Today in History—July 22: Pablo Escobar Escapes His Own Prison

A nightclub. A sauna. A waterfall. A soccer field.

That might sound like a five-star resort. But it was actually a prison built by one of the world’s most notorious criminals: Pablo Escobar. And on this day in 1992, he escaped from it.

Why leave? And how did he end up there in the first place?

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By the late 1980s Escobar ruled the cocaine trade as head of the Medellín cartel in Colombia. Ruthless and violent, he amassed an estimated fortune of $25 billion. But his power and wealth came at a price. He was being hunted by both law enforcement and rival cartels, and he feared extradition to the United States, the primary market for his cartel’s cocaine.

So in 1991 the “King of Cocaine” reached a remarkable deal with the Colombian government: In exchange for avoiding extradition, Escobar would serve five years in prison. But not just any prison. Escobar would design it himself.

And he gave new meaning to “the big house.”

Known as La Catedral, the prison was on a mountaintop overlooking Medellín. In addition to its amenities, it was heavily fortified. Escobar even handpicked the guards, who doubled as waiters and bartenders during the many parties.

The prison also had telephones, computers, and fax machines so that Escobar could continue to run his empire. And he did—until he finally went too far. In July 1992 he tortured and killed two cartel members at La Catedral.

Colombian officials had had enough. They ordered Escobar transferred to a military prison.

Unsurprisingly, Escobar did not go quietly.

Soldiers descended on the compound. And then they waited…and waited. (A general was later accused of working for Escobar.) When two government officials showed up to negotiate Escobar’s surrender, they were taken hostage. Special forces then arrived—several hours late—and eventually stormed La Catedral. In the ensuing battle, a number of guards were killed.

When the smoke cleared, Escobar was gone.

For more than a year he eluded authorities. Then, on December 2, 1993, a day after his 44th birthday, Escobar’s hideout was discovered in Medellín. A chase and gunfight ensued, and the “King of Cocaine” was fatally shot. Some believe that Escobar took his own life.

And what happened to La Catedral? Today it is a tourist attraction and home to a Benedictine monastery.

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