Pablo Escobar was shot and killed on a rooftop in the Los Olivos neighborhood of

Featured Event 1993 Event

Pablo Escobar Killed: Colombia's Drug War Era Ends

Pablo Escobar was shot and killed on a rooftop in the Los Olivos neighborhood of Medellin on December 2, 1993, by Colombian police working with the Search Bloc, a special operations unit funded and advised by the United States. Escobar had escaped from his self-designed prison, La Catedral, in July 1992 when the government tried to move him to a conventional facility. The 16-month manhunt that followed involved electronic surveillance, informants, and a vigilante group called Los Pepes that murdered Escobar's associates. At his peak, Escobar controlled 80% of the global cocaine trade and was worth an estimated $30 billion. His death shattered the Medellin Cartel but didn't end the drug trade; the Cali Cartel took over, and Colombian cocaine production actually increased in the years following his death.

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December 2, 1993

33 years ago

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Pablo Escobar Killed: Colombia's Drug War Era Ends

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