Former Colombian drug lord Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela died Tuesday night at the age of 83 in a North Carolina prison, his lawyer David Markus confirmed to Efe on Wednesday, who did not provide further details.
Rodríguez Orejuela had been serving a 30-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking since 2006.
“We were very saddened to learn of his passing last night. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time,” Markus said.
Colombian ex-capo founder of the Cali Cartel dies
Rodríguez Orejuela was one of the chiefs and founders of the Cali Cartel, leadership that he shared with his brother Miguel, during the greatest period of drug violence in Colombia, and when the also disappeared capo Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) directed the Medellín Cartel.
In April 2020, Markus asked for his freedom by denouncing that Rodríguez Orejuela was an elderly person “with several chronic diseases.” For which he was at risk of dying at the beginning of the pandemic in a prison with “appalling” conditions.
On that occasion, Markus pointed out that the former capo suffered from two types of cancer, colon and prostate. And he took refuge in a new law to reduce sentences.
However, the authorities refused this request.compassion» and his early release, and the co-founder of the Cali Cartel had to remain confined in the Butner Medium prison in North Carolina.
The idea was that, once released, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela would live in Bogotá with his wife, Myriam Rodríguez, and their daughter Alexandra Rodríguez, according to his lawyers.
