Journal
Cartel Magazine
Long-form journalism on the Medellín, Cali, Guadalajara and Sinaloa organisations — and the US and Colombian drug policy that produced them. Written for people who want more than the Netflix version.
Editorial
From our journalists
Bylined reporting by the Cartel Magazine desk — Bogotá, Miami, Washington, Berlin.
Klaus Bergmann · Extradition & Law
Trump's Executive Order 14157: What the Cartel Terrorism Designation Actually Does
On 20 January 2025 President Trump signed Executive Order 14157, designating eight Latin-American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Here is what the order actually authorises — and what it does not.
Policy · 8 min read
Elena Vargas · Policy Desk
Can the US Military Actually Defeat the Cartels? A Realistic Assessment
Since Trump's January 2025 Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, the phrase 'US military action against the cartels' has moved from op-ed speculation to open policy discussion. Here is what forty years of evidence says about what military force can and cannot do to a drug market.
Policy · 9 min read
Daniel Z. · Heidelberg Correspondent
Where Is Carlos Lehder Now? Life After 33 Years in US Federal Prison
Carlos Lehder was released from US federal custody in June 2020, deported to Germany, and has since returned to Colombia. Here is what has happened to him since — including the March 2025 arrest in Colombia and his release days later.
People · 7 min read
Ana María Restrepo · Bogotá Bureau
Medellín vs Cali Cartel: Which One Was Actually Bigger?
The Medellín and Cali Cartels ran the world's cocaine trade in the 1980s and 1990s. Medellín is the household name. Cali was, at its peak, larger — richer, more sophisticated, and less violent. Here is the comparison.
Cartels · 8 min read
Policy · 8 min read
Trump's Executive Order 14157: What the Cartel Terrorism Designation Actually Does
On 20 January 2025 President Trump signed Executive Order 14157, designating eight Latin-American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Here is what the order actually authorises — and what it does not.
September 29, 2026
Policy · 9 min read
Can the US Military Actually Defeat the Cartels? A Realistic Assessment
Since Trump's January 2025 Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, the phrase 'US military action against the cartels' has moved from op-ed speculation to open policy discussion. Here is what forty years of evidence says about what military force can and cannot do to a drug market.
September 29, 2026
People · 7 min read
Where Is Carlos Lehder Now? Life After 33 Years in US Federal Prison
Carlos Lehder was released from US federal custody in June 2020, deported to Germany, and has since returned to Colombia. Here is what has happened to him since — including the March 2025 arrest in Colombia and his release days later.
September 29, 2026
Cartels · 8 min read
Medellín vs Cali Cartel: Which One Was Actually Bigger?
The Medellín and Cali Cartels ran the world's cocaine trade in the 1980s and 1990s. Medellín is the household name. Cali was, at its peak, larger — richer, more sophisticated, and less violent. Here is the comparison.
September 29, 2026
History · 9 min read
How Was El Chapo Actually Caught? The Three Captures (1993, 2014, 2016)
Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán was captured three separate times: 1993 in Guatemala, 2014 in Mazatlán, and 2016 in Los Mochis after his second prison escape. Here is the full operational account of all three arrests.
September 29, 2026
Books & Films · 7 min read
Griselda Blanco: The True Story Behind the Netflix Series
The Netflix series Griselda dramatises the life of the Colombian cocaine trafficker who ran the Medellín Cartel's Miami distribution wing. Here is what the show got right, what it changed, and what actually happened.
September 29, 2026
History · 7 min read
What Happened to Norman's Cay? From Lehder's Fortress to 2026 Yacht Club
In 1978 Carlos Lehder bought Norman's Cay for USD 190,000 and turned it into the Medellín Cartel's Bahamas cocaine hub. In 2026 it is a private yacht-club destination. Here is what happened between the two.
September 29, 2026
History · 8 min read
Who Killed Pablo Escobar? The Rooftop, 2 December 1993
Pablo Escobar died on a Medellín rooftop on 2 December 1993, one day after his 44th birthday. The people who fired the shots were Colombian — not American. Here is exactly what happened, and who was there.
September 29, 2026
Cartels · 7 min read
El Chapo vs Pablo Escobar: Who Was the Bigger Drug Lord?
Every serious drug-war reader eventually asks it: was Pablo Escobar or Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán the bigger operator? Here is a plain comparison — volume, revenue, era, doctrine — and the honest answer.
September 29, 2026
People · 6 min read
Pablo Escobar's Family: Wife, Son, Daughter — Where They Are Now
Pablo Escobar left a widow, a son, and a daughter. All three left Colombia in December 1993 and none of them have returned. This is where they are, what they are called now, and why.
September 29, 2026
History · 8 min read
La Catedral: Pablo Escobar's Self-Built Prison and the 1992 Escape
In 1991 Pablo Escobar surrendered to Colombian authorities on the condition that he could design and staff his own prison. Fourteen months later, on 22 July 1992, he walked out. Here is what actually happened inside La Catedral.
September 29, 2026
Cartels · 8 min read
How Much Money Did Pablo Escobar Actually Make?
Forbes put Pablo Escobar's net worth at $30 billion at his 1993 peak — but the Medellín Cartel's real revenue was larger, and most of it never touched a bank. Here is what the record actually says.
September 29, 2026
People · 7 min read
Was Carlos Lehder Really the First Cocaine Billionaire?
Carlos Lehder built Norman's Cay into the Medellín Cartel's Caribbean transit hub and served 33 years in a US federal prison for it. Was he actually the industry's first billionaire — or its first case study?
September 29, 2026
Books & Films · 6 min read
The Best Books About the Medellín Cartel, Ranked (2026 Edition)
A reading list for anyone who wants to understand the Medellín Cartel beyond the Netflix version. Four books, in order of what they add to the record.
September 29, 2026
Policy · 9 min read
Why Is Cocaine Still Illegal in 2026?
A century after the 1914 Harrison Act, cocaine remains a US Schedule II drug and a Colombian trafficking felony. The policy has not delivered any of its promises. So why is it still in force?
September 29, 2026