Agents from the DEA who were involved in the hunt for Pablo Escobar have shared some unsettling insights about the notorious drug lord. They recounted a phone call where Escobar allegedly instructed a victim to stifle her screams during torture, all while he was conversing romantically with his wife.
Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, who played crucial roles in dismantling the Medellin cartel back in the early ’90s, have been vocal about these experiences. In a podcast appearance, they aimed to shed light on Escobar’s nature and also hinted at implications for current drug trafficking issues.
“We tapped into his phone calls. He was expressing his love for his wife and saying he’d be with her soon,” Peña recounted. “Then I heard a man screaming in the background. Escobar covered the phone and told her, ‘Cover your mouth!'”
This chilling revelation highlighted how Escobar juggled his romantic life while inflicting pain on others. Peña also indicated that Escobar’s motivations could potentially skew towards wider violence, suggesting a shift to “killing as many people as possible.”
Murphy and Peña were also the inspiration for characters in the Netflix series “Narcos,” which dramatizes the events surrounding Escobar. They disclosed that upon their arrival in Colombia, a $300,000 hit was placed on their heads by Escobar himself.
Murphy recalled receiving news about this bounty within her first week, stating, “Initially, you think, ‘What the heck, I just got here.’ However, in law enforcement, if you laugh at things like this, it eventually becomes a running joke.”
Despite Escobar’s death in December 1993 during a rooftop firefight while being pursued via phone signals, the influence of South American cartels hasn’t diminished. Peña emphasized the need for continued efforts to combat this threat. “Human traffickers are indifferent to the casualties they cause, as long as they make a profit,” he noted.
He urged the current administration to maintain a tough stance, stressing the importance of relentless pursuit. If pressure isn’t applied, they will continue their operations without restraint.
The Trump administration has intensified action against drug cartels, including attacks on suspected smuggling ships and holding President Nicolás Maduro accountable for connections to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.
