On June 19, 1991, the notorious Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar turned himself in to police authorities in Colombia. Pablo had spent years as a fixture on the US Drug Enforcement Administration's Most Wanted List, a consequence of the 1983 extradition treaty established between Colombia and the United States.
A $2 million bounty had been placed by the DEA for his capture and extradition. Having earned the distinction of being "the most-wanted trafficker of cocaine," as The New York Times put it, the billionaire cocaine lord found himself pursued as a wanted criminal across 33 countries worldwide.
Fun Facts about Pablo Escobar
- Birth: Born on December 1, 1949 in Rionegro, Colombia, Pablo Escobar grew up as the third of seven children. His parents were Abel de Jesús Dari Escobar Echeverri and Hermilda Gaviria.
- Early life: Escobar attended Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana Cali, though he never completed his degree.
- Family and Children: In 1976, Escobar wed Maria Victoria Henao. The couple went on to have two children together: Sebastián Marroquín and Manuela Escobar.
- Youngest Drug Lord: His entry into the drug trade came in 1976 when, at just 26 years old, he relocated to Medellin, Colombia. There, he began collaborating with various contraband traffickers operating as part of the Colombian Mafia.