Carlos lehder rivas biography death

It was Carlos Lehder Rivas was at a Medellin Cartel party, snorting cocaine and amusing himself in the company of a prostitute when one of Pablo Escobar's hitmen had the temerity to knock on the door.

Carlos lehder picture today

Lehder didn't think twice. He shot the man, who also happened to be one of the woman's lovers. Gunshots, screams and a dead body in the middle of a fiesta with blaring salsa music; the Netflix series Narcos is a harmless joke when compared to the reality in Colombia at the time. Lehder apologized to Escobar, the body was disposed of and, of course, the party went on.

But while Lehder, a Colombian-German national, thought the party would never end, drug lord Escobar had come to a different conclusion that night. In the end, there is nothing more dangerous than a crazy dealer whose escapades threaten to bring down the entire operation. The day after the party, Escobar sent Lehder to a secret hiding place, promising him he would be safe there — then he ratted him out to US authorities.

Escobar penned an open letter vehemently denying any involvement in his business partner's arrest. Still, Lehder's stock had fallen dramatically with his boss. What is more surprising is that Escobar didn't simply have him quietly knocked off — as he had so many others.