"The Most Notorious Drug Lords in the World"

Few figures are as famous—or as filthy rich—as drug lords

They make their money by smuggling illegal goods and terrorizing anyone weaker than themselves

Drug traffickers are often wanted for their crimes in many countries as most of their money is made by smuggling illegal drugs across borders

So, how much money can these violent criminals make from dealing in illegal substances?

Today, we will learn about 10 of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world according to their pharmaceutical wealth and learn some unique facts about each

A German drug lord in Colombia who helped found the infamous Medellin Cartel, along with many others make this list

He first entered the criminal world by selling stolen cars at his father’s used car dealership

In fact, it was while in prison for selling stolen cars that Lehder decided that drug dealing was his calling

Despite the use of mules and airplanes to transform Colombia’s drug trade, Lehder’s real dream is to be at the head of Colombia’s new neo-Nazi government

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela

Nicknames: “El Ajedrecista” and “El Gino”

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela’s moniker “El Ajedrecista” translates to “The Chess Player” in English and was given to him because he carefully considered everything he did

He was the co-leader of the Cali Cartel alongside his brother, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, before serving 30 years in prison in the United States

Gilberto’s cousin, William Rodriguez Abadía, spoke out against the Netflix series “Narcos,” which he said misrepresents the truth and tarnishes his reputation as a result

Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha

Nickname: “El Mexicano”

Earning himself the title of “No 2 leader” of the Medellin Cartel that Carlos Lehder helped to establish, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha was one of the most wanted in Colombia when he was at large

Rodriguez Gacha is also on the United States list of a dozen wanted Colombian drug dealers

Rodriguez Gacha resisted arrest by the Colombian government, throwing bombs and bombs that killed himself and his 17-year-old son, Freddy

Location: Burma

Nickname: Zhang Qifu, Chan Changtrakul

Born Zhang Qifu, this drug lord received military training from the Kuomintang and the Burmese Army before breaking free and establishing himself as the “Opium King” of Myanmar

He ruled the golden triangle, controlled up to 70% of its heroin trade and became one of the most wanted men in the world by the 1990s

This “King of the Golden Triangle” changed his name to Khun Sa to reflect his business power and his mother’s heritage, since the name means “Prince Prosperous” in the Burmese Shan language

Sister Ochoa Vasquez

Nickname: Medellin Cartel

Fabio Ochoa Restrepo may have had a good background in the family restaurant and agricultural business, but that did not stop his sons Juan David, Jorge Luis and Fabio from entering the drug trade

Juan David, the eldest, enlisted the help of his two brothers in contributing to the formation of the famous Medellin Cartel

He turned himself in in 1991 and served only five years

Fabio, the youngest of the three brothers, used in the 1970s and 1980s to claim that he was handling thousands of pounds of cocaine

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar

Location: India

Credits: Aziz Abdul and Dawood Memon

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is now India’s most wanted criminal, with a $25 million reward offered for his capture

He goes by 21 different aliases and is suspected of involvement in the 1993 and 2008 Mumbai terror attacks

In addition to many other suspicious activities, Kaskar is suspected of funding the Pakistani Taliban, although Pakistan says it has no knowledge of his whereabouts and evidence scarcity

Alfredo Beltran Leyva

Nickname: “El Mochomo”

Alfredo Beltran Leyva smuggled large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States from South America and Mexico

Along with his brother Arturo, he gained notoriety as one of the biggest drug lords in Mexico

Arturo was killed in a 2009 bombing, but Alfredo continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison

Levya’s amnesty was set based on the amnesty plan for the amount of cocaine he smuggled into the United States

Amado Carrillo Fuentes

Location: Mexico

Title: “El Señor de Los Cielos”

Amado Carrillo Fuentes is notorious for his brutality after killing his boss, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, and capturing the Juárez Cartel

In addition to drug-related crimes, he also provided money from Colombia to support his fleet

Amado Carrillo Fuentes was the first drug lord to use secret planes to transport cocaine around the world, earning him the nickname “El Señor de Los Cielos,” or “Lord of the Sky “

Location: Jamaica

Names: Dudus, Paul Christopher Scott, Presi, President, General, Shortman, and Omar Clark

Following in the footsteps of his father Christopher Coke, founder of the violent Shower Posse, this Jamaican drug lord deals heavily in cocaine, marijuana, and weapons

However, alongside his criminal activities, he set up programs to help the poor community

He gained so much community support that his capture in Kingston, Jamaica was a five-week ordeal with many casualties

Christopher Coke’s behavior in court in 2012 was unrepentant, with him saying “I’m judging because I am,” before he was sentenced to 23 years in prison

Pablo Escobar

Pharmaceutical revenue: $30 billion

Location: Colombia

Year of birth: 1949

Nicknames: Don Pablo, El Padrino, El Patrón, El Señor, El Mágico, El Pablito, and El Zar de la Cocaína

Pablo Escobar is the world’s largest drug lord in terms of drug money

A Colombian Drug Kingpin, who works closely with the Medellin Cartel, has ambitions to become the President of Colombia

Pablo Escobar’s account says he spends $2,500 a month on nothing but the plastic clay needed to wrap his vast illegal fortune