With two U.S. agents, the team of Colombian national police poured silently into the building. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Salcedo was born on November 25, 1947, in Bogot, Colombia. Aiding U.S. drug agents unexpectedly and at great risk was a senior cartel official, the head of security and intelligence for the syndicate. Id never seen so much money. Waiting at a rural airstrip for the dawn arrival of a cargo plane from Cali to retrieve the illicit munitions, Salcedo was distressed to see an executive jet swoop out of the clouds. In the days that followed, the entire Cali cartel infrastructure was exposed. The soft-spoken family man once known as Jorge Salcedo was an unlikely drug-gang recruit. SEARCH . Salcedo feigned progress toward setting up an assassination. He took the police aside and pulled out 500 pesos. See more results for Jorge Salcedo He works in Cedar Park, TX and specializes in Family Medicine. His information on the cartelOperation Cornerstoneled to its eventual disbandment, as a result of which Salcedo and his family have entered the United . Nobody asked me, "Would you have a problem with this?" appreciated. Salcedo said he responded: When they pressed for information, Salcedo told them: We are homosexuals. The man has lost much of what he once took for granted: his home, his country, his name, even his past. It was not an invitation I could refuse, he said. jsalcedo@athletics.ucla.edu. At the end of the season, where they finally capture Palomari, they have you waiting outside in a car, where you kill the hitman Navegante in self-defense. 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC. For a long time, I was thinking that it was the DEA who killed him. And there was nothing I could do. [3][pageneeded][2]. The attack was subsequently called off. But I've thought many times, why did they make me do that, to be there? Politicians were considered a long-term investment. [1] His father was a member of the Colombian military. I have been in witness protection for 22 years. He sensed doubts about his information. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Hong Kong court convicts activists behind Tiananmen vigil, Election conspiracies fuel dispute over voter fraud system, Arizona governor wont proceed with execution set by court, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Civilians flee embattled town of Bakhmut as Ukrainian pullout looms. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. He and his bodyguard were gunned down as they fled. At the same time, rival cocaine cartels were warring with one another, killing scores of police, judges, politicians and innocent bystanders. [3][pageneeded] His resignation was denied by Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, and he was forced to continue his relationship with the cartel. Within a few months, about 130 people were indicted. No sign of Miguel, the agents told him. Salcedo was a prime suspect, one of only five to 10 people who knew where Miguel was hiding. He is still No. The fourth bomb was abandoned and Salcedo barely escaped El Salvador and arrest. Como jefe de seguridad, manejaba los detalles del funcionamiento de la . In Colombia, even honest people have to deal with the cartels.. He cost $20,000 a month. The Cali dons knew Salcedo had ties to mercenaries. The enforcer insisted that Salcedo accompany him. He wanted to know what I was doing to complete the assassination of Pallomari. First, some background: I used to be Jorge Salcedo. But maybe my experience will . That day I didn't do that. Dr. Salcedo graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Honduras Facultad De Ciencias Medicas in 1993. As U.S. prosecutor Ryan later would note, then the bodies began to show up., THE far-flung cartel was directed by Cali-based Colombians, but its operatives included many non-. So I got locked in a room by the cartel. Only three fit, stacked in the passenger cabin. As the head of security for the Cali Cartel and an eventual. I enjoy traveling, kayaking, fishing, bicycling, and cooking. He had been summoned to the hide-out to give an impatient Miguel a detailed report. While the scheme was initially designed to be a surprise, bureaucracy led to a prolonged siege of the apartment which ended without an arrest. I wanted to go to someone, but I didnt even know on what door to knock, he said. My strategy was to avoid confrontation. Jorge Salcedo was born in Cali, Colombia, and he attempted to run a bio-diesel business after leaving the Colombian Army; he served under Major Carlos Cordova, his future colleague. In addition to living quarters, it contained a large swimming pool, a tennis court and half of a soccer field. But descending through a cloud bank, one of the choppers hit a mountaintop. It was kind of a double-checking of everything: How was that? 10. Salcedos story is told in the book, At the Devils Table The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel, by journalist William C. Rempel. Obviously, Im not looking for celebrity -- it would jeopardize our safety, he told The Times. In 1995, some hits were Salcedos responsibility, including cartel chief accountant Guillermo Pallomari, a Chilean. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? Then there were the two checks signed by Miguel worth about $50,000. I was invited to L.A. They were having a meeting, and they were excluding me of everything. And then after Pablo was dead, you tried to leave the cartel? The American DEA agents insisted on taking him into protective custody immediately. This time it was near a sugar cane plantation.. Salcedo arrived ahead of the police. He traveled to El Salvador and, through a military contact, purchased four 500-pound bombs for about half a million dollars. It doesn't matter if you're a wife or anyone. From somewhere deep inside the federal witness protection program that harbors him and his family, he has shared pieces of his story in sporadic telephone conversations with a reporter. 7:18 PM EST, Wed January 18, 2012. Im sorry. When I agreed to assist U.S. drug enforcement agents 16 years ago, the Cali cartel was making $7 billion a year. Neither the author nor CNN know Mr. Salcedos whereabouts or his new name. Discover the family tree of Jorge Salcedo (1) for free, and learn about their family history and their ancestry. So my role became other than just Pablo and became to focus on intelligence. Another attempt with a massive car bomb succeeded only in injuring one of Escobars. So there's one very tense scene in the show where you're taken to a farmhouse for what you thought would be a meeting. His information on the cartelOperation Cornerstoneled to its eventual disbandment, as a result of which Salcedo and his family have entered the United States Federal Witness Protection Program. I immediately started investigating the leak.. It was a cross-examination of everything. AFP/Getty Images Editor's Note: Jorge Salcedo is a former member of the Cali drug cartel, and his work with authorities helped destroy the organization. Some targeted the rich drug lords. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. One day in the summer of 1994, Salcedo was dispatched along with the cartels chief enforcer to a farmhouse outside Cali. He was portrayed in the series by Matias Varela (above). Oh yes, that was a very tense moment. He was relocated to the U.S. along with his wife and children in 1995 and taken into the federal witness protection program. 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 involving the admission of. He was very well known, so eventually, he was called by some friends who were connected to the cartel. In the wrong hands, his records of bribes and business dealings posed a greater threat to cartel operations than confinement in a Colombian jail. Miguel was getting paranoid, Salcedo said. [2] After being ordered to kill Pallomari, Salcedo began to believe that he had no choice for leaving the operation other than its dismantling. I had to watch him strangle them, Salcedo said. Salcedo realized it was more than interrogation. Updated Jorge Salcedos contacts with The Times began with a handshake in Miami during a brief court appearance in October 1998. Many safe houses were known to conceal vaults built into the walls for magician-like escapes. How has your life under witness protection been? Was this a "welcome to the club" situation? Is that right? That people might start wondering, Where is he now? Jorge Salcedo Cabrera (born November 25, 1947) is a Colombian civil engineer, countersurveillance specialist, and former head of security for Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela and the Cali Cartel who turned confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. What did you say? I had nothing to do with drugs. His father is a retired general of the Colombia national army called Jorge Salcedo Victoria. Miguel, the younger of the two Orejuela brothers, was more direct: He wanted Escobar, the most powerful criminal in the world, dead. Salcedo appears under the name of Ricardo Salgado and is portrayed by Luis Fernando Hoyos. The ploy seemed to deflect suspicion. But a few months after then, everything was falling. And this man is a businessman, and he's got night vision, heat detectors, and GPS." It was, Agent Kacerosky later would observe tersely, historical., Salcedo pleaded guilty in Miami to a single count of racketeering and, at an unusual sentencing hearing, was universally praised by agents and prosecutors who recommended unprecedented leniency. In the days after, the entire Cali cocaine cartel infrastructure was exposed. [3][pageneeded], Mario del Basto's arrest in 1995 promoted Salcedo to the cartel's chief of security. This provider has 32 years of experience. says the actress. The entire cartel brain trust would go to jail in exchange for a limited five-year sentence to be served at a prison built, or substantially remodeled, at cartel expense. This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. I had to escape, the former cartel official explained. But Miguel said, Do your job, Salcedo recalled. My logic is fantastic: How could you think that I would be going to the streets? Four weeks after the failed raid that left Miguel wounded, another police team arrived outside an apartment building in Cali. There was no turning back for Salcedo. The compound of drug lord Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela filled a city block and contained a swimming pool, tennis court and half a soccer field. Narcos recap: You Will Cry Tears of Blood. The story in general remains the same [as the truth]. Another attempt with a car bomb succeeded only in injuring one of Escobars children. [Laughs] So we had to accommodate to the lifestyle. On season 3 of Netflix's Narcos, it doesn't take long to realize that one man is at the center of all the action: Jorge Salcedo. But people should know what I know now. Jorge Salcedo Cabrera (born November 25, 1947) is a Colombian civil engineer, countersurveillance specialist, and former head of security for Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela and the Cali Cartel who turned confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. No es opcional, es una OBLIGACIN. They are foreigners and will be very embarrassed by any questions.. The four, three men and a woman, were held in different rooms, each tied to a chair. Salcedo entered the Colombian army in 1982. Miguel literally tried to wipe out all non-Colombian nationals operating in Colombia, said Ryan. 8190 Barker Cypress Rd Suite 1500, Cypress, TX 77433-1223 (281 . Again, people began to disappear Salcedo and his family, and Pallomari this time into the custody and protection of U.S. authorities. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. It was very risky, but I was trapped in a nightmare, in a totally corrupt environment. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low . Key operatives were arrested and had to be bribed, or killed, to keep silent. Facebook gives people the power to. 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. Right, they fail, but at the same time, Miguel has figured you out and is trying to kill you with a plastic bag over your head. It was very risky, but I was trapped in a nightmare, in a totally corrupt environment. Jorge Salcedo's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Residents of 02138 pay approximately $3,260 a month for a 2-bedroom unit. Some regularly shared information with Salcedo. Military leaders grew restless with the impotent and corrupt government and tried to fill the vacuum, taking military actions without approval from Bogot. Meanwhile, Salcedo beefed up security for the Orejuela brothers and their extended families -- a mother, four sisters, in-laws, wives and children. The cartel had important friends in the military, too from helicopter pilots to generals. He made an excuse and tried to leave the house. After Escobar was killed by national police in 1993, Salcedo considered his duty with the Cali Cartel completed, and attempted to resign. The billionaire fugitives continued to manage the syndicate while moving from one safe house to another. But I know all that is always permissible in filmmaking, for the dynamics of the story, and to keep everyone's attention and on the edge. He held degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. . No. They fought, they drank, they wanted women every day -- they were like mad dogs.. The Cali Cartel informant is currently in the witness protection program. But it was not the end of the Cali cartel. So your first assignment was to nail Pablo Escobar? But cartel-friendly police arrived. I never wanted to be a part of that, I wanted to be outside. He said, "Well, I know someone who's good. Since a very young age, Jorge Salcedo a man from Colombia living in the U.S., began showing signs of not adapting to the traditional way of doing things. Because Pablo Escobar at that time had already made an attempt to kill Miguel Rodriguez with a bomb explosion maybe less than a half-mile from where he lived. And I did engineering studies, and I was doing very specialized services for oil refineries and things like that. And I told them [Cali], with these guys, you better give up. How did you know where to find me? Pallomari asked the next day. The former Jorge Salcedo remains in hiding -- his location unknown even to his lawyer -- somewhere in the United States. However, word of Salcedos role reached Cali, 185 miles southwest of Bogota. Our Story. And I went there just to resolve questions. Drug cartels, whether in Colombia or Mexico, cannot function without massive assistance from compromised officials at all levels. Its secret chamber gave up a trove of records that delighted Serrano -- 30,000 checks, cartel payments to police, 150 politicians, reporters, everyone, Salcedo said. The risk was so incredible, Agent Kacerosky said in testimony. [3][pageneeded] In the aftermath, Salcedo was demoted. After Jorge determined Miguel's location, the DEA agents planned a raid of the apartment complex. (Getty, Realtor.com) Former UCLA soccer coach Jorge Salcedo said he couldn't afford the $1.9 million Century City home he bought for his family in 2016.. I get there, and the cars arrive there, and all of a sudden these people were just taken by force by people who work at Pacho Herrera's farmwell, it was a luxury ranch, not a farm. Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Honduras Facultad De Ciencias Medicas. The Orejuela brothers promptly absorbed much of the Medellin cartel and ultimately controlled 80% of the international cocaine market. 715 Discovery Blvd Ste 111, Cedar Park, TX, 78613, Based on patient feedback. The soft-spoken family man once known as Jorge Salcedo was an unlikely drug-gang recruit. But that's the thing in intelligence, sometimes when you do something good, don't tell anybody. He was relocated to the U.S. along with. Within a week, Salcedo faced his first life-threatening decision. It should have been the perfect lonely place, Salcedo said. The dons said Salcedos skills were required to end Escobars reign of terror and protect them and their families. Si ya viste la temporada completa (si no la viste no sigas leyendo, esto est lleno de spoilers) sabrs que la trama gir alrededor de Jorge Salcedo, el jefe de seguridad del Crtel interpretado por Matias Varela. RT @MillyMendezpr: YA HEMOS PERDIDO $40 MILLONES EN DOS AOS. I was taken there. I started using very high-level equipment for communications and location detection. [3][pageneeded] Working under the pretense of casing Pallomari for assassination, Salcedo forwarded his location to the DEA. 2023 Cable News Network. On one occasion, we knew that Miguel had time for lunch and a shower before the raiding party was scheduled to arrive. contact us email us 512-782-8010 The Bogot team listened, tapped on cement walls and floors, then pulled out power drills and bored into suspicious areas. However, this defiant personality was sheltering a man capable of seeing things from another perspective. Mason Park Medical Clinic. I've never seen so many important people in terms of the movies and TV sector. Because at that point, they were suspecting about me. He was arrested without incident in his underwear, scurrying for a vault in the wall. Then, said U.S. prosecutor Ryan, the bodies began to show up.. The former Jorge Salcedo remains in hiding his location unknown even to his lawyer in the United States. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. Salcedo insisted that the drug lord was there. One night, a police raid was scheduled to arrest Pallomari at a hiding place. It bought time. The drug boss had just been rescued from an escape vault with the help of a local police captain. Sec Familia explica. Netflix. THE compound of Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela filled a city block. But Salcedos ability to protect Pallomari and himself was nearly exhausted. Rosenthal's arrest led to Salcedo being introduced to Chris Feistl and David Mitchell, two Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents operating in Cali. The Colombian government now knew he worked for the Cali cartel. They got right to the point. My role was to be on the outside, make sure the road was clear. They never got into their brains that the best thing they should have done is to give up and say "Hey, Pablo is gone, we're done." This eventually begins to crack their relationship, till Jorge agreed to be an informant for the DEA.With Jorge's help, the DEA and the Search Bloc succeeded in bringing . Toggle navigation . But Salcedo refused, knowing that more time was needed to evacuate his extended family from Colombia. He held university degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. Former UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo, 47, broke probation by entering Mexico without permission and without a passport last week He is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to a racketeering charge in US. Jorge Salcedo and his $2.3 million house. It was aborted at the last minute. On a cartel radiophone, Salcedo overheard a call between Miguel and his son, William. The Colombian television series En la boca del lobo focuses on the years Salcedo worked for the Cali Cartel. In Miami, DEA agents targeted the Cali cartels distribution organizations. 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.. And the Medellin gangs knew he was plotting to kill Escobar. At the same time, rival cocaine cartels were warring, killing police, judges, politicians and bystanders. I did not go near it. The official end of the notorious Cali cocaine cartel came in 2006 in Miami with little more than the rap of a judge's gavel. Some judges became overnight millionaires. Meanwhile, the cartel bosses launched an internal blood bath targeting other extraditables. I dont know where to direct your call, the voice in Langley responded, according to Salcedo. The families were huge. He dialed the CIA in Virginia. Calling on a secure phone line from an undisclosed location, Salcedo, now in his late 60s, spoke at length about his time with the cartel, his life since then in the federal witness protection program, and all the things the show gets rightincluding some of the most harrowing scenes. That scene where they have me and Miguel locked in a room [where Miguel asks Jorge to stay on as security head] is identical. Years later, he was a consultant for "Narcos" and worked closely with the showrunner Eric Newman. Director for External Relations Josh Rebholz and former assistant men's tennis coach Grant Chen conspiring to admit a family friend of Chen's as a member . Not with Harleys, they used two Land Cruisers. I will say, though it's horrendous, it's not far from the [actual] happenings. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter, The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jorge Salcedo. The attack had to be abandoned. He became proficient in electronic surveillance, which drew him into counterterrorism assignments. A gun battle erupted, leaving several people dead. They have 32 years of experience. 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. Salcedo met Carlo Cordova while serving in the Colombian Army and was recruited into Cordova's security firm, which provided security to the Cali cartel. Call us today to schedule an appointment. For years he had protected the bosses, their wives and children. La @CamaraConPR arrastra los pies con la aprobacin de Ley FAMILY FIRST. Where were you? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The practitioner's primary taxonomy code is 207QA0505X with license number M2786 (TX). or "Would you consider it?" I told them it was unlikely to succeed. No one took up Salcedos offer of assistance. He must have brass balls this big.. Inside the apartment they found no one. [3][pageneeded], Salcedo stayed in Colombia, awaiting diplomatic permission from the Colombia government to leave. Some were on the cartel payroll. 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. After top campaign aides acknowledged receiving cartel funds, Samper insisted that if such contributions were made, it was without his knowledge. He and his bodyguard were gunned down as they tried to flee across the rooftops. But the first five years, I was dedicated to helping my family, to help them accommodate to the lifestyle of the United States. Under threat of arrest, the U.S. agents and Serranos team abandoned their search for Miguel Orejuela. A second assault was planned, this time from a base in Panama. No, no. In Colombia, even honest people have to deal with the cartels.. A Warner Bros. The policemen took the 500 pesos and drove off. Jorge Salcedo, formerly a men's soccer coach at the University of California, Los Angeles, was sentenced Friday to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $200,000.