Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela began his criminal career while working his way up in the pharmacy business, engaging in kidnapping and then the drug trade. During the 1970s, he and his brother Miguel helped organize a loose consortium of drug trafficking gangs that became the Cali Cartel. Members cooperated in processing, shipping and distribution. The cartel maintained a low profile, avoiding flashy parties, conspicuous displays of wealth, and unnecessary violence. On November 15, 1984, Gilberto was captured in Spain while accompanied by Jorge Luis Ochoa Vásquez, having been there to hold meetings aimed at expanding cartel business in Europe. The Colombian government intervened to stop Spain from extraditing him to the US, and he was returned to Colombia, where he stood trial on the same charges and was acquitted. After the demise of Pablo Escobar, Colombian authorities turned their attention to the Cali Cartel, launching a police campaign in the summer of 1995 with a "joint task force" code named "Search Bloc" headed by Police General Rosso José Serrano.

In Their Own Story

On 9 June 1995, Rodríguez Orejuela was arrested by the Colombian National Police during a house raid in Cali, found in a hidden compartment located behind a TV. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was freed in October 2002 by a controversial judicial order citing good behavior and participation in work-study programs, issued by deputy judge Pedro José Suárez. The Colombian government halted the order and launched an obstruction of justice investigation into Suárez. Within days, a second judge upheld the order and Rodríguez Orejuela was released. In March 2003, he was rearrested by Colombian authorities in Cali on new charges stemming from running the cartel from prison. He was extradited to the United States on 3 December 2004. On 26 September 2006, both Gilberto and his brother Miguel were sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to import cocaine to the US. In the plea deal, the US agreed not to bring charges against their relatives in exchange for asset forfeiture. The brothers forfeited $2.1 billion in illegal profits. On 16 November 2006, the brothers pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to engage in money laundering and were sentenced to an additional 87 months in prison, the two prison terms set to run concurrently. On 6 February 2020, Rodríguez Orejuela submitted an application for compassionate early release, which was rejected on 28 April 2020 by Federal District Judge Federico Moreno, who stated that "the court is totally unwilling to undermine and undo such public respect for the law, as well as the gravity of the offenses committed." Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela died at a prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina on 31 May 2022 at the age of 83. The cause of death was a lymphoma, according to a statement released by the family.

Reader's Guide

In the series Narcos, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela is portrayed by Damián Alcázar. As a historical figure, he was one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel, which he formed with his brother Miguel, José Santacruz Londoño, and Hélmer Herrera. The cartel emerged to prominence in the early 1990s and was estimated to control about 80% of the American and 90% of the European cocaine markets in the mid-1990s. His nickname was "The Chess Player" for his calculated approach. He was the strategic planner and visionary, while his brother Miguel oversaw day-to-day operations. The cartel maintained a low profile, avoiding flashy parties, conspicuous displays of wealth, and unnecessary violence. He was captured on 9 June 1995 in Cali, found in a hidden compartment behind a TV. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, freed in October 2002, rearrested in March 2003, and extradited to the United States on 3 December 2004. On 26 September 2006, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to import cocaine to the US. He died on 31 May 2022 at a prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina at age 83 from lymphoma.

Did You Know?

• Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela was nicknamed 'The Chess Player' for his calculated, strategic approach to running the Cali Cartel.
• He was captured on 9 June 1995 after being found in a hidden compartment located behind a TV during a house raid in Cali.
• In a plea deal, Gilberto and his brother Miguel forfeited $2.1 billion in illegal profits to the US government.
• He died on 31 May 2022 at a prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina at the age of 83 from lymphoma.
• On 28 April 2020, a federal judge rejected his application for compassionate early release, stating the court was 'totally unwilling to undermine and undo such public respect for the law.'