Colombian Drug Trafficking
... This is the story of Colombia, and the drug that made it rise and fall: cocaine. ... In order to understand the reasons behind drug trafficking one must first know the history of Colombia. ... Even today Colombian coffee is regarded as some of the best in the world. ... Because the coca leaves grow naturally in the Colombian lowlands, it was only a matter of time before they began to be processed and sold. Its career as a billion-dollar producer can be traced to the late 1970’s when demand for the drug had just begun to grow. Even before the drug made its debut in the world, a period of social unrest and revolution was going on in Colombia known simply as “La Violencia”(Bowden 11). ... Later, the groups would evolve and become heavily involved in the drug trade. “There are well known links between the Colombian Marxists guerrilla groups and the cocaine trade” (“Colombian Cartels” 2). ... George Jung grew up an American and became a Colombian. ... He soon found himself starting to deal a much more profitable and even more desirable drug, cocaine. ... But during this time, Jung also had a daughter and soon realized that in order to be able to provide for her and remain free, he had to stop his drug smuggling operations. ... But his last days as a drug dealer were also his last days of freedom; his partners in the operation were secretly working for the DEA and turned him in to the police. ... Although he was caught, his time spent in freedom attributed greatly to the famous Colombian drug trade. Starting in the late 1970s on into the 80’s illegal drug use in America and drug trafficking in Colombia became increasingly popular. ... This seemingly harmless trafficking would soon become a national epidemic for both countries involved. As time progressed different “cartels” were organized to more formally organize the trafficking of cocaine. ... The most influential of these kingpins were the Ochoa brothers: Carlos Lehder and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha (Colombian Cartels 2). The history of this cartel involved huge amounts of profits tied in with violence, which shook the Colombian Government nearly to pieces. ... “In response to a growing epidemic of cocaine use in America, President Ronald Reagan had created a cabinet-level task force in January 1982 to coordinate the nation’s efforts against drug smuggling”.