Ep 6. The Colombian Rambo--Carlos Lehder

Carlos Lehder, also known as "The Colombian Rambo," was one of the most notorious drug lords in the world. He played a significant role in the rise of the Medellin Cartel and was responsible for flooding America with cocaine during the 1980s.

In this episode of Gangsters: America's Most Evil season 2, viewers are taken through the life and crimes of Carlos Lehder. His journey began in Armenia, Colombia, where he grew up as the son of a German father and Colombian mother. He was cut-off from his family's wealth, so he turned to a life of crime, starting with smuggling stolen cars. As he moved up the ranks, he eventually became one of the main partners of Pablo Escobar in the Medellin Cartel.

Lehder made a name for himself by being a ruthless enforcer, using a combination of violence and intimidation to control his piece of the drug trade. He was also intelligent and foresighted, constantly innovating new methods and techniques to increase his profits and hide his activities. One of his most significant contributions to the drug trade was the use of small planes to transport cocaine from Colombia to the United States. This approach allowed him to bypass traditional smuggling routes, resulting in an enormous profit margin.

As the Medellin Cartel grew in power, their reach also expanded to government officials, other drug traffickers, and even terrorist organizations. Lehder was not just a drug lord but was also a master of manipulation. He managed to buy off politicians, government agents, local police forces, and possibly even judges, using his wealth and power to evade punishment. He was also involved in financing a neo-Nazi movement in Colombia, which aimed to overthrow the government and establish a fascist state.

However, his luck eventually ran out, and his empire began to crumble. In 1987, the DEA launched a massive manhunt to capture Carlos Lehder and bring him to the United States. It took months of coordination between American and Colombian intelligence agencies to make it happen, but Lehder was finally captured in Colombia and extradited to the United States to stand trial.

During the trial, Lehder tried to defend himself, arguing that he was not a drug lord but a freedom fighter who was funding his neo-Nazi movement through the cocaine trade. However, this argument was not persuasive, and he was sentenced to life in prison, where he remains to this day. Despite his fall from grace, Lehder's legacy as one of the most notorious drug traffickers of the 20th century remains intact.

Overall, the episode, The Colombian Rambo--Carlos Lehder, showcases the rise and fall of a notorious criminal and how he managed to hold government officials and other influential people around him to sustain his criminal empire. It highlights how money, power, and influence can be used for both good or evil in the world, and it also portrays the international drug trade's complex web and challenging legal battles.