Colombia´s Cali cartel kingpin Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela dies in US prison

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombia´s Cali cartel kingpin Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, who was serving a 30-year prison sentence in the US, died Wednesday.

Rodriguez Orejuela, 83, had been imprisoned since Dec. 3, 2004. He was captured in 1995 in a luxurious house in the Colombian city of Cali and was extradited almost a decade later.​​​​​​​

During the 1990s, Rodriguez Orejuela and his brother, Miguel, used innovative techniques to smuggle up to 80% of the world's cocaine.

Rodriguez Orejuela unleashed a bloody feud with Medellin drug lord Pablo Escobar. After Escobar's death, Rodriguez Orejuela and Miguel became the country's most wanted criminals.

He admitted that he gave money to political campaigns in the 1990s in what was called the “8,000 process” that resulted in the conviction of several public officials who had been implicated in the influx of drug money into presidential campaigns.

Rodriguez Orejuela was nicknamed “El Ajedrecista,” or The Chess Player, for always being one step ahead of his rivals and for knowing how to infiltrate national politics. He was also known for his ability to smuggle cocaine in different shipments, including frozen vegetables, fruits and coffee packages.

For years, El Ajedrecista asked US authorities for release because he was suffering from prostate and colon cancer along with psychiatric disorders. Prosecutors opposed his request, claiming he received medical treatment in prison.

Family members said they have requested permission to visit Miguel, who is in a prison in the US state of Pennsylvania.