call, the voice in Langley responded, according to Salcedo. Still, he served as a consultant for the new season and spoke extensively with Narcos showrunner Eric Newman to ensure the series' accuracy. Since then, the entire Cali cartel hierarchy has been extradited, thanks to Salcedo. Salcedo realized it was more than interrogation. Lauren Isackson was listed as a midfielder on the teams roster for the 2017 season but had zero soccer experienceand never set foot on the field during a game, prosecutors said. William Rodrguez Orejuela, Miguel's son, suspected Salcedo to be the leak, and reassigned Jorge's responsibilities. It was difficult to keep these wild people quiet, he said. In the years since, he has made sporadic telephone calls to a Times reporter from undisclosed locations. It was arranged he would die in custody. The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. COVID origins? Because when I arrived here, I was already in my late 40s. It doesn't make sense that I'm going to go kill a killer. He stayed close to Miguel and his family, at every opportunity sharing car rides and meeting with them alone to let his vulnerability erode suspicions. They did that the same. [3][pageneeded] His resignation was denied by Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, and he was forced to continue his relationship with the cartel. Did you encounter any technical issues? Almost immediately, people began to disappear -- Salcedo and his family, Pallomari -- but this time it was into the custody and protection of U.S. authorities. And the Medellin gangs knew he was plotting to kill Escobar. Within a few months, about 130 people were indicted. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter, The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jorge Salcedo. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment and to . He was killed by DEA double agent Jorge Salcedo in 1995. Escobar had escaped from prison, only to be tracked down by national police 15 months later. Dr. Salcedo works at Salcedo Family Care in Cedar Park, TX with other offices in Cypress, TX. Listening in on the phone conversation, Salcedos only thought: What a nightmare. Dr. Jorge A. Salcedo is a family medicine doctor in Cedar Park, Texas. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Jorge Salcedo had a stable career before he started working with the Cali Cartel. So I realized I couldn't use any of those to get a job with any experience that I could showin order to eliminate all sources of being found. If you've finished the season, you probably know that he's currently under witness protection in the United States. That day I didn't do that. Salcedo was escorted to Miguels offices and four cartel dons. Still, Salcedo used great care -- calling from a public phone and leaving only a vague message offering to be helpful.. The drug bosses there, engaged at the time in a vicious feud with Escobar and the Medellin, summoned the 41-year-old engineer to visit. He. Listening in on the phone conversation as Miguel reported to his son the details of his ordeal, Salcedos only thought: SALCEDO was a prime suspect, one of only five to 10 people who knew where Miguel had been hiding. THE wonkish, soft-spoken family man was an unlikely drug gang recruit. He also directed the raiding party to a desk in one of the rooms. Salcedo was consulted on the show, and provided feedback on the role he played in the prosecution and arrest of the Rodrguez Orejuela brothers.[6]. And this man is a businessman, and he's got night vision, heat detectors, and GPS." And at that time, there were other things going onthey were reorganizing narco-trafficking and all that. Anti-government guerrilla groups unleashed waves of kidnappings that terrorized the nation. First, some background: I used to be Jorge Salcedo. In 2018, Salcedo agreed with Singer and Khosroshahin to recruit the son of another client of Singers to the UCLA mens soccer team despite the fact that the student did not play soccer competitively. So my role became other than just Pablo and became to focus on intelligence. In Colombia, even honest people have to deal with the cartels.. and is instead blown away by Salcedo, who does a Han and shoots first. A lock ( You look tired." So even though I am an engineer and I have a degree and all that, it was in my namemy old name. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. They told him his skills were required to end Escobars reign of terror and to help protect them and their families. Jorge Velsquez Biographical Information Nickname (s) Navegante (Navigator) Status Deceased Death 1995 Cali, Colombia Cause of death Shot by Jorge Salcedo Nationality Colombian Fictional? No. [3][pageneeded], In July 1995, Salcedo met with Feistl and Mitchell to devise a plan to capture Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela. The police demanded identity papers and prepared to search their cars. An official website of the United States government. After top campaign aides acknowledged receiving cartel funds, Samper insisted that if such contributions were made, it was without his knowledge. After Escobar was killed by national police in 1993, Salcedo considered his duty with the Cali Cartel completed, and attempted to resign. The early 1990s were the golden years for the cartel. I left my name in Colombia when I entered the U.S. witness protection program 16 years ago. The two factions agreed, and Jorge worked with the commandos to develop a plan of attack. We don't have one chance with these killers. Salcedo appears under the name of Ricardo Salgado and is portrayed by Luis Fernando Hoyos. Salcedo was paid a bribe of $100,000 for his actions. They knew he helped plan the aborted raid on the guerrillas. He was secretly dispatched to Europe by military leaders to assemble a team of mercenaries. I wanted to be questioned. Salcedo emailed the UCLA womens soccer coaches the students transcript, test scores, and a fake soccer profile that he had received from Singer and Khosroshahin. Its limited cargo space wasnt designed for bombs. Los Angeles, A $150,000 executive protection dog? The sensational evidence was rushed back to Bogota. The Colombian government now knew he had worked for the Cali cartel. Will you tell everyone what was done here? [Escobar] was bad, killing soldiers and civilians. The enforcer insisted that Salcedo accompany him. And they had all read the book, but I was interested that they knew me personally. Jorge Salcedo told the judge that he joined in the college admissions bribery scheme because he was desperate for cash after buying a house his family couldn't afford. Some targeted rich drug lords. In the third season of Netflix's Narcos, Cali Cartel security chief Jorge . I see police and judicial corruption as the biggest price of organized crime. All I did that night was go to my most secure location to secure my most beloved possession on earth, which is my family. The family became most concerned about accountant Pallomari. BOSTON An Oxford man pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2023 in federal court in Worcester to using another individuals name and Social Security number to fraudulently obtain a federal BOSTON A supervisor for the U.S. They are accepting new patients. Jorge Salcedo admitted to participating in the college admissions bribery scheme involving . As the head of security for the Cali Cartel and an eventual informant whose work nearly singlehandedly brought down the whole cartel, Salcedo (played by Matias Varela) and his story are central to the show. March 12, 2019 10:55 AM PT Longtime UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was placed on leave by the school Tuesday morning after being indicted as part of a widespread corruption scheme. With the Cali cartel falling apart at the seams, mole Jorge Salcedo is forced to return to the city where everyone wants him dead. The Medellin gangs knew he was plotting to kill Escobar. Salcedo was ingenious and intelligent, evident by his experiments with biodiesel during his youth. I started using very high-level equipment for communications and location detection. After Jorge determined Miguel's location, the DEA agents planned a raid of the apartment complex. So I got into the meeting, and I was able to tell him what was happening [with the police], so I was able to earn his trust. Instead, it ends up being an execution. [Laughs] So we had to accommodate to the lifestyle. His father was a retired Colombian army general and diplomatic figure. At the same time, rival cocaine cartels were warring with one another, killing scores of police, judges, politicians and innocent bystanders. But it was not the end of the Cali cartel. I am dead.. Desperate for protection from what they feared most extradition to the U.S. the cartel bosses poured millions of dollars into the bank accounts of Colombian politicians. The Colombian government now knew he worked for the Cali cartel. But the British mercenaries, waiting months for orders to attack, got bored and rowdy. It didn't happen that way. He found the four held in different rooms of the house, each bound and tied to a chair -- three men and a woman. Abcarian: Mask mandates? entrevista realizada por La W a quien fuera por varios aos jefe de seguridad de Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, Jorge Salcedo. Thats what brought down the Cali cartel, and it can make a difference in other countries where a culture of acceptance makes corruption especially stubborn. All Rights Reserved. The Orejuela brothers promptly absorbed the Medellin cartel and ultimately controlled 80 percent of the international cocaine market. And then after Pablo was dead, you tried to leave the cartel? On a cartel radiophone he overheard a call between Miguel and his son, William. And I witnessed many, many millions more. The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? I will say, though it's horrendous, it's not far from the [actual] happenings. Then he got another opportunity and called his DEA contacts in Bogota. He directed the raiding party to a desk. Jorge Salcedo fue la pieza clave para detener a todos los lderes del cartel de Cali, entre ellos los hermanos Rodrguez Orejuela, que siguen en prisin. He infiltrated the Medellin Cartel in order turn Jose Rodriguez Gacha over to the DEA, and he would take part in the war with Medellin from 1992 to 1993. I got to know I was excluded when I got a call saying I had to get there. We had about 150 persons dedicated to caring for the safety of these people, Salcedo recalled. Jorge Salcedo worked for Cali drug cartel in Colombia as security for a godfather Salcedo paid off police, military, politicians, justices, prosecutors with millions in drug money One military. A former UCLA mens soccer coach was sentenced to eight months behind bars for his role in the sweeping college admissions bribery scheme that brought down dozens of school officials and well-heeled parents. Pablo Escobar of Medellin was a bandit a criminal a crazy guy who was threatening their wives and children. However, word of Salcedos role reached Cali, 185 miles southwest of Bogota. He held university degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. 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