The Medellin gangs knew he was plotting to kill Escobar. Two heavily armed Hughes 500 helicopters, painted in the olive green of Colombias national police, flew a 12-man team of Salcedos mercenaries to a mountain staging area. Threatened with arrest, the billionaire brothers fled their palatial homes and managed the syndicate while moving from one safe house to another. Good people can sometimes do very bad things, as Salcedo admits when he tells his wife he is a good person before catching himself and telling her that he was one. The case is U.S. v. Ernst et al., case number 1:19-cr-10081 , in the U.S . We know about one company registered at this address Salcedo-marx, Inc. We know that A S Marx, Linda A Marx, and five other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. The biggest bribe I ever handled personally was a half-million-dollar payoff to a Salvadoran air force colonel. 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. He dialed the main switchboard of the CIA in Langley, Va. Listen, this may sound unusual, he said he told the duty officer who answered. The families were huge. The police demanded identity papers and prepared to search their cars. Jorge married first name Salcedo (born Padilla). Then, said U.S. prosecutor Ryan, the bodies began to show up.. I came here to protect you and your family, but I left my business behind, so I'm done." While the scheme was initially designed to be a surprise, bureaucracy led to a prolonged siege of the apartment which ended without an arrest. Salcedo realized that this was to be more than an interrogation session. 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. All I did that night was go to my most secure location to secure my most beloved possession on earth, which is my family. I wanted to go to someone, but I didnt even know on what door to knock, he said. Jorge Salcedo Cabrera was a counter-surveillance expert employed by the Cali cartel . The youngest boss, Pacho Herrera, sometimes liked to use local police as sentries at his home. The pilot was killed. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jorge Salcedo Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. Searchers dismantled the desk. Within a few months, about 130 people were indicted. [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 was there when campaign officials for a presidential candidate came for help. They could do this to anybody. In the show, they also depict you as someone who had a plan to leave the cartel to start your own security firm. Dr. Jorge Salcedo, MD is a Family Medicine Specialist in Cedar Park, TX. Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Honduras Facultad De Ciencias Medicas. The compound of drug lord Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela filled a city block and contained a swimming pool, tennis court and half a soccer field. Editors Note: Jorge Salcedo is a former member of the Cali drug cartel, and his work with authorities helped destroy the organization. THE wonkish, soft-spoken family man was an unlikely drug gang recruit. Yes, well, William Rodriguez was his oldest son and his successor. In Cali, Salcedo found personal safety managing security for the Orejuela family. Politicians were considered a long-term investment. [5], Before being extradited by the DEA, Salcedo argued that Guillermo Pallomari must be extracted. I was taken there. And there was nothing I could do. That part is true. Then he got another opportunity and called his DEA contacts in Bogota. One of the few who knew where to find them was Salcedo. Local authorities closed in. It was a bonus for the captains help getting the boss away from a police raid. FROM mid-July into August 1995, Salcedo continued to play a dual role -- the man in charge of security for Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, and his secret betrayer. The billionaire fugitives continued to manage the syndicate while moving from one safe house to another. So my role became other than just Pablo and became to focus on intelligence. Besides law enforcement, the cartel bought a piece of Colombias justice system with payoffs to prosecutors who lost evidence, misplaced paperwork, blocked search warrants or released prisoners before they could be questioned. How did you get involved with this project? The fourth bomb was abandoned and Salcedo barely escaped El Salvador and arrest. 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. A former University of Southern California, Los Angeles men's soccer coach was sentenced to eight months behind bars Friday for pocketing $200,000 in bribes to help applicants get into the school . The extraditables came to be seen as security risks. Who contacted you? Salcedo immediately helped devise an assault on Escobars Medellin compound. The enforcer insisted that Salcedo accompany him. 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. And, then, Mexican leaders need to sweep out officials at all levels who have sold their souls to organized crime. I asked as a courtesy, "How are you doing? View the profiles of people named Jorge Salcedo. Dr. Jorge A. Salcedo, MD has a rating of 3 out of 5 stars based on the reviews from 20 patients. I said, Guillermo, Ive been taking care of you a lot. . He held degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. He traveled to El Salvador and, through a military contact, purchased four 500-pound bombs for about half a million dollars. He was relocated to the U.S. along with his wife and children in 1995 and taken into the federal witness protection program. I had nothing to do with drugs, he said. I had to go. Between sources like the army sergeant, the police captain and others, my bosses and I were kept informed about dates, times and places for raids and such things as which cartel cars were being followed and what phone numbers were being tapped. Cartel documents turned over to Colombian authorities exposed a vast network of corruption. This provider has 32 years of experience. And they had all read the book, but I was interested that they knew me personally. Oh yes, that was a very tense moment. He saw traitors everywhere.. In Colombia, even honest people have to deal with the cartels.. Salcedo insisted the drug lord was there. You look tired." [3][pageneeded] His resignation was denied by Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela, and he was forced to continue his relationship with the cartel. 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. 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 college . He held university degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. Jorge Salcedo, 47, of Los Angeles, Calif., entered a guilty plea as to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. For Jorge Salcedo, who made vengeful enemies of the most notorious crime bosses in the drug world, hiding has been a way of life for nearly two decades. But it was the would-be assassins who ended up dead. Finally, Escobar was sent to prison. So they told [my friend] Mario, "We need you." Did those dangers include the North Valley cartel depicted in Season 3? Ryan, the federal prosecutor, in a recent interview called Salcedo one of the countrys least-known heroes, one of the people most responsible for bringing down the most powerful criminals in the world., Ryan still marvels at Salcedos contribution, saying he and federal agents thought at the time that the effort had no more than a 1% chance to succeed., He recalled: You cant imagine just how alone this guy was -- talking on phones that he knew were bugged knowing so well how easily he could be compromised. Call Dr. Jorge Salcedo on phone number (281) 500-8600 for more information and advice or to book an appointment. The Orejuela brothers wanted four Panamanian operatives questioned. 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-. He works in Cedar Park, TX and specializes in Family Medicine. Dr. Jorge Salcedo, is a Family Medicine specialist practicing in El Paso, TX with 32 years of experience. Salcedo was escorted to a wing of the residence that contained Miguels offices -- with marble floors, wood paneling, leather furniture, fine porcelain and four cartel dons who were waiting to see him. This time he contacted a Miami lawyer who could make the connections. In 1995, some hits were Salcedos responsibility, including cartel chief accountant Guillermo Pallomari, a Chilean. His father is a retired general of the Colombia national army called Jorge Salcedo Victoria. Though Pallomari did not trust Calis chief of security, the fearful accountant went along to another hide-out. The Orejuela brothers wanted four Panamanian operatives questioned. En la serie vimos que Salcedo fue el personaje clave para atrapar a los lderes del Crtel. Searchers dismantled the desk. Or was it a test, to see how brave you are or how you're going to deal with this? They treated him like a crackpot I confirmed that, DEA agent Edward Kacerosky testified later. 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. The show presents a very tense relationship between you and Miguel's son, David. I see police and judicial corruption as the biggest price of organized crime. Salcedo barely escaped El Salvador and arrest before the botched pickup was exposed. I told them it was unlikely to succeed. 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. 2. He used to be Jorge Salcedo. This time he contacted a Miami lawyer he trusted who could make the connections. And at that time, there were other things going onthey were reorganizing narco-trafficking and all that. Pablo Escobar of Medellin was a bandit a criminal a crazy guy who was threatening to kill their wives and children. When I agreed to assist U.S. drug enforcement agents 16 years ago, the Cali cartel was making $7 billion a year. He also knew who was marked for assassination. If I was seen talking to an American, I would be killed, he said. Paola Salcedo was a Colombian lawyer and Jorge Salcedo's wife.. She wanted Jorge to quit working for the Cali cartel after Pablo Escobar's death, but Miguel Rodrguez Orejuela forced Jorge to work there for six more months. The Mexican public needs to express its outrage. The soft-spoken family man once known as Jorge Salcedo was an unlikely drug-gang recruit. Read the reviews. But in Cali, Salcedo found personal safety as he settled in to managing security for the Orejuela family. So I had to start scanning every possibility that might have led to the Rodriguez brothers being taken down and prevent that. Discovery Company. So to get out from under that debt, Salcedo accepted $200,000 in bribes for his part in the now-infamous college admissions scandal. The Orejuela brothers promptly absorbed the Medellin cartel and ultimately controlled 80 percent of the international cocaine market. However, this defiant personality was sheltering a man capable of seeing things from another perspective. I told myself I was not one of them.. 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 four, three men and a woman, were held in different rooms, each tied to a chair. In those days, hundreds of high-ranking and lower level police were on the cartels secret payroll tens of thousands of dollars paid every month for inside tips or for looking the other way. Furthermore, the American drug agents were armed, a violation of Colombian law. 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. They did just that. Federal prosecutor Edward Ryan called the defection a very personal betrayal to the Cali bosses, leaving the man marked for death. Facebook gives people the power to. I immediately started investigating the leak.. Faced with orders to kill a colleague and friend, Salcedo grew desperate. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. Two armed helicopters flew a team of Salcedos mercenaries to a mountain staging area. He stayed close to Miguel and his family, at every opportunity sharing car rides and meeting with them alone to let his vulnerability erode suspicions. This time it was near a sugar cane plantation.. His military service in the late 1980s coincided with one of Colombias bloodiest periods. For a long time, I was thinking that it was the DEA who killed him. It was an absurd idea. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Jose Santacruz Londono got right to the point. Because at that point, they were suspecting about me. In December '88, my friend retired from the army abruptly. It was difficult to keep these wild people quiet, he said. New patients are welcome. Escobar was the most powerful criminal in the world. 03 Mar 2023 15:33:39 Dr. Quyen Trinh is a Board Certified Family Physician and a 2020 to 2021 Texas Top Doc recipient, recognized by the NCQA in Diabetes and Hypertension read more. One well-placed insider was the sergeant and chief of staff to the military commander of the anti-narcotics task force. The Cali brothers earlier had dispatched an unsuccessful hit squad to Medellin, 155 miles northwest of the capital. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter, The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jorge Salcedo. Four weeks after the failed raid that left Miguel wounded, another police team arrived outside an apartment building in Cali. So I had sympathy [for the Cali Cartel's goals] at that time. Federal drug agents had to prove the cartel leaders continued to operate their empire from prison, after the extradition ban was lifted. Police were guided to his hide-out by radiophone signals. Finally the raucous strangers attracted so much attention, including television news coverage, that Salcedo was forced to scrap yet another mission. 9.2 miles away from Jorge Salcedo, MD. Others were more directly involved in routine bribery, but I still managed to deliver nearly a million dollars in payoffs. For his service, the relocated Colombian received rewards of about $1.7 million. Local authorities closed in. Not much has been said about what sort of person was I. But people should know what I know now. Meanwhile, he beefed up security for the Orejuela brothers and their families. The raiding party that hit Miguels door about dawn the next morning included two DEA agents and an elite search team under Gen. Jose Serrano, chief of the Colombian national police. He was openly complaining. Colombians susceptible to extradition. His father was a retired Colombian army general and respected diplomatic figure. The cartel had important friends in the military, too from helicopter pilots to generals. Jorge Salcedo is the name of: Jorge Salcedo (actor) (1915-1988), Argentinian actor. He told Pallomari he would be arrested and die in jail. I saw one episode, the first or something, where they pull apart one bad guy with two motorcycles. 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.. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. I had to lose my old name, and I've been working as an engineer under my new name. As lo exige el Gobierno Federal. They saw the broken desk and holes in the walls and found the search team lacked a proper warrant. Finally, Escobar went to prison, where he continued to run his cartel and menace rivals from his cell. Dr. Salcedo graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Honduras Facultad De Ciencias Medicas in 1993. In telephone interviews ranging from a few minutes to more than an hour, he shared details of his role in the cartel and occasional frustrations with life in U.S. exile. Head Coach. The son was an officer in the army reserves, but he regarded himself more as an engineer than a soldier. He had very good connections, and when he retired he started working for some oil and chemical companies. It's Complicated. However, word of Salcedos role reached Cali, 185 miles southwest of Bogota. Miguel, the younger of the two Orejuela brothers, was more direct: He wanted Escobar, the most powerful criminal in the world, dead. Growing up in a third-world country, I recognized the need for medical and health services. After top campaign aides acknowledged receiving cartel funds, Samper insisted that if such contributions were made, it was without his knowledge. Narcos season 3 premiered on Netflix on September 1, much to the joy of fans. But I've thought many times, why did they make me do that, to be there? But descending through a cloud bank, one of the choppers hit a mountaintop. Still no sign of Miguel, the agents told him. Its limited cargo space wasnt designed for bombs. Shipments of drugs and money were lost. I was buying four U.S.-made bombs 500-pounders that the bosses wanted to drop on Pablo Escobar. See more results for Jorge Salcedo They just changed my functions. He also helped agents raid a cartel bomb-making site and a weapons warehouse. So even though I am an engineer and I have a degree and all that, it was in my namemy old name. The Orejuela brothers promptly absorbed much of the Medellin cartel and ultimately controlled 80% of the international cocaine market. In the years since, he has made sporadic telephone calls to a Times reporter from undisclosed locations. Since then, the entire Cali cartel hierarchy has been extradited, thanks to Salcedo. Another attempt with a car bomb succeeded only in injuring one of Escobars children. 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. In reality, I never killed him. Its limited cargo space wasnt designed for bombs. THE wonkish, soft-spoken family man was an unlikely drug gang recruit. If that call didn't happen, I most likely wouldn't be alive. Federal drug agents would have to prove that the cartel leaders continued to operate their smuggling empire from prison, after the extradition ban was lifted. Salcedo feigned progress toward setting up an assassination. The cash was disguised as a birthday present, about the size of a large shoebox, wrapped in red paper with gold trim. Learn how and when to remove this template message, United States Federal Witness Protection Program, United States Army Command and General Staff College, "Revelan identidad del hombre que compr las bombas MK-82", "The real Jorge Salcedo talks about what the show gets right", "A daring betrayal helped wipe out Cali cocaine cartel", "Defense lawyer pleads guilty to aiding cartel", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jorge_Salcedo_Cabrera&oldid=1108223474, Drug Enforcement Administration informants, People who entered the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, University of Los Andes (Colombia) alumni, Articles lacking page references from November 2019, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from November 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 September 2022, at 05:41. Salcedo did not comply with his orders and pretended to not know where Pallomari was, believing Pallomari to be his bargaining chip for his freedom. Salcedo insisted that the drug lord was there. He held university degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial economics. Salcedo was invited to join the Cali Cartel in 1989, after Mario del Basto, a member of Salcedo's reserve unit, made first introductions. On one occasion, we knew that Miguel had time for lunch and a shower before the raiding party was scheduled to arrive. Jorge Salcedo's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. No sign of Miguel, the agents told him. After leaving. In Miami, DEA agents targeted the Cali cartels distribution organizations. The soft-spoken family man once known as Jorge Salcedo was an unlikely drug-gang recruit. He became a new king, and my position was: He's the worst enemy I have. Inside the apartment they found no one. [3][pageneeded] On August6, Salcedo and the DEA collaborated on another assault on Miguel, this time on the Hacienda Buenos Aires. The Orejuela brothers unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a voluntary surrender. [3][pageneeded], Mario del Basto's arrest in 1995 promoted Salcedo to the cartel's chief of security. I did not feel I was a criminal, Salcedo recalled. You may be skeptical when I tell you, but no true Colombian could have watched that spectacle of democracy for sale without suffering some heartache. In an unusual move largely financed by Medellin cartel bosses, he was to organize an off-the-books, paramilitary operation -- an armed assault on a guerrilla mountain fortress called Casa Verde. I had to escape, the former cartel official explained. I got a call from Miguel, and he said, "You have to get me out of this building," because all of a sudden it was surrounded by police, so I had a request by Miguel. The new constitution included a no-extradition provision for native Colombians. [3][pageneeded], Salcedo stayed in Colombia, awaiting diplomatic permission from the Colombia government to leave. Search . 1 review of Jorge Salcedo, MD "I live out of state and my daughter( F/17)lives and goes to school out here. The shooter ran to Pacho Herrera for protection. I wanted to be questioned.