I didn't have to be there. Federal prosecutor Edward Ryan called the defection a very personal betrayal to the Cali bosses, leaving the man marked for death. 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. 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. The attack was abandoned. 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. Salcedo also agreed with Singer to recruit another student in return for $100,000. On August12, the DEA successfully collected Pallomari and his family. Boston Office: In the recruitment paperwork, Salcedo falsely reported that he had seen the student play in China and that he planned to offer him a 25% scholarship. So they needed to capture all the politicians onto their side. For a . "I got a call from Miguel, and he said, 'You have to be get me out of this . That scene where they have me and Miguel locked in a room [where Miguel asks Jorge to stay on as security head] is identical. No. Salcedo was ordered to arrange an aerial bomb attack on the prison. In the days that followed, the entire Cali cartel infrastructure was exposed. Dr. Jorge A. Salcedo is a family medicine doctor in Cedar Park, Texas. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Years passed between some of his calls. Jorge Salcedo is a Colombian civil engineer who worked in the Army during the 1980s. He had very good connections, and when he retired he started working for some oil and chemical companies. The Orejuela brothers unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a voluntary surrender. In addition to being a corporate, tax and government affairs attorney, he specializes in both domestic and international transactions, as well as real estate and international tax planning. The soft-spoken family man once known as Jorge Salcedo was an unlikely drug-gang recruit. The Medellin gangs knew he was plotting to kill Escobar. I decided to play on the fact that I might not be discovered, Salcedo said. Desperate for protection from what they feared most -- extradition to the United States -- the cartel bosses poured millions of dollars into the bank accounts of Colombian politicians. Miguel heard them too late. In the wrong hands, his extensive records of bribes and business dealings posed a greater threat to operations than the inconvenience of the brothers spending a few years of lavish confinement in a Colombian jail. Jorge Salcedo, former UCLA men's soccer coach, departs federal court in Boston in March 2019. 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. In May1989, the attack was set to occur, but heavy cloud cover resulted in a helicopter crash, with most of the commandos failing to make it to Escobar's hideout, Hacienda Npoles. While the scheme was initially designed to be a surprise, bureaucracy led to a prolonged siege of the apartment which ended without an arrest. They were in total despair. My father was a general. He and his bodyguard were gunned down as they tried to flee across the rooftops. In Miami, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents targeted the Cali cartels distribution organizations. They treated him like a crackpot I confirmed that, DEA agent Edward Kacerosky testified later. A Netflix documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, released this week, detailed the investigation into the cheating plot. He attended the University of Los Andes, from which he earned a degree in industrial economics. It doesn't matter if you're a wife or anyone. And I went there just to resolve questions. The show presents a very tense relationship between you and Miguel's son, David. FILE - In this March 25, 2019, file photo Jorge Salcedo, former University of California at Los Angeles men's soccer coach, departs federal court in Boston after facing charges in a nationwide . He held university degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. He had been summoned to the hide-out to give an impatient Miguel a detailed report. Within days, Salcedo and Agent Kacerosky were on the phone together. Some targeted rich drug lords. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Mastermind of Varsity Blues college admissions scheme sentenced to over 3 years in federal prison, Mastermind behind college admissions scandal feels regret before sentencing, Womens prison warden accused of running rape club found guilty of sexually abusing inmates, John Stamos defends ex-con Full House co-star Lori Loughlin in wake of scandal. Abcarian: Mask mandates? Colombian drug lords Miguel MIAMI The official end of the notorious Cali cocaine cartel came in 2006 in Miami with little more than the rap of a judges gavel. Business improved noticeably after December 1993. 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. Salcedo was ordered to arrange an aerial bomb attack on Escobars wing of the prison. As the head of security for the Cali Cartel and an eventual. 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. The Mexican public needs to express its outrage. His military service in the late 1980s coincided with one of Colombias bloodiest periods. Now I was against Pablo Escobar., ALMOST immediately, Salcedo helped devise an assault on. With two U.S. agents, the team of Colombian national police poured silently into the building. Some people in Cali want a word with you, Salcedo was told in a phone call in January 1989. 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. For his service, the relocated Colombian received rewards of about $1.7 million. Finally, Escobar went to prison, where he continued to run his cartel and menace rivals from his cell. Federal prosecutor Edward R. Ryan called the defection a shock and a very personal betrayal to the Cali bosses, leaving the man marked for death. There's a scene where the Americans are coming to arrest Miguel in his home. Salcedo received one of the longest sentences in the payola scheme, and is the third coach to be locked up. Jorge Salcedo les haba entregado a las autoridades al ltimo capo del Cartel de Cali. Jorge Salcedo, 48, is among several sports coaches at top universities, including Yale and Georgetown, who federal prosecutors in Boston have brought . The pilot was killed. I have been in witness protection for 22 years. Or was it a test, to see how brave you are or how you're going to deal with this? He became a new king, and my position was: He's the worst enemy I have. Nobody asked me, "Would you have a problem with this?" It was an absurd idea. He made an excuse and tried to leave. Meanwhile, U.S. pressure on the Bogot government was forcing Colombian authorities to crack down on the violent cartels. I was hiding for a long time. In reality, I never killed him. So I had sympathy [for the Cali Cartel's goals] at that time. I was never told the truth, I was lured to the place as a standard procedure. And my wife, in my country she was a lawyer, but she lost all her credentials as such. Now I was against Pablo Escobar.. It was difficult to keep these wild people quiet, he said. Anti-government guerrilla groups unleashed waves of kidnappings that terrorized the nation. These guys are too bad. The U.S. DEA agents insisted on taking him into protective custody immediately. Some targeted the rich drug lords. At the same time, rival cocaine cartels were warring with one another, killing scores of police, judges, politicians and innocent bystanders. So all of a sudden the scene became violent. With the Cali cartel falling apart at the seams, mole Jorge Salcedo is forced to return to the city where everyone wants him dead. My logic is fantastic: How could you think that I would be going to the streets? They are foreigners and will be very embarrassed by any questions.. A federal judge in Boston on Friday sentenced former UCLA soccer coach Jorge Salcedo to eight months in prison followed by a year of supervised release for taking $200,000 in bribes to help secure the admission of two students as part of the nationwide scheme prosecutors dubbed "Varsity Blues." CNN Former UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo pleaded guilty Monday for his role in the college admissions scandal, the US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts said. [Escobar] was bad, killing soldiers and civilians. I started hearing screaming. My role was to be on the outside, make sure the road was clear. 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. And I did engineering studies, and I was doing very specialized services for oil refineries and things like that. I am dead.. Lo sac de Colombia, le dio otra identidad y lo ubic en una direccin desconocida en Estados Unidos en la que hasta hoy permanece oculto. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. From deep inside the U.S. witness-protection program, the official has shared his story in conversations with the Los Angeles Times. Pablo Escobar of Medellin was a bandit a criminal a crazy guy who was threatening their wives and children. Dr. Salcedo is a warm and compassionate family physician who has been in private practice in Houston, Texas since 2017. Los Angeles, A $150,000 executive protection dog? But those guys look like Boy Scouts compared toPablo. The Colombian drug lords Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, 63, and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, 67, entered guilty pleas and were ushered off to federal prison for the next 30 years -- no Miami Vice-like dramatics, no bodies riddled with gunfire in the manner of Medellin rival Pablo Escobar. The youngest boss, Pacho Herrera, sometimes liked to use local police as sentries at his home. The cartel had important friends in the military, too from helicopter pilots to generals. Something very close happened to that. The cash was disguised as a birthday present, about the size of a large shoebox, wrapped in red paper with gold trim. 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. He started his career designing forklifts and other machinery. But more than a decade after betraying his bosses, Salcedos life remains in jeopardy. Everyone was going to jail and Miguel said the best thing was to put William in charge of everything. The raiding party that hit Miguels door the next morning included two DEA agents and a search team under Gen. Jose Serrano, chief of the Colombian national police. The drug boss had just been rescued from an escape vault with the help of a local police captain. Still, he served as a consultant for the new season and spoke extensively with Narcos showrunner Eric Newman to ensure the series' accuracy. Boston, MA 02210, Boston:617-748-3100 U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler agreed, noting Salcedos service rendered to this country and actions that saved the lives of a number of people.. So first thing was her learning English properly. I came here to protect you and your family, but I left my business behind, so I'm done." THE Orejuela brothers saw that U.S. pressure on the Bogota government was forcing Colombian authorities to crack down on the cartels. They wanted to take care of all the politics and people around, because there was now a change in the importance of the Rodiguez brothers [now that Escobar had been eliminated]. But it was not the end of 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. However, others are less sure. 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. [3][pageneeded][2]. Furthermore, the American drug agents were armed, a violation of Colombian law. They were having a meeting, and they were excluding me of everything. But behind the bloodless fall of the ruthless Orejuela brothers and collapse of their $7-billion-a-year empire lies a little-known story of daring and betrayal. I spent more than six years in the biggest, richest syndicate in the history of crime the Cali cartel. says the actress. No, no. This raid was successful, and the DEA arrested Miguel. It was nearly dark. Local authorities closed in. One night, a police raid was scheduled to arrest Pallomari at a hiding place. 1 to be killed, Ryan said. Meanwhile, the cartel bosses launched an internal blood bath targeting other extraditables. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter, The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jorge Salcedo. First, some background: I used to be Jorge Salcedo. It didn't happen that way. William Rodrguez Orejuela, Miguel's son, suspected Salcedo to be the leak, and reassigned Jorge's responsibilities. Key operatives were arrested and had to be bribed, or killed, to keep silent. Corruption is the oxygen that keeps organized crime alive. This account is based on those interviews, corroborated by court records, sworn testimony and additional interviews with federal agents involved in the case. Salcedo was escorted to Miguels offices and four cartel dons. But Salcedo refused, knowing that more time was needed to evacuate his extended family from Colombia. He had been summoned to the cartel hideout to give Miguel a report on the pending assassination of Pallomari. 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. Widespread arrests and firings followed, and the grip of corruption was broken. Escobar had escaped from prison, only to be tracked down by national police 15 months later. But Salcedo refused, knowing more time was needed to evacuate his family from Colombia. [3][pageneeded], In 1995, Gilberto Rodrguez Orejuela was captured by a joint task-force in Cali. And there was nothing I could do. Because at that point, they were suspecting about me. I said, Guillermo, Ive been taking care of you a lot. . Jorge Velsquez Biographical Information Nickname (s) Navegante (Navigator) Status Deceased Death 1995 Cali, Colombia Cause of death Shot by Jorge Salcedo Nationality Colombian Fictional? It was very risky, but I was trapped in a nightmare, in a totally corrupt environment. But Miguel said, Do your job, Salcedo recalled. But cartel-friendly police arrived. So I had to give up. Military leaders grew restless because of the security failings of an impotent and corrupt government and tried to fill the vacuum, sometimes taking military actions without approval from officials in Bogota, the capital. It seemed sometimes that they all had their hands out. Miguel, the younger of the two Orejuela brothers, was even more direct: He wanted Escobar dead. 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