Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain (2024) s01e03 Episode Script
Colombia
1
(brooding music)
REPORTER 1: More violence
to report tonight in Colombia.
REPORTER 2: Colombia's
crisis has escalated dramatically.
REPORTER 3:
In the cocaine capital of the world.
REPORTER 3:
In the cocaine capital of the world.
(sirens blaring)
(automatic gunfire)
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
REPORTER: Justice Minister Lara
Bonilla was ambushed and murdered.
NARRATOR: On the 30th of April 1984,
NARRATOR: On the 30th of April 1984,
Colombia's Justice Minister
was shot dead in his car.
REPORTER:
One of his assassins confessed
REPORTER:
One of his assassins confessed
that he had been paid
$21,000 by someone from Medellín.
NARRATOR:
The assassination had been ordered
NARRATOR:
The assassination had been ordered
by the Medellín drug lord
Pablo Escobar.
REPORTER:
The Americans believe
Pablo Escobar was
personally responsible.
Pablo Escobar was
personally responsible.
MAN: When is the government
going to move against these people -
people like Escobar?
REPORTER: The Colombian Airforce
(explosion)
REPORTER: The Colombian Airforce
(explosion)
..bombed Escobar's ranch.
(explosions)
RON: To Escobar, it didn't
matter whether you were a man,
woman, or a child.
woman, or a child.
If you're going to die,
you're going to die.
NARRATOR: In response,
the Colombian government
declared war on all
the country's cartels.
declared war on all
the country's cartels.
(crack of thunder)
- The Colombian government
intends to pursue the Cali Cartel.
MAN: The Cali Cartel.
NARRATOR:
In the chaos that followed,
one cartel leader fled to Europe.
- My father, he escaped one night.
They say that he made some business
They say that he made some business
with this Italian Mafia.
ROSS: The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
NARRATOR:
And he established a drugs pipeline
to organised crime groups in Europe.
- Oh, wow.
- Oh, wow.
REPORTER: Now, the Mafia
and South American traffickers
target Europe -
in particular, Britain.
NARRATOR: And created a new market.
NARRATOR: And created a new market.
- So, I've come to Colombia,
to work out the connection
between the Mafia,
the United Kingdom
between the Mafia,
the United Kingdom
and the cocaine trade.
(title music)
NARRATOR: The Mafia
originated in southern Italy,
NARRATOR: The Mafia
originated in southern Italy,
and was exported to America
and the rest of the world.
But what is its relationship
with Britain?
But what is its relationship
with Britain?
To find out, I've followed a trail
which led me to an assassination
in London.
which led me to an assassination
in London.
- This is all adding up
to an example killing.
NARRATOR: And a mafia associate
hiding in the northwest of England.
NARRATOR: My journey then took me
to the US, to try and unravel
the long-standing links between
the Mob and British crime bosses.
the long-standing links between
the Mob and British crime bosses.
- Who did he do business with?
- Ronnie and Reggie.
- The Krays?
- The Krays?
NARRATOR: I discovered how the
flood of cocaine from South America
into the US, brought in new laws
that wreaked havoc on the Mob
into the US, brought in new laws
that wreaked havoc on the Mob
(indistinct shouting)
- And that's when I decided
to cooperate with the government.
- And that's when I decided
to cooperate with the government.
NARRATOR:
..And ushered in a new era.
REPORTER: A group
of a dozen wealthy families
who control over 80%
of the world's cocaine market.
who control over 80%
of the world's cocaine market.
NARRATOR: The dilution
of the American Mob drove
the cartels to look for new partners
and new territories.
the cartels to look for new partners
and new territories.
- And where else did they go?
- As far as I know,
they went to Europe.
And they went to your country,
the UK.
And they went to your country,
the UK.
(plane jets roaring)
NARRATOR: I've come to Colombia,
NARRATOR: I've come to Colombia,
to investigate how the global
expansion of the cocaine cartels
impacted Britain and its
relationship with the Mafia.
impacted Britain and its
relationship with the Mafia.
REPORTER: 80% of
the international cocaine trade
is headquartered here.
Take away the cocaine dollar,
and Colombia would crumble.
Take away the cocaine dollar,
and Colombia would crumble.
NARRATOR: I'm heading southwest,
into the Cauca Valley,
NARRATOR: I'm heading southwest,
into the Cauca Valley,
to see the scale of cocaine
production in the region
and the ongoing war on drugs.
and the ongoing war on drugs.
I've been invited
by the APOLO special operations unit
of the Colombian Army, to join
them on a raid aimed at finding
of the Colombian Army, to join
them on a raid aimed at finding
and destroying cocaine labs.
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- Goodnight. I am Colonel Peña,
I am commander of
the APOLO operations.
I am commander of
the APOLO operations.
The mission for tonight
is very dangerous
for all people, for civilians.
for all people, for civilians.
NARRATOR: The cocaine
processing labs we're looking for
are inside territory
that's loyal to the cartels.
are inside territory
that's loyal to the cartels.
The local population depend
on the income from cocaine,
and will be prepared to defend it.
and will be prepared to defend it.
(brooding music)
(speaking Spanish)
(speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- So, they brief the soldiers three
or four minutes before they leave.
- So, they brief the soldiers three
or four minutes before they leave.
They have no idea
where they're going,
and that's so nobody
can inform the traffickers
that a raid is about to take place.
that a raid is about to take place.
NARRATOR:
The war on drugs in Colombia
has been raging here
for over 50 years.
has been raging here
for over 50 years.
The country still produces more
than half of the world's supply -
over 1,000 metric tonnes a year.
over 1,000 metric tonnes a year.
(eerie music)
NARRATOR: The labs are
hidden within dense forest.
NARRATOR: The labs are
hidden within dense forest.
Once we leave the road,
we must move forward on foot.
OFFICER: Please stay together.
Everyone close to each other.
(unsettling music)
NARRATOR: The coca leaf is
the source of the world's cocaine.
NARRATOR: The coca leaf is
the source of the world's cocaine.
REPORTER: The process begins
with a coca being finely chopped.
Ordinary household salt is
sprinkled on the leaves to react
Ordinary household salt is
sprinkled on the leaves to react
with the moisture
released by the chopping.
NARRATOR:
The process of turning the leaves
into an addictive white powder
has remained the same for decades.
into an addictive white powder
has remained the same for decades.
REPORTER: A black,
tar-like liquid oozes from it,
as it's transferred to a barrel.
The petrol will act as a solvent,
devouring the sticky black fluid.
The petrol will act as a solvent,
devouring the sticky black fluid.
After a thorough mixing,
the barrel is covered for the night.
It'll take another seven hours
for the petrol to do its job.
It'll take another seven hours
for the petrol to do its job.
(suspenseful music)
- The issue we have here is that
if the locals find that we're here,
- The issue we have here is that
if the locals find that we're here,
what the cartel does is, it gets all
the locals to surround the soldiers
what the cartel does is, it gets all
the locals to surround the soldiers
and kidnap them.
So, boys, it could turn rather ugly.
NARRATOR: After climbing
over 3,000 feet into the forest,
NARRATOR: After climbing
over 3,000 feet into the forest,
(dog barking)
we're told to turn our lights off.
The soldiers think
they've spotted a lab.
The soldiers think
they've spotted a lab.
(dog barking, howling)
NARRATOR: We prepare to move in.
- This way.
- This way.
(dog barking)
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
We've found two labs.
One that's recently been dismantled,
One that's recently been dismantled,
and another one here
that's presently being built.
They knew we were coming,
and they've cleared it.
NARRATOR:
The labs have been abandoned.
They will now be decommissioned,
but it's only a matter of time
before they're rebuilt.
but it's only a matter of time
before they're rebuilt.
- So, there is, er
There's no slowdown
in the production of cocaine here.
- Have you at any point come
into contact with any traffickers
- Have you at any point come
into contact with any traffickers
that were sending cocaine
to the United Kingdom?
NARRATOR: I want to discover
exactly how the cartels moved
NARRATOR: I want to discover
exactly how the cartels moved
on from their relationship
with the American Mafia
in the 1980s, and how they
brought cocaine to Britain.
in the 1980s, and how they
brought cocaine to Britain.
- So, organised crime groups
- Yeah, mafia groups.
At this moment,
it's the big problem.
At this moment,
it's the big problem.
NARRATOR: I want to find out more
about the expansion of the cocaine
NARRATOR: I want to find out more
about the expansion of the cocaine
trade into Europe and Britain.
(tense music)
(tense music)
So, I'm off to meet someone
who has spent his whole life
close to the heart of one of
the biggest cartels in the world,
close to the heart of one of
the biggest cartels in the world,
and who witnessed
their collaboration
with the Mafia firsthand.
- John Joseph Gotti, you know,
talked to my father and
- Head of the Gambino family?
- Yes.
- Yes.
They were businessmen and friends.
NARRATOR: I'm looking into Britain's
complex relationship with the Mafia.
NARRATOR: I'm looking into Britain's
complex relationship with the Mafia.
My journey has brought me
to Colombia.
- The hills are full of coca.
NARRATOR: I've been told
that the cartels responded
to the American Mafia being
weakened in the late 1980s
to the American Mafia being
weakened in the late 1980s
by looking for partners who could
import cocaine directly into Europe
by looking for partners who could
import cocaine directly into Europe
and the UK.
NARRATOR: Now, I'm travelling to
the capital, Bogotá, which has been
at the heart of the long
and bloody war
at the heart of the long
and bloody war
between the government
and the cartels.
(explosion) (siren wailing)
I'm meeting with US journalist
and author Ron Chepesiuk.
I'm meeting with US journalist
and author Ron Chepesiuk.
Ron has studied Colombia's
cocaine trade since the 1980s.
Ron has studied Colombia's
cocaine trade since the 1980s.
- Not a bad view, Ron.
- Yeah, beautiful.
NARRATOR:
He's tried to trace multiple cartels
NARRATOR:
He's tried to trace multiple cartels
and map their influence
across the globe.
- In 1987, Escobar was the man,
and the Medellín Cartel
were the organisation.
They always say, they were the
Henry Fords, because they developed
They always say, they were the
Henry Fords, because they developed
a transportation system which
mass-distributed drugs to the US.
Whereas the Cali Cartel
were like McDonalds,
Whereas the Cali Cartel
were like McDonalds,
because they developed it
into a corporate enterprise.
This is why I think they're the
most important drug organisation
that ever was.
- The Cali Cartel.
- The Cali Cartel.
NARRATOR: Less well known than
Escobar and the Medellín Cartel,
brothers Gilberto
and Miguel Rodriguez
brothers Gilberto
and Miguel Rodriguez
ran a rival cocaine cartel out
of the Colombian city of Cali.
- Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela,
who was sort of the godfather
of the Cali Cartel, became
known as the 'Chess Master',
because he was able to
strategically plan their operation.
because he was able to
strategically plan their operation.
They always looked for the business
approach to solving a problem,
rather than a criminal approach.
They made a deal with Escobar.
They made a deal with Escobar.
Pablo would, and the Medellín Cartel
would handle Miami,
and the Cali Cartel
would have New York City.
and the Cali Cartel
would have New York City.
NARRATOR: In the 1980s, the
Cali and Medellín cartels divided up
the two most lucrative markets
in the US.
the two most lucrative markets
in the US.
Escobar supplied Miami,
and the Rodriguez Brothers
supplied New York.
- New York City, Queens, has an
enormous Colombian population.
- New York City, Queens, has an
enormous Colombian population.
- It's Italian Mafia
territory as well.
- It's also Italian Mafia territory,
and they had to respect
the Italian Mafia.
and they had to respect
the Italian Mafia.
The Italian Mafia knew everything
that was going on in the city,
so I'm sure they worked out a deal.
They were businessmen,
you know what I mean?
They were businessmen,
you know what I mean?
NARRATOR: The Cali Cartel
and the New York Mafia
struck an informal alliance
over distribution of cocaine
throughout the East Coast.
throughout the East Coast.
REPORTER:
The Colombians supplied the cocaine,
the Mafia in America ran
the distribution network.
NARRATOR: But in the late 1980s,
a US law enforcement campaign
NARRATOR: But in the late 1980s,
a US law enforcement campaign
against the American Mob
started to target
the cartel members as well.
started to target
the cartel members as well.
REPORTER: Police chiefs
remove the Italian connection,
and now target the Colombians.
NARRATOR: It forced The Cali Cartel
to adapt and look elsewhere.
NARRATOR: It forced The Cali Cartel
to adapt and look elsewhere.
- The heat was still on.
The US government was going
after The Cali Cartel,
The US government was going
after The Cali Cartel,
and being the shrewd
businessmen that they are,
they realised
this was a new opportunity
to introduce a new market.
They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
every country in Latin America.
They were even talking
about going into Japan.
- So, do you think the Cali Cartel -
the Rodriguez Brothers -
- So, do you think the Cali Cartel -
the Rodriguez Brothers -
start selling cocaine in the UK?
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
The market itself, there was
60 million British people, right?
So, it was only natural, I think,
that they saw that Great Britain
would be the market for cocaine.
would be the market for cocaine.
I believe that they saw
England as an easy target,
with lax laws.
- Do you know what route they took?
Well, no, and that's one of the
best-kept secrets in the history
of the drug trade.
of the drug trade.
NARRATOR: Internationally
business-minded, entrepreneurial
and structured, the Cali Cartel
operated like a corporation.
and structured, the Cali Cartel
operated like a corporation.
This meant they were
best placed to move away
from the troubled American Mafia
and open new distribution lines into
territories like Europe and Britain.
and open new distribution lines into
territories like Europe and Britain.
REPORTER: After a massive roundup
of alleged top mafia figures,
is there a power vacuum
in organised crime?
is there a power vacuum
in organised crime?
NARRATOR: But how did they do it?
I've secured a meeting with someone
who has intimate inside knowledge
I've secured a meeting with someone
who has intimate inside knowledge
of the Cali Cartel.
Fernando Rodriguez is the son
of Gilberto Rodriguez, the man
Fernando Rodriguez is the son
of Gilberto Rodriguez, the man
who established the biggest drugs'
cartel the world has ever seen.
We are meeting him
at his father's former mansion
in the hills outside of Cali.
From here, Gilberto,
known as the 'Chess Player,'
controlled his vast criminal empire.
- How are you doing?
- Good to meet you.
- No worries. Thank you.
NARRATOR: The Hacienda is now in the
hands of the Colombian government.
NARRATOR: The Hacienda is now in the
hands of the Colombian government.
As a family member
of an outlawed cartel,
As a family member
of an outlawed cartel,
Fernando needed special permission
to return.
- There's stables down there as
well. Are they part of the property?
- Yeah.
- They would have had horses?
NARRATOR:
This is the first time a film crew
have ever been allowed inside.
have ever been allowed inside.
- Wow, what's this?
Oh, wow.
This is a tenpin bowling alley.
- The kids enjoy it
more than the old guys.
- There's a bar over there.
- Yeah, yeah.
- There's a bar over there.
- Yeah, yeah.
The bar, the disco.
That was a disco.
- How much money would it
have cost to have built this?
- The money wasn't
important at the time.
- The money wasn't
important at the time.
Just to have something like this
to show their friends,
their family, that you could put
a bowling alley in the mountains.
their family, that you could put
a bowling alley in the mountains.
- This is just one of the many
houses your father had.
- This is just one of the many
houses your father had.
Do you know how many he had?
- Probably had more
than 4,000 properties.
- 4,000?
- Yeah.
- Does it feel odd being back here
looking at the swimming pool
- Does it feel odd being back here
looking at the swimming pool
where your father swam and there
was so much fun and partying?
- Well, yeah.
- Well, yeah.
My father passed
many happy days here,
but my father died and
..I forgive him for every
bad thing he did in his life.
Hopefully, God will take him
to a better place than here.
Hopefully, God will take him
to a better place than here.
NARRATOR: Fernando's
father's story is key to my journey.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
NARRATOR: This would
allow them to seize control
of the global cocaine trade
of the global cocaine trade
- And he decides to assassinate
Pablo Escobar?
How does he go about it?
NARRATOR:
And to expand into Europe.
- My father went to London.
NARRATOR: My investigation
into Britain and the Mafia
has led me to Colombia.
- What a view.
- Yeah.
- What a view.
- Yeah.
NARRATOR: I'm in the
hills outside the city of Cali,
talking with the son of one of
the most powerful drug lords
the world has ever seen.
I've discovered that
in the 1980s and '90s,
Cali Cartel leader Gilberto
Cali Cartel leader Gilberto
Rodriguez shifted distribution
away from the American Mafia
and the East Coast
of the United States,
and the East Coast
of the United States,
and expanded his cocaine
enterprise into new territories.
- They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
every country in Latin America.
They were even talking
about going into Japan.
- So do you think the Cali Cartel
starts selling cocaine in the UK?
- So do you think the Cali Cartel
starts selling cocaine in the UK?
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
NARRATOR: So how did the
so-called 'Chess Player' Gilberto
NARRATOR: So how did the
so-called 'Chess Player' Gilberto
mastermind a shift into Europe,
and potentially Britain,
and who did he do it with?
and potentially Britain,
and who did he do it with?
Fernando starts by telling me
how his father
first built his smuggling route
into America.
- They were making the base
and making the cocaine.
- They were making the base
and making the cocaine.
- Powder.
- Yeah, the powder.
And sending it to the United States,
but in suitcases.
And sending it to the United States,
but in suitcases.
- What year was this?
- We're talking about '76/'77.
- He's getting two-to-three
suitcases.
- He's getting two-to-three
suitcases.
- Then he'd say:
"We could send airplanes.
300, 400, 500 kilos
in one airplane.'
(plane roaring)
The kilo, at one time,
it was $60,000 a kilo.
Here in Colombia,
you could get it for $1,700.
Here in Colombia,
you could get it for $1,700.
- $1,700 here for a kilo?
- For a kilo.
And there, it's $60,000.
- $60,000?
And there, it's $60,000.
- $60,000?
REPORTER: Money is no object.
The cartel's annual profits, between
seven and ten billion dollars.
The cartel's annual profits, between
seven and ten billion dollars.
NARRATOR: In the late '70s,
a $58,000 profit was made
on every kilo of cocaine
transported into America,
transported into America,
and Gilberto was
so adept at trafficking
that the cartel became
increasingly powerful and wealthy.
that the cartel became
increasingly powerful and wealthy.
- Finally, those friends said:
"You just give me 50%
of the profits, and I let you run.
"You just give me 50%
of the profits, and I let you run.
I leave you all the salesmen that
I have in New York, I leave you
all the houses I have there, I leave
you something to watch his back."
all the houses I have there, I leave
you something to watch his back."
Who watched his back?
That was the Mob.
The Mob was there in New York.
The Mob was there in New York.
NARRATOR: While I was in New York,
I learnt how much power the
Mob had there in the 1970s.
- I mean, look, this
was in the 1970s.
- I mean, look, this
was in the 1970s.
There was no DNA,
no cameras, no informants.
We thought
we had a licence to steal.
We thought
we had a licence to steal.
NARRATOR: So, it's no surprise
to discover that the Cali Cartel
were doing business
with the Five Families.
- One, my father needed protection.
- Hm.
- And they need the merchandise.
They were businessmen,
and friends, yeah?
They were businessmen,
and friends, yeah?
Because John Joseph Gotti
- Head of the Gambino family.
- I know John Joseph, you know,
talked to my father,
- I know John Joseph, you know,
talked to my father,
and they had some dinners together.
You know, no problem.
- How quickly did your father go
from making thousands of dollars
- How quickly did your father go
from making thousands of dollars
to making millions
and millions of dollars?
- In four years,
he became a billionaire.
- In four years,
he became a billionaire.
- Four years?
- Mm-hmm.
- He became a billionaire?
- Yeah, yeah.
NARRATOR:
One billion dollars in the 1980s
NARRATOR:
One billion dollars in the 1980s
was the kind of huge number
that would attract the attention
of the Cali Cartel's volatile ally,
Pablo Escobar.
Pablo Escobar.
- Pablo had a certain amount
of the American market,
and your father
had a certain amount.
- New York was only
the merchandise for Cali,
and LA only the merchandise
of Pablo Escobar and Medellín.
All the problems start, because
Pablo starts sending merchandise
to New York, because
New York was the city
to New York, because
New York was the city
that best pay the merchandiser.
When that started happening,
my father started killing
the people that Pablo sent.
my father started killing
the people that Pablo sent.
(gunshots)
Pablo didn't like that.
NARRATOR: By the mid-1980s,
the Cali Cartel's delicate web
of alliances was coming
under increasing pressure,
of alliances was coming
under increasing pressure,
and Escobar was trying to
muscle in on their US territory.
and Escobar was trying to
muscle in on their US territory.
Added to which, Gilberto Rodriguez's
partner in New York,
John Paul Gotti,
had become unpredictable.
John Paul Gotti,
had become unpredictable.
Cocaine money and a crackdown
on organised crime
were tearing the Mob apart.
were tearing the Mob apart.
- It's designed to shut up
anybody who may talk.
NARRATOR: Then in 1984,
Escobar's violence
reached new levels.
Escobar's violence
reached new levels.
REPORTER: Car bomb attacks
rip through Colombian cities.
A new word was added to the
vocabulary: "narco-terrorism."
A new word was added to the
vocabulary: "narco-terrorism."
NARRATOR: Impossible wealthy,
and with a private army
under his control,
and with a private army
under his control,
Escobar was at war
with the Colombian state.
(fire raging)
- Pablo Escobar
arranges the assassination
of the Justice Minister here.
What happens after that?
- My father was
very afraid of Pablo,
- My father was
very afraid of Pablo,
because Pablo was the Devil.
Pablo Escobar was thinking
just to kill, to kill, you know?
Pablo Escobar was thinking
just to kill, to kill, you know?
That wasn't my father.
He escaped one night.
My father went to London.
My father went to London.
NARRATOR: So with Pablo Escobar
on a murderous rampage,
and the Colombian army
deployed to wipe out the cartels,
and the Colombian army
deployed to wipe out the cartels,
Gilberto Rodriguez
decides to flee to Europe.
His first hideout was Britain,
but not for long.
His first hideout was Britain,
but not for long.
- He didn't like the food.
He didn't like the fish and chips.
- (snickers)
- So, he talked to his
friend that was in Spain,
and he said: "Come to Spain.
and he said: "Come to Spain.
I have everything covered here,
everything good."
But they make big mistakes.
One night,
they went to a restaurant.
It's very famous in Spain.
It's very famous in Spain.
They start drinking four, five,
six bottles of Dom Perignon,
the best champagne.
They were so drunk,
and the bill was so big,
They were so drunk,
and the bill was so big,
80 or 90 million pesetas.
They pay in cash.
That was the end of them.
NARRATOR: As a fugitive, and
with a reputation for shrewdness,
Gilberto's high-profile behaviour
in Spain was ill-judged.
Gilberto's high-profile behaviour
in Spain was ill-judged.
- The restaurant owner,
he put a report to the police.
And the police,
they start following.
In one month, they got him.
- So an expensive dinner
in more than one way?
- So an expensive dinner
in more than one way?
NARRATOR: Gilberto was convicted of
money laundering and sent to prison.
In Madrid's Carabanchel Prison,
Gilberto was locked up alongside
some of Spain's
most hardened criminals.
some of Spain's
most hardened criminals.
There, they discussed expanding
the Cali Cartel's cocaine operation
into Europe -
a large, untapped market,
into Europe -
a large, untapped market,
free from aggressive
American law enforcement.
But before Gilberto
could consider expanding,
But before Gilberto
could consider expanding,
he would need to resolve
the mayhem back home.
(automatic gunfire)
REPORTER: At Medellín Airport,
a gunman dressed as a soldier opened
fire at the entrance
to the main lounge.
fire at the entrance
to the main lounge.
There were two men dead
and 12 wounded.
NARRATOR:
After two years in Spanish prison,
Gilberto Rodriguez was
extradited back to Colombia.
Gilberto Rodriguez was
extradited back to Colombia.
Once released,
he had a special mission in mind.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- He decides to assassinate
Pablo Escobar?
How does he go about it?
- My father and my uncle make
a contract with mercenaries.
- Where were these mercenaries from?
- Most of them,
they were British mercenaries.
- Most of them,
they were British mercenaries.
NARRATOR: Ex-SAS soldier
Peter McAleese was recruited
by military fixer Dave Tompkins
and tasked with putting together
by military fixer Dave Tompkins
and tasked with putting together
a team to kill the world's most
infamous drug lord in his own home.
- They asked for
ten million dollars.
- They asked for
ten million dollars.
They wanted the money
before they did the assassination.
- So they were ex-British soldiers?
- So they were ex-British soldiers?
- Yeah, and I have the video
of the mercenaries here.
I'm going to show it to you.
- OK.
(explosions)
REPORTER: For 11 weeks, they
train for the assassination attempt
on a mountain jungle, but the lavish
country house where they did most
on a mountain jungle, but the lavish
country house where they did most
of their training looks more
like the residence of a drug lord.
ROSS: That's here, isn't it?
That bridge is still here.
ROSS: That's here, isn't it?
That bridge is still here.
REPORTER:
Early on the morning of June 2nd,
the mercenaries were notified
Escobar was in the lavish 700-acre
Hacienda Nápoles, and took off
Hacienda Nápoles, and took off
with the objective of dropping
explosives on Escobar's house.
- They have dynamite to
throw from the helicopter.
- They have dynamite to
throw from the helicopter.
They have a machine gun, point-50.
A 50-cal machine gun?
- 50 calibres.
A 50-cal machine gun?
- 50 calibres.
- Fires a round that big.
(crack of thunder)
REPORTER:
But they ran into bad weather.
Helicopter 1 crashed
into a mountain.
Helicopter 1 crashed
into a mountain.
The pilot was killed.
The assassination attempt
had been exposed.
The assassination attempt
had been exposed.
- My father has to send
people to rescue them,
because Pablo knew of the operation
and he sent people to kill them.
because Pablo knew of the operation
and he sent people to kill them.
- So these six English guys,
what happened to them?
- No, they left already
the country, immediately.
- Was your father disappointed?
- Yeah, very, very, very.
- Was your father disappointed?
- Yeah, very, very, very.
- How does that war end?
- The war end when Pablo was dead.
- The war end when Pablo was dead.
NARRATOR: Despite the failure
of the assassination plot,
Fernando's father was determined
to find another way
Fernando's father was determined
to find another way
to finish the job
and remove Escobar.
- My father gave the police
a machine
- My father gave the police
a machine
to triangulate the phone calls
from Pablo.
That was-
- So, hang on.
That was-
- So, hang on.
Your father helped the
government authorities,
by giving them
a triangulating machine
that could work out where
he was transmitting from?
that could work out where
he was transmitting from?
- Yes. So, he knew where he was.
And they found him, easy.
REPORTER: Chaotic
scenes at the funeral service
REPORTER: Chaotic
scenes at the funeral service
for Pablo Escobar.
The guns brandished now by the
military that hunted and shot him.
REPORTER: Authorities
expect other drug cartels
will simply take over
Escobar's business.
The king may be dead,
the cocaine trade is not.
NARRATOR: In 1993,
with his rival Escobar dead,
NARRATOR: In 1993,
with his rival Escobar dead,
and his American Mob partner
John Gotti convicted and in prison,
it was now the perfect time
for the Cali Cartel to veer away
it was now the perfect time
for the Cali Cartel to veer away
from the US Mafia
and expand into Europe.
Gilberto had all the contacts
he needed
Gilberto had all the contacts
he needed
form his time in Spanish prison.
- He gave this contact to other
members of the Cali Mafia.
And those people, they did some
business with this Italian Mafia.
And those people, they did some
business with this Italian Mafia.
- The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
- Yeah.
- The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
- Yeah.
When the Italian Mafia
wanted merchandise,
my father gave them
a special price to buy,
my father gave them
a special price to buy,
but they were winning money
with the merchandise
that was coming to New York.
NARRATOR: So the Italian
Mafia helped the Cali Cartel
NARRATOR: So the Italian
Mafia helped the Cali Cartel
expand into Europe.
The cartels and the Mafia were now
just one step away from Britain.
REPORTER: Drugs will find their
way onto the streets of Britain.
A tonne of high-quality South
American cocaine was seized.
A tonne of high-quality South
American cocaine was seized.
- It's the cocaine, I think,
that we are worried about.
NARRATOR:
In the next part of my journey
- Fory?
- Fory.
NARRATOR:
..An ex-cartel member reveals
their distribution network
into Europe and Britain.
their distribution network
into Europe and Britain.
- Who would you meet,
when you got to Europe?
NARRATOR: I'm in Colombia,
investigating the links between
NARRATOR: I'm in Colombia,
investigating the links between
the drug cartels,
Europe and Britain.
After the death of Pablo Escobar
in December 1993,
and the weakening of the US Mafia,
the Cali Cartel was ready to
make their move into Europe.
the Cali Cartel was ready to
make their move into Europe.
I'm about to meet a man who
helped to run their export business.
I'm about to meet a man who
helped to run their export business.
ROSS: OK, well, this is the address.
I'm about to meet Fory.
This looks like our man up ahead.
This looks like our man up ahead.
Fory?
Fory?
- Fory.
- Ross.
- Ross.
- Let's walk, my friend.
- Let's walk, my friend.
Fory, how old were you
when you joined the cartel?
And was that (laughs)
How dangerous was that at the time?
And was that (laughs)
How dangerous was that at the time?
- So, did you actually meet
the Rodriguez Brothers?
- When did you start
exporting to Europe?
- When did you start
exporting to Europe?
- What ports would you
send the drugs to in Europe?
- Mm-hmm.
REPORTER: In Europe,
another example of the new way
the large Colombian
drug organisations
the large Colombian
drug organisations
are now doing much
of their business.
Big freighters appear
to have now replaced
small planes and fast boats,
small planes and fast boats,
used by the cocaine cartels
in the '70s and the '80s.
- Did you ever travel to Europe?
- So, you fly as a Venezuelan
to Portugal?
Who would you meet
when you got to Europe?
Who would you meet
when you got to Europe?
- Was he Italian?
- How much money do you
think the Cali Cartel made
- How much money do you
think the Cali Cartel made
from transporting cocaine to Europe,
and how much do you think
the organisation on the other side,
how much money
do you think they made?
- Billions, yeah.
- Do you have any idea how much
of the cocaine that you exported
- Do you have any idea how much
of the cocaine that you exported
ended up in the UK?
NARRATOR: So, with the help
of the Italian Mafia,
the Cali Cartel were bringing drugs
into Europe through Spain.
the Cali Cartel were bringing drugs
into Europe through Spain.
- Thank you very much.
- (speaking Spanish)
NARRATOR: But after that,
the trail to Britain runs cold.
NARRATOR: But after that,
the trail to Britain runs cold.
On my way back to Central Bogotá,
On my way back to Central Bogotá,
I get a call from
author Ron Chepesiuk.
He believes he has found someone
He believes he has found someone
that knows how the cocaine cartels
reached the UK.
In 2003, a Colombian migrant
working as a bus driver,
In 2003, a Colombian migrant
working as a bus driver,
and living in Hendon, North London -
Jesus Ruiz-Henao -
and living in Hendon, North London -
Jesus Ruiz-Henao -
was arrested for importing cocaine
with a street value
of over one billion pounds.
with a street value
of over one billion pounds.
He's now in a maximum
security prison in Bogotá,
but Ron has made contact with him,
and he's agreed to speak
over video phone.
and he's agreed to speak
over video phone.
Ron believes Henao pioneered
the route of cocaine into Britain,
Ron believes Henao pioneered
the route of cocaine into Britain,
and is probably the most important
drug dealer in British history.
- Here you go.
- Here you go.
Jesus, Jesus? Let's go.
Nice to meet you, I'm Ross Kemp.
- So, can I ask you
some questions, Jesus?
- When did you first
get involved in cocaine?
- When did you first
get involved in cocaine?
- But it was very competitive?
NARRATOR: Crowded out
by the big cartels in Colombia,
in the mid-'80s, Henao decided
the best way to make real money
in the mid-'80s, Henao decided
the best way to make real money
was in the burgeoning
British cocaine market.
- You moved to the United Kingdom,
is that correct?
- What was the first deal
that you did?
- 10,000% difference?
- At what point did you decide
to move it in larger amounts?
- At what point did you decide
to move it in larger amounts?
- To be clear, you didn't have the
connections in the ports in the UK?
- To be clear, you didn't have the
connections in the ports in the UK?
So, did you have any
connections in Europe?
- And where did you meet?
- Jesus, the Italians that
you met in Central London,
they were mafia, yeah?
- Amazing.
- Amazing.
NARRATOR:
Lacking the contacts to arrange
large shipments through UK ports,
Henao had reached out to the Italian
Mafia groups based in London,
Henao had reached out to the Italian
Mafia groups based in London,
but Jesus and his brother-in-law
were also under surveillance
by the National Crime Squad.
- The Italians were well
entrenched with heroin
- The Italians were well
entrenched with heroin
in England at that point, and this
gave them a new opportunity.
And really enterprising criminals,
they took advantage of it.
- Did you start to move it in bulk?
- You could sell one tonne
- One.
- ..in one day? Gone.
- We're estimating
that over a ten-year period,
- We're estimating
that over a ten-year period,
this organisation was responsible
for one billion pounds' worth
of drugs coming onto
the streets of London.
- You used another country?
What country was it?
- Jesus?
- He's gone.
NARRATOR: Although we were cut off,
Jesus Henao has
given me a crucial lead.
Jesus Henao has
given me a crucial lead.
The Italian Mafia
helped bring major quantities
of Colombian cocaine into the UK,
and it was all funnelled
through Spain.
- (indistinct police chatter)
- (indistinct police chatter)
NARRATOR: The next step of my
journey into Britain and the Mafia
is now clear.
REPORTER: The sleepy
little Spanish marina at Vigo
REPORTER: The sleepy
little Spanish marina at Vigo
has now taken on a strategic
significance in Europe's fight
against Colombia's drug cartel.
Smuggling has always been
a way of life on these waters.
Smuggling has always been
a way of life on these waters.
Now, it's cocaine.
NARRATOR: Next time, on the
Mafia and Britain, I head to Spain
to uncover an embedded
mafia network
to uncover an embedded
mafia network
NARRATOR: ..working with
British criminals to funnel cocaine
into the UK.
into the UK.
- These were the heavy mob.
These were armed robbers.
Guys like the ex-train
robber Charlie Wilson.
NARRATOR: ..And uncover the
newly-ascended and violent wing
NARRATOR: ..And uncover the
newly-ascended and violent wing
of the Italian Mafia in Calabria
..that has surprising links
to the UK.
..that has surprising links
to the UK.
(brooding music)
REPORTER 1: More violence
to report tonight in Colombia.
REPORTER 2: Colombia's
crisis has escalated dramatically.
REPORTER 3:
In the cocaine capital of the world.
REPORTER 3:
In the cocaine capital of the world.
(sirens blaring)
(automatic gunfire)
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
REPORTER: Justice Minister Lara
Bonilla was ambushed and murdered.
NARRATOR: On the 30th of April 1984,
NARRATOR: On the 30th of April 1984,
Colombia's Justice Minister
was shot dead in his car.
REPORTER:
One of his assassins confessed
REPORTER:
One of his assassins confessed
that he had been paid
$21,000 by someone from Medellín.
NARRATOR:
The assassination had been ordered
NARRATOR:
The assassination had been ordered
by the Medellín drug lord
Pablo Escobar.
REPORTER:
The Americans believe
Pablo Escobar was
personally responsible.
Pablo Escobar was
personally responsible.
MAN: When is the government
going to move against these people -
people like Escobar?
REPORTER: The Colombian Airforce
(explosion)
REPORTER: The Colombian Airforce
(explosion)
..bombed Escobar's ranch.
(explosions)
RON: To Escobar, it didn't
matter whether you were a man,
woman, or a child.
woman, or a child.
If you're going to die,
you're going to die.
NARRATOR: In response,
the Colombian government
declared war on all
the country's cartels.
declared war on all
the country's cartels.
(crack of thunder)
- The Colombian government
intends to pursue the Cali Cartel.
MAN: The Cali Cartel.
NARRATOR:
In the chaos that followed,
one cartel leader fled to Europe.
- My father, he escaped one night.
They say that he made some business
They say that he made some business
with this Italian Mafia.
ROSS: The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
NARRATOR:
And he established a drugs pipeline
to organised crime groups in Europe.
- Oh, wow.
- Oh, wow.
REPORTER: Now, the Mafia
and South American traffickers
target Europe -
in particular, Britain.
NARRATOR: And created a new market.
NARRATOR: And created a new market.
- So, I've come to Colombia,
to work out the connection
between the Mafia,
the United Kingdom
between the Mafia,
the United Kingdom
and the cocaine trade.
(title music)
NARRATOR: The Mafia
originated in southern Italy,
NARRATOR: The Mafia
originated in southern Italy,
and was exported to America
and the rest of the world.
But what is its relationship
with Britain?
But what is its relationship
with Britain?
To find out, I've followed a trail
which led me to an assassination
in London.
which led me to an assassination
in London.
- This is all adding up
to an example killing.
NARRATOR: And a mafia associate
hiding in the northwest of England.
NARRATOR: My journey then took me
to the US, to try and unravel
the long-standing links between
the Mob and British crime bosses.
the long-standing links between
the Mob and British crime bosses.
- Who did he do business with?
- Ronnie and Reggie.
- The Krays?
- The Krays?
NARRATOR: I discovered how the
flood of cocaine from South America
into the US, brought in new laws
that wreaked havoc on the Mob
into the US, brought in new laws
that wreaked havoc on the Mob
(indistinct shouting)
- And that's when I decided
to cooperate with the government.
- And that's when I decided
to cooperate with the government.
NARRATOR:
..And ushered in a new era.
REPORTER: A group
of a dozen wealthy families
who control over 80%
of the world's cocaine market.
who control over 80%
of the world's cocaine market.
NARRATOR: The dilution
of the American Mob drove
the cartels to look for new partners
and new territories.
the cartels to look for new partners
and new territories.
- And where else did they go?
- As far as I know,
they went to Europe.
And they went to your country,
the UK.
And they went to your country,
the UK.
(plane jets roaring)
NARRATOR: I've come to Colombia,
NARRATOR: I've come to Colombia,
to investigate how the global
expansion of the cocaine cartels
impacted Britain and its
relationship with the Mafia.
impacted Britain and its
relationship with the Mafia.
REPORTER: 80% of
the international cocaine trade
is headquartered here.
Take away the cocaine dollar,
and Colombia would crumble.
Take away the cocaine dollar,
and Colombia would crumble.
NARRATOR: I'm heading southwest,
into the Cauca Valley,
NARRATOR: I'm heading southwest,
into the Cauca Valley,
to see the scale of cocaine
production in the region
and the ongoing war on drugs.
and the ongoing war on drugs.
I've been invited
by the APOLO special operations unit
of the Colombian Army, to join
them on a raid aimed at finding
of the Colombian Army, to join
them on a raid aimed at finding
and destroying cocaine labs.
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- Goodnight. I am Colonel Peña,
I am commander of
the APOLO operations.
I am commander of
the APOLO operations.
The mission for tonight
is very dangerous
for all people, for civilians.
for all people, for civilians.
NARRATOR: The cocaine
processing labs we're looking for
are inside territory
that's loyal to the cartels.
are inside territory
that's loyal to the cartels.
The local population depend
on the income from cocaine,
and will be prepared to defend it.
and will be prepared to defend it.
(brooding music)
(speaking Spanish)
(speaking Spanish)
- (speaking Spanish)
- So, they brief the soldiers three
or four minutes before they leave.
- So, they brief the soldiers three
or four minutes before they leave.
They have no idea
where they're going,
and that's so nobody
can inform the traffickers
that a raid is about to take place.
that a raid is about to take place.
NARRATOR:
The war on drugs in Colombia
has been raging here
for over 50 years.
has been raging here
for over 50 years.
The country still produces more
than half of the world's supply -
over 1,000 metric tonnes a year.
over 1,000 metric tonnes a year.
(eerie music)
NARRATOR: The labs are
hidden within dense forest.
NARRATOR: The labs are
hidden within dense forest.
Once we leave the road,
we must move forward on foot.
OFFICER: Please stay together.
Everyone close to each other.
(unsettling music)
NARRATOR: The coca leaf is
the source of the world's cocaine.
NARRATOR: The coca leaf is
the source of the world's cocaine.
REPORTER: The process begins
with a coca being finely chopped.
Ordinary household salt is
sprinkled on the leaves to react
Ordinary household salt is
sprinkled on the leaves to react
with the moisture
released by the chopping.
NARRATOR:
The process of turning the leaves
into an addictive white powder
has remained the same for decades.
into an addictive white powder
has remained the same for decades.
REPORTER: A black,
tar-like liquid oozes from it,
as it's transferred to a barrel.
The petrol will act as a solvent,
devouring the sticky black fluid.
The petrol will act as a solvent,
devouring the sticky black fluid.
After a thorough mixing,
the barrel is covered for the night.
It'll take another seven hours
for the petrol to do its job.
It'll take another seven hours
for the petrol to do its job.
(suspenseful music)
- The issue we have here is that
if the locals find that we're here,
- The issue we have here is that
if the locals find that we're here,
what the cartel does is, it gets all
the locals to surround the soldiers
what the cartel does is, it gets all
the locals to surround the soldiers
and kidnap them.
So, boys, it could turn rather ugly.
NARRATOR: After climbing
over 3,000 feet into the forest,
NARRATOR: After climbing
over 3,000 feet into the forest,
(dog barking)
we're told to turn our lights off.
The soldiers think
they've spotted a lab.
The soldiers think
they've spotted a lab.
(dog barking, howling)
NARRATOR: We prepare to move in.
- This way.
- This way.
(dog barking)
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
We've found two labs.
One that's recently been dismantled,
One that's recently been dismantled,
and another one here
that's presently being built.
They knew we were coming,
and they've cleared it.
NARRATOR:
The labs have been abandoned.
They will now be decommissioned,
but it's only a matter of time
before they're rebuilt.
but it's only a matter of time
before they're rebuilt.
- So, there is, er
There's no slowdown
in the production of cocaine here.
- Have you at any point come
into contact with any traffickers
- Have you at any point come
into contact with any traffickers
that were sending cocaine
to the United Kingdom?
NARRATOR: I want to discover
exactly how the cartels moved
NARRATOR: I want to discover
exactly how the cartels moved
on from their relationship
with the American Mafia
in the 1980s, and how they
brought cocaine to Britain.
in the 1980s, and how they
brought cocaine to Britain.
- So, organised crime groups
- Yeah, mafia groups.
At this moment,
it's the big problem.
At this moment,
it's the big problem.
NARRATOR: I want to find out more
about the expansion of the cocaine
NARRATOR: I want to find out more
about the expansion of the cocaine
trade into Europe and Britain.
(tense music)
(tense music)
So, I'm off to meet someone
who has spent his whole life
close to the heart of one of
the biggest cartels in the world,
close to the heart of one of
the biggest cartels in the world,
and who witnessed
their collaboration
with the Mafia firsthand.
- John Joseph Gotti, you know,
talked to my father and
- Head of the Gambino family?
- Yes.
- Yes.
They were businessmen and friends.
NARRATOR: I'm looking into Britain's
complex relationship with the Mafia.
NARRATOR: I'm looking into Britain's
complex relationship with the Mafia.
My journey has brought me
to Colombia.
- The hills are full of coca.
NARRATOR: I've been told
that the cartels responded
to the American Mafia being
weakened in the late 1980s
to the American Mafia being
weakened in the late 1980s
by looking for partners who could
import cocaine directly into Europe
by looking for partners who could
import cocaine directly into Europe
and the UK.
NARRATOR: Now, I'm travelling to
the capital, Bogotá, which has been
at the heart of the long
and bloody war
at the heart of the long
and bloody war
between the government
and the cartels.
(explosion) (siren wailing)
I'm meeting with US journalist
and author Ron Chepesiuk.
I'm meeting with US journalist
and author Ron Chepesiuk.
Ron has studied Colombia's
cocaine trade since the 1980s.
Ron has studied Colombia's
cocaine trade since the 1980s.
- Not a bad view, Ron.
- Yeah, beautiful.
NARRATOR:
He's tried to trace multiple cartels
NARRATOR:
He's tried to trace multiple cartels
and map their influence
across the globe.
- In 1987, Escobar was the man,
and the Medellín Cartel
were the organisation.
They always say, they were the
Henry Fords, because they developed
They always say, they were the
Henry Fords, because they developed
a transportation system which
mass-distributed drugs to the US.
Whereas the Cali Cartel
were like McDonalds,
Whereas the Cali Cartel
were like McDonalds,
because they developed it
into a corporate enterprise.
This is why I think they're the
most important drug organisation
that ever was.
- The Cali Cartel.
- The Cali Cartel.
NARRATOR: Less well known than
Escobar and the Medellín Cartel,
brothers Gilberto
and Miguel Rodriguez
brothers Gilberto
and Miguel Rodriguez
ran a rival cocaine cartel out
of the Colombian city of Cali.
- Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela,
who was sort of the godfather
of the Cali Cartel, became
known as the 'Chess Master',
because he was able to
strategically plan their operation.
because he was able to
strategically plan their operation.
They always looked for the business
approach to solving a problem,
rather than a criminal approach.
They made a deal with Escobar.
They made a deal with Escobar.
Pablo would, and the Medellín Cartel
would handle Miami,
and the Cali Cartel
would have New York City.
and the Cali Cartel
would have New York City.
NARRATOR: In the 1980s, the
Cali and Medellín cartels divided up
the two most lucrative markets
in the US.
the two most lucrative markets
in the US.
Escobar supplied Miami,
and the Rodriguez Brothers
supplied New York.
- New York City, Queens, has an
enormous Colombian population.
- New York City, Queens, has an
enormous Colombian population.
- It's Italian Mafia
territory as well.
- It's also Italian Mafia territory,
and they had to respect
the Italian Mafia.
and they had to respect
the Italian Mafia.
The Italian Mafia knew everything
that was going on in the city,
so I'm sure they worked out a deal.
They were businessmen,
you know what I mean?
They were businessmen,
you know what I mean?
NARRATOR: The Cali Cartel
and the New York Mafia
struck an informal alliance
over distribution of cocaine
throughout the East Coast.
throughout the East Coast.
REPORTER:
The Colombians supplied the cocaine,
the Mafia in America ran
the distribution network.
NARRATOR: But in the late 1980s,
a US law enforcement campaign
NARRATOR: But in the late 1980s,
a US law enforcement campaign
against the American Mob
started to target
the cartel members as well.
started to target
the cartel members as well.
REPORTER: Police chiefs
remove the Italian connection,
and now target the Colombians.
NARRATOR: It forced The Cali Cartel
to adapt and look elsewhere.
NARRATOR: It forced The Cali Cartel
to adapt and look elsewhere.
- The heat was still on.
The US government was going
after The Cali Cartel,
The US government was going
after The Cali Cartel,
and being the shrewd
businessmen that they are,
they realised
this was a new opportunity
to introduce a new market.
They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
every country in Latin America.
They were even talking
about going into Japan.
- So, do you think the Cali Cartel -
the Rodriguez Brothers -
- So, do you think the Cali Cartel -
the Rodriguez Brothers -
start selling cocaine in the UK?
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
The market itself, there was
60 million British people, right?
So, it was only natural, I think,
that they saw that Great Britain
would be the market for cocaine.
would be the market for cocaine.
I believe that they saw
England as an easy target,
with lax laws.
- Do you know what route they took?
Well, no, and that's one of the
best-kept secrets in the history
of the drug trade.
of the drug trade.
NARRATOR: Internationally
business-minded, entrepreneurial
and structured, the Cali Cartel
operated like a corporation.
and structured, the Cali Cartel
operated like a corporation.
This meant they were
best placed to move away
from the troubled American Mafia
and open new distribution lines into
territories like Europe and Britain.
and open new distribution lines into
territories like Europe and Britain.
REPORTER: After a massive roundup
of alleged top mafia figures,
is there a power vacuum
in organised crime?
is there a power vacuum
in organised crime?
NARRATOR: But how did they do it?
I've secured a meeting with someone
who has intimate inside knowledge
I've secured a meeting with someone
who has intimate inside knowledge
of the Cali Cartel.
Fernando Rodriguez is the son
of Gilberto Rodriguez, the man
Fernando Rodriguez is the son
of Gilberto Rodriguez, the man
who established the biggest drugs'
cartel the world has ever seen.
We are meeting him
at his father's former mansion
in the hills outside of Cali.
From here, Gilberto,
known as the 'Chess Player,'
controlled his vast criminal empire.
- How are you doing?
- Good to meet you.
- No worries. Thank you.
NARRATOR: The Hacienda is now in the
hands of the Colombian government.
NARRATOR: The Hacienda is now in the
hands of the Colombian government.
As a family member
of an outlawed cartel,
As a family member
of an outlawed cartel,
Fernando needed special permission
to return.
- There's stables down there as
well. Are they part of the property?
- Yeah.
- They would have had horses?
NARRATOR:
This is the first time a film crew
have ever been allowed inside.
have ever been allowed inside.
- Wow, what's this?
Oh, wow.
This is a tenpin bowling alley.
- The kids enjoy it
more than the old guys.
- There's a bar over there.
- Yeah, yeah.
- There's a bar over there.
- Yeah, yeah.
The bar, the disco.
That was a disco.
- How much money would it
have cost to have built this?
- The money wasn't
important at the time.
- The money wasn't
important at the time.
Just to have something like this
to show their friends,
their family, that you could put
a bowling alley in the mountains.
their family, that you could put
a bowling alley in the mountains.
- This is just one of the many
houses your father had.
- This is just one of the many
houses your father had.
Do you know how many he had?
- Probably had more
than 4,000 properties.
- 4,000?
- Yeah.
- Does it feel odd being back here
looking at the swimming pool
- Does it feel odd being back here
looking at the swimming pool
where your father swam and there
was so much fun and partying?
- Well, yeah.
- Well, yeah.
My father passed
many happy days here,
but my father died and
..I forgive him for every
bad thing he did in his life.
Hopefully, God will take him
to a better place than here.
Hopefully, God will take him
to a better place than here.
NARRATOR: Fernando's
father's story is key to my journey.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
NARRATOR: This would
allow them to seize control
of the global cocaine trade
of the global cocaine trade
- And he decides to assassinate
Pablo Escobar?
How does he go about it?
NARRATOR:
And to expand into Europe.
- My father went to London.
NARRATOR: My investigation
into Britain and the Mafia
has led me to Colombia.
- What a view.
- Yeah.
- What a view.
- Yeah.
NARRATOR: I'm in the
hills outside the city of Cali,
talking with the son of one of
the most powerful drug lords
the world has ever seen.
I've discovered that
in the 1980s and '90s,
Cali Cartel leader Gilberto
Cali Cartel leader Gilberto
Rodriguez shifted distribution
away from the American Mafia
and the East Coast
of the United States,
and the East Coast
of the United States,
and expanded his cocaine
enterprise into new territories.
- They were shipping drugs
into Europe,
every country in Latin America.
They were even talking
about going into Japan.
- So do you think the Cali Cartel
starts selling cocaine in the UK?
- So do you think the Cali Cartel
starts selling cocaine in the UK?
- Well, I think it was
a natural progression.
NARRATOR: So how did the
so-called 'Chess Player' Gilberto
NARRATOR: So how did the
so-called 'Chess Player' Gilberto
mastermind a shift into Europe,
and potentially Britain,
and who did he do it with?
and potentially Britain,
and who did he do it with?
Fernando starts by telling me
how his father
first built his smuggling route
into America.
- They were making the base
and making the cocaine.
- They were making the base
and making the cocaine.
- Powder.
- Yeah, the powder.
And sending it to the United States,
but in suitcases.
And sending it to the United States,
but in suitcases.
- What year was this?
- We're talking about '76/'77.
- He's getting two-to-three
suitcases.
- He's getting two-to-three
suitcases.
- Then he'd say:
"We could send airplanes.
300, 400, 500 kilos
in one airplane.'
(plane roaring)
The kilo, at one time,
it was $60,000 a kilo.
Here in Colombia,
you could get it for $1,700.
Here in Colombia,
you could get it for $1,700.
- $1,700 here for a kilo?
- For a kilo.
And there, it's $60,000.
- $60,000?
And there, it's $60,000.
- $60,000?
REPORTER: Money is no object.
The cartel's annual profits, between
seven and ten billion dollars.
The cartel's annual profits, between
seven and ten billion dollars.
NARRATOR: In the late '70s,
a $58,000 profit was made
on every kilo of cocaine
transported into America,
transported into America,
and Gilberto was
so adept at trafficking
that the cartel became
increasingly powerful and wealthy.
that the cartel became
increasingly powerful and wealthy.
- Finally, those friends said:
"You just give me 50%
of the profits, and I let you run.
"You just give me 50%
of the profits, and I let you run.
I leave you all the salesmen that
I have in New York, I leave you
all the houses I have there, I leave
you something to watch his back."
all the houses I have there, I leave
you something to watch his back."
Who watched his back?
That was the Mob.
The Mob was there in New York.
The Mob was there in New York.
NARRATOR: While I was in New York,
I learnt how much power the
Mob had there in the 1970s.
- I mean, look, this
was in the 1970s.
- I mean, look, this
was in the 1970s.
There was no DNA,
no cameras, no informants.
We thought
we had a licence to steal.
We thought
we had a licence to steal.
NARRATOR: So, it's no surprise
to discover that the Cali Cartel
were doing business
with the Five Families.
- One, my father needed protection.
- Hm.
- And they need the merchandise.
They were businessmen,
and friends, yeah?
They were businessmen,
and friends, yeah?
Because John Joseph Gotti
- Head of the Gambino family.
- I know John Joseph, you know,
talked to my father,
- I know John Joseph, you know,
talked to my father,
and they had some dinners together.
You know, no problem.
- How quickly did your father go
from making thousands of dollars
- How quickly did your father go
from making thousands of dollars
to making millions
and millions of dollars?
- In four years,
he became a billionaire.
- In four years,
he became a billionaire.
- Four years?
- Mm-hmm.
- He became a billionaire?
- Yeah, yeah.
NARRATOR:
One billion dollars in the 1980s
NARRATOR:
One billion dollars in the 1980s
was the kind of huge number
that would attract the attention
of the Cali Cartel's volatile ally,
Pablo Escobar.
Pablo Escobar.
- Pablo had a certain amount
of the American market,
and your father
had a certain amount.
- New York was only
the merchandise for Cali,
and LA only the merchandise
of Pablo Escobar and Medellín.
All the problems start, because
Pablo starts sending merchandise
to New York, because
New York was the city
to New York, because
New York was the city
that best pay the merchandiser.
When that started happening,
my father started killing
the people that Pablo sent.
my father started killing
the people that Pablo sent.
(gunshots)
Pablo didn't like that.
NARRATOR: By the mid-1980s,
the Cali Cartel's delicate web
of alliances was coming
under increasing pressure,
of alliances was coming
under increasing pressure,
and Escobar was trying to
muscle in on their US territory.
and Escobar was trying to
muscle in on their US territory.
Added to which, Gilberto Rodriguez's
partner in New York,
John Paul Gotti,
had become unpredictable.
John Paul Gotti,
had become unpredictable.
Cocaine money and a crackdown
on organised crime
were tearing the Mob apart.
were tearing the Mob apart.
- It's designed to shut up
anybody who may talk.
NARRATOR: Then in 1984,
Escobar's violence
reached new levels.
Escobar's violence
reached new levels.
REPORTER: Car bomb attacks
rip through Colombian cities.
A new word was added to the
vocabulary: "narco-terrorism."
A new word was added to the
vocabulary: "narco-terrorism."
NARRATOR: Impossible wealthy,
and with a private army
under his control,
and with a private army
under his control,
Escobar was at war
with the Colombian state.
(fire raging)
- Pablo Escobar
arranges the assassination
of the Justice Minister here.
What happens after that?
- My father was
very afraid of Pablo,
- My father was
very afraid of Pablo,
because Pablo was the Devil.
Pablo Escobar was thinking
just to kill, to kill, you know?
Pablo Escobar was thinking
just to kill, to kill, you know?
That wasn't my father.
He escaped one night.
My father went to London.
My father went to London.
NARRATOR: So with Pablo Escobar
on a murderous rampage,
and the Colombian army
deployed to wipe out the cartels,
and the Colombian army
deployed to wipe out the cartels,
Gilberto Rodriguez
decides to flee to Europe.
His first hideout was Britain,
but not for long.
His first hideout was Britain,
but not for long.
- He didn't like the food.
He didn't like the fish and chips.
- (snickers)
- So, he talked to his
friend that was in Spain,
and he said: "Come to Spain.
and he said: "Come to Spain.
I have everything covered here,
everything good."
But they make big mistakes.
One night,
they went to a restaurant.
It's very famous in Spain.
It's very famous in Spain.
They start drinking four, five,
six bottles of Dom Perignon,
the best champagne.
They were so drunk,
and the bill was so big,
They were so drunk,
and the bill was so big,
80 or 90 million pesetas.
They pay in cash.
That was the end of them.
NARRATOR: As a fugitive, and
with a reputation for shrewdness,
Gilberto's high-profile behaviour
in Spain was ill-judged.
Gilberto's high-profile behaviour
in Spain was ill-judged.
- The restaurant owner,
he put a report to the police.
And the police,
they start following.
In one month, they got him.
- So an expensive dinner
in more than one way?
- So an expensive dinner
in more than one way?
NARRATOR: Gilberto was convicted of
money laundering and sent to prison.
In Madrid's Carabanchel Prison,
Gilberto was locked up alongside
some of Spain's
most hardened criminals.
some of Spain's
most hardened criminals.
There, they discussed expanding
the Cali Cartel's cocaine operation
into Europe -
a large, untapped market,
into Europe -
a large, untapped market,
free from aggressive
American law enforcement.
But before Gilberto
could consider expanding,
But before Gilberto
could consider expanding,
he would need to resolve
the mayhem back home.
(automatic gunfire)
REPORTER: At Medellín Airport,
a gunman dressed as a soldier opened
fire at the entrance
to the main lounge.
fire at the entrance
to the main lounge.
There were two men dead
and 12 wounded.
NARRATOR:
After two years in Spanish prison,
Gilberto Rodriguez was
extradited back to Colombia.
Gilberto Rodriguez was
extradited back to Colombia.
Once released,
he had a special mission in mind.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- In 1989,
my father decided to kill Pablo.
- He decides to assassinate
Pablo Escobar?
How does he go about it?
- My father and my uncle make
a contract with mercenaries.
- Where were these mercenaries from?
- Most of them,
they were British mercenaries.
- Most of them,
they were British mercenaries.
NARRATOR: Ex-SAS soldier
Peter McAleese was recruited
by military fixer Dave Tompkins
and tasked with putting together
by military fixer Dave Tompkins
and tasked with putting together
a team to kill the world's most
infamous drug lord in his own home.
- They asked for
ten million dollars.
- They asked for
ten million dollars.
They wanted the money
before they did the assassination.
- So they were ex-British soldiers?
- So they were ex-British soldiers?
- Yeah, and I have the video
of the mercenaries here.
I'm going to show it to you.
- OK.
(explosions)
REPORTER: For 11 weeks, they
train for the assassination attempt
on a mountain jungle, but the lavish
country house where they did most
on a mountain jungle, but the lavish
country house where they did most
of their training looks more
like the residence of a drug lord.
ROSS: That's here, isn't it?
That bridge is still here.
ROSS: That's here, isn't it?
That bridge is still here.
REPORTER:
Early on the morning of June 2nd,
the mercenaries were notified
Escobar was in the lavish 700-acre
Hacienda Nápoles, and took off
Hacienda Nápoles, and took off
with the objective of dropping
explosives on Escobar's house.
- They have dynamite to
throw from the helicopter.
- They have dynamite to
throw from the helicopter.
They have a machine gun, point-50.
A 50-cal machine gun?
- 50 calibres.
A 50-cal machine gun?
- 50 calibres.
- Fires a round that big.
(crack of thunder)
REPORTER:
But they ran into bad weather.
Helicopter 1 crashed
into a mountain.
Helicopter 1 crashed
into a mountain.
The pilot was killed.
The assassination attempt
had been exposed.
The assassination attempt
had been exposed.
- My father has to send
people to rescue them,
because Pablo knew of the operation
and he sent people to kill them.
because Pablo knew of the operation
and he sent people to kill them.
- So these six English guys,
what happened to them?
- No, they left already
the country, immediately.
- Was your father disappointed?
- Yeah, very, very, very.
- Was your father disappointed?
- Yeah, very, very, very.
- How does that war end?
- The war end when Pablo was dead.
- The war end when Pablo was dead.
NARRATOR: Despite the failure
of the assassination plot,
Fernando's father was determined
to find another way
Fernando's father was determined
to find another way
to finish the job
and remove Escobar.
- My father gave the police
a machine
- My father gave the police
a machine
to triangulate the phone calls
from Pablo.
That was-
- So, hang on.
That was-
- So, hang on.
Your father helped the
government authorities,
by giving them
a triangulating machine
that could work out where
he was transmitting from?
that could work out where
he was transmitting from?
- Yes. So, he knew where he was.
And they found him, easy.
REPORTER: Chaotic
scenes at the funeral service
REPORTER: Chaotic
scenes at the funeral service
for Pablo Escobar.
The guns brandished now by the
military that hunted and shot him.
REPORTER: Authorities
expect other drug cartels
will simply take over
Escobar's business.
The king may be dead,
the cocaine trade is not.
NARRATOR: In 1993,
with his rival Escobar dead,
NARRATOR: In 1993,
with his rival Escobar dead,
and his American Mob partner
John Gotti convicted and in prison,
it was now the perfect time
for the Cali Cartel to veer away
it was now the perfect time
for the Cali Cartel to veer away
from the US Mafia
and expand into Europe.
Gilberto had all the contacts
he needed
Gilberto had all the contacts
he needed
form his time in Spanish prison.
- He gave this contact to other
members of the Cali Mafia.
And those people, they did some
business with this Italian Mafia.
And those people, they did some
business with this Italian Mafia.
- The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
- Yeah.
- The Cali Cartel and the Mafia?
- Yeah.
When the Italian Mafia
wanted merchandise,
my father gave them
a special price to buy,
my father gave them
a special price to buy,
but they were winning money
with the merchandise
that was coming to New York.
NARRATOR: So the Italian
Mafia helped the Cali Cartel
NARRATOR: So the Italian
Mafia helped the Cali Cartel
expand into Europe.
The cartels and the Mafia were now
just one step away from Britain.
REPORTER: Drugs will find their
way onto the streets of Britain.
A tonne of high-quality South
American cocaine was seized.
A tonne of high-quality South
American cocaine was seized.
- It's the cocaine, I think,
that we are worried about.
NARRATOR:
In the next part of my journey
- Fory?
- Fory.
NARRATOR:
..An ex-cartel member reveals
their distribution network
into Europe and Britain.
their distribution network
into Europe and Britain.
- Who would you meet,
when you got to Europe?
NARRATOR: I'm in Colombia,
investigating the links between
NARRATOR: I'm in Colombia,
investigating the links between
the drug cartels,
Europe and Britain.
After the death of Pablo Escobar
in December 1993,
and the weakening of the US Mafia,
the Cali Cartel was ready to
make their move into Europe.
the Cali Cartel was ready to
make their move into Europe.
I'm about to meet a man who
helped to run their export business.
I'm about to meet a man who
helped to run their export business.
ROSS: OK, well, this is the address.
I'm about to meet Fory.
This looks like our man up ahead.
This looks like our man up ahead.
Fory?
Fory?
- Fory.
- Ross.
- Ross.
- Let's walk, my friend.
- Let's walk, my friend.
Fory, how old were you
when you joined the cartel?
And was that (laughs)
How dangerous was that at the time?
And was that (laughs)
How dangerous was that at the time?
- So, did you actually meet
the Rodriguez Brothers?
- When did you start
exporting to Europe?
- When did you start
exporting to Europe?
- What ports would you
send the drugs to in Europe?
- Mm-hmm.
REPORTER: In Europe,
another example of the new way
the large Colombian
drug organisations
the large Colombian
drug organisations
are now doing much
of their business.
Big freighters appear
to have now replaced
small planes and fast boats,
small planes and fast boats,
used by the cocaine cartels
in the '70s and the '80s.
- Did you ever travel to Europe?
- So, you fly as a Venezuelan
to Portugal?
Who would you meet
when you got to Europe?
Who would you meet
when you got to Europe?
- Was he Italian?
- How much money do you
think the Cali Cartel made
- How much money do you
think the Cali Cartel made
from transporting cocaine to Europe,
and how much do you think
the organisation on the other side,
how much money
do you think they made?
- Billions, yeah.
- Do you have any idea how much
of the cocaine that you exported
- Do you have any idea how much
of the cocaine that you exported
ended up in the UK?
NARRATOR: So, with the help
of the Italian Mafia,
the Cali Cartel were bringing drugs
into Europe through Spain.
the Cali Cartel were bringing drugs
into Europe through Spain.
- Thank you very much.
- (speaking Spanish)
NARRATOR: But after that,
the trail to Britain runs cold.
NARRATOR: But after that,
the trail to Britain runs cold.
On my way back to Central Bogotá,
On my way back to Central Bogotá,
I get a call from
author Ron Chepesiuk.
He believes he has found someone
He believes he has found someone
that knows how the cocaine cartels
reached the UK.
In 2003, a Colombian migrant
working as a bus driver,
In 2003, a Colombian migrant
working as a bus driver,
and living in Hendon, North London -
Jesus Ruiz-Henao -
and living in Hendon, North London -
Jesus Ruiz-Henao -
was arrested for importing cocaine
with a street value
of over one billion pounds.
with a street value
of over one billion pounds.
He's now in a maximum
security prison in Bogotá,
but Ron has made contact with him,
and he's agreed to speak
over video phone.
and he's agreed to speak
over video phone.
Ron believes Henao pioneered
the route of cocaine into Britain,
Ron believes Henao pioneered
the route of cocaine into Britain,
and is probably the most important
drug dealer in British history.
- Here you go.
- Here you go.
Jesus, Jesus? Let's go.
Nice to meet you, I'm Ross Kemp.
- So, can I ask you
some questions, Jesus?
- When did you first
get involved in cocaine?
- When did you first
get involved in cocaine?
- But it was very competitive?
NARRATOR: Crowded out
by the big cartels in Colombia,
in the mid-'80s, Henao decided
the best way to make real money
in the mid-'80s, Henao decided
the best way to make real money
was in the burgeoning
British cocaine market.
- You moved to the United Kingdom,
is that correct?
- What was the first deal
that you did?
- 10,000% difference?
- At what point did you decide
to move it in larger amounts?
- At what point did you decide
to move it in larger amounts?
- To be clear, you didn't have the
connections in the ports in the UK?
- To be clear, you didn't have the
connections in the ports in the UK?
So, did you have any
connections in Europe?
- And where did you meet?
- Jesus, the Italians that
you met in Central London,
they were mafia, yeah?
- Amazing.
- Amazing.
NARRATOR:
Lacking the contacts to arrange
large shipments through UK ports,
Henao had reached out to the Italian
Mafia groups based in London,
Henao had reached out to the Italian
Mafia groups based in London,
but Jesus and his brother-in-law
were also under surveillance
by the National Crime Squad.
- The Italians were well
entrenched with heroin
- The Italians were well
entrenched with heroin
in England at that point, and this
gave them a new opportunity.
And really enterprising criminals,
they took advantage of it.
- Did you start to move it in bulk?
- You could sell one tonne
- One.
- ..in one day? Gone.
- We're estimating
that over a ten-year period,
- We're estimating
that over a ten-year period,
this organisation was responsible
for one billion pounds' worth
of drugs coming onto
the streets of London.
- You used another country?
What country was it?
- Jesus?
- He's gone.
NARRATOR: Although we were cut off,
Jesus Henao has
given me a crucial lead.
Jesus Henao has
given me a crucial lead.
The Italian Mafia
helped bring major quantities
of Colombian cocaine into the UK,
and it was all funnelled
through Spain.
- (indistinct police chatter)
- (indistinct police chatter)
NARRATOR: The next step of my
journey into Britain and the Mafia
is now clear.
REPORTER: The sleepy
little Spanish marina at Vigo
REPORTER: The sleepy
little Spanish marina at Vigo
has now taken on a strategic
significance in Europe's fight
against Colombia's drug cartel.
Smuggling has always been
a way of life on these waters.
Smuggling has always been
a way of life on these waters.
Now, it's cocaine.
NARRATOR: Next time, on the
Mafia and Britain, I head to Spain
to uncover an embedded
mafia network
to uncover an embedded
mafia network
NARRATOR: ..working with
British criminals to funnel cocaine
into the UK.
into the UK.
- These were the heavy mob.
These were armed robbers.
Guys like the ex-train
robber Charlie Wilson.
NARRATOR: ..And uncover the
newly-ascended and violent wing
NARRATOR: ..And uncover the
newly-ascended and violent wing
of the Italian Mafia in Calabria
..that has surprising links
to the UK.
..that has surprising links
to the UK.