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They call them
,the cocaine cowboys
4
00:01:30,966 --> 00:01:33,510
Yesterday they struck
busy Dadeland shopping mall
5
00:01:33,510 --> 00:01:36,430
Executing two latin males
in the crown liquor store.
6
00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:38,974
There was an exchange of fire
between the two groups.
7
00:01:38,974 --> 00:01:40,851
Smashed glass
and liquor bottles flying.
8
00:01:40,851 --> 00:01:42,060
The shooting continued outside.
9
00:01:42,060 --> 00:01:43,937
Two men,
cut down in a hail of gunfire.
10
00:01:43,937 --> 00:01:46,148
Victims
of Miami's drug war.
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00:01:46,148 --> 00:01:47,441
The one that got away,
he had a machine gun.
12
00:01:47,441 --> 00:01:49,151
They've got to find
some way to stop this.
13
00:01:49,151 --> 00:01:50,736
Wowhat are they
gonna do about it?
14
00:01:50,736 --> 00:01:51,945
What can they do about it?
15
00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:53,572
And South Floridians
wondered where
16
00:01:53,572 --> 00:01:56,283
The cocaine cowboys
will strike next.
17
00:02:48,585 --> 00:02:51,338
My name is Jon Roberts.
18
00:02:51,338 --> 00:02:54,967
I was born in New York
and i got involved
19
00:02:54,967 --> 00:02:57,010
With a group of Italians
from New York
20
00:02:57,010 --> 00:03:00,264
And they were actually
part of a mafia family.
21
00:03:00,264 --> 00:03:03,433
And we opened about 4 or 5
nightclubs that became very big,
22
00:03:03,433 --> 00:03:05,644
And we were doing really well.
23
00:03:09,481 --> 00:03:11,775
One day, they just came in,
the police,
24
00:03:11,775 --> 00:03:13,193
We had no idea
why they were there
25
00:03:13,193 --> 00:03:15,153
And then they told us that our
partner, they had found him
26
00:03:15,153 --> 00:03:16,989
Out on the Long Island
expressway
27
00:03:16,989 --> 00:03:18,407
And he had been killed
and he had like
28
00:03:18,407 --> 00:03:20,659
11 bullet holes in him.
29
00:03:20,659 --> 00:03:22,494
So who knows what happened.
30
00:03:22,494 --> 00:03:24,454
The best thing that
i could think at that time was
31
00:03:24,454 --> 00:03:27,708
Just let me get away
from all this heat.
32
00:03:27,708 --> 00:03:30,961
So i moved down here
33
00:03:30,961 --> 00:03:33,964
And started into
the cocaine business.
34
00:03:49,688 --> 00:03:52,900
The city in the Miami area
was very, very quiet,
35
00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:55,527
And it was just
a very pleasant place to live.
36
00:03:55,527 --> 00:03:57,362
Prior to 1956,
37
00:03:57,362 --> 00:03:59,740
The night shift
for the sheriff's department
38
00:03:59,740 --> 00:04:01,366
Had one police car
39
00:04:01,366 --> 00:04:04,203
To patrol an area
the size of Rhode Island.
40
00:04:04,203 --> 00:04:05,829
Miami back then
was the south,
41
00:04:05,829 --> 00:04:07,164
It was like Alabama,
42
00:04:07,164 --> 00:04:09,249
There was no money here.
There were no big buildings,
43
00:04:09,249 --> 00:04:11,001
Downtown was pretty barren,
44
00:04:11,001 --> 00:04:13,420
Miami beach, it was
a lot of old people
45
00:04:13,420 --> 00:04:15,339
Just sitting around
in rocking chairs
46
00:04:15,339 --> 00:04:17,132
On South Beach
waiting to die
47
00:04:17,132 --> 00:04:19,635
And it was a whole different
world out here, back then.
48
00:04:19,635 --> 00:04:22,137
This is why Miami
is for you.
49
00:04:24,932 --> 00:04:28,143
In the '60s and '70s,
Miami flourished
50
00:04:28,143 --> 00:04:29,978
Primarily
as a vacation spot.
51
00:04:29,978 --> 00:04:31,355
Al Sunshine.
Al Sunshine.
52
00:04:31,355 --> 00:04:34,107
Al Sunshine.
Channel 4 news.
53
00:04:35,817 --> 00:04:38,695
Sun and fun on the beach,
the palm trees.
54
00:04:42,908 --> 00:04:45,244
Miami is a major
transportation center
55
00:04:45,244 --> 00:04:49,540
And is easily reached
by all forms of travel.
56
00:04:49,540 --> 00:04:53,043
In the late 1970s,
thousands of illegal and legal
57
00:04:53,043 --> 00:04:56,213
South American immigrants
started entering Miami.
58
00:04:56,213 --> 00:04:57,673
The latin-American
influence has
59
00:04:57,673 --> 00:05:00,467
Given Miami a unique flavor.
60
00:05:00,467 --> 00:05:02,261
Miami had by then
been established
61
00:05:02,261 --> 00:05:03,887
As an environment
62
00:05:03,887 --> 00:05:06,932
Where a spanish speaker only
could thrive.
63
00:05:06,932 --> 00:05:08,475
Miami has always been
64
00:05:08,475 --> 00:05:09,977
Sort of a piraty
65
00:05:09,977 --> 00:05:13,021
Kind of fiercely
independent environment
66
00:05:13,021 --> 00:05:16,024
Where law and order
was never championed.
67
00:05:16,024 --> 00:05:17,150
Like a virgin city.
68
00:05:24,449 --> 00:05:26,285
I'm an old
South Florida boy.
69
00:05:26,285 --> 00:05:29,246
One of the few that's that old
who was born here.
70
00:05:29,246 --> 00:05:31,206
I was in the import business.
71
00:05:39,631 --> 00:05:41,049
Do your archaeology
and dig down,
72
00:05:41,049 --> 00:05:42,384
You'll find the gun-runners
73
00:05:42,384 --> 00:05:43,719
And then you'll find
the rum-runners
74
00:05:43,719 --> 00:05:45,137
And you'll find the marijuana
75
00:05:45,137 --> 00:05:47,181
And you'll find
the Cuban immigrants
76
00:05:47,181 --> 00:05:48,515
And then
you'll find the cocaine.
77
00:05:48,515 --> 00:05:51,643
This city has always had
something coming in.
78
00:05:51,643 --> 00:05:53,145
South Florida
is the nearest
79
00:05:53,145 --> 00:05:54,646
U.S. mainland destination
80
00:05:54,646 --> 00:05:56,523
For south American
drug smugglers.
81
00:05:56,523 --> 00:05:59,109
It was wide open back then.
It was wide open.
82
00:05:59,109 --> 00:06:01,737
There is mile after mile
of unguarded shoreline
83
00:06:01,737 --> 00:06:04,156
Where a boat can drop drugs
undetected.
84
00:06:04,156 --> 00:06:06,491
In the '70s
when i first came down here,
85
00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:09,077
Everybody in Florida
was smuggling pot in.
86
00:06:09,077 --> 00:06:10,621
The drug enforcement agency
believes
87
00:06:10,621 --> 00:06:14,791
95% of all marijuana smuggled
into the United States
88
00:06:14,791 --> 00:06:16,752
Comes through South Florida.
89
00:06:16,752 --> 00:06:19,755
A friend of mine
passed away in his warehouse,
90
00:06:19,755 --> 00:06:23,550
He had 2,000 pounds
of marijuana.
91
00:06:23,550 --> 00:06:26,094
And what i did was
i went in and took it.
92
00:06:26,094 --> 00:06:27,471
I didn't really know
anybody in the business
93
00:06:27,471 --> 00:06:29,223
So i gave half of it
to somebody
94
00:06:29,223 --> 00:06:30,432
And i gave the other half
to somebody
95
00:06:30,432 --> 00:06:31,558
And i split it with them.
96
00:06:31,558 --> 00:06:33,435
If you were making $10,000
a year,
97
00:06:33,435 --> 00:06:34,645
You were doing pretty good.
98
00:06:34,645 --> 00:06:35,979
If you were making $20,000
99
00:06:35,979 --> 00:06:37,064
You were doing phenomenal.
100
00:06:37,064 --> 00:06:40,067
I think i had like $165,000.
101
00:06:40,067 --> 00:06:44,279
So you're talking about
8 years' salary alone.
102
00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,533
And i said,
this is pretty nice,
103
00:06:47,533 --> 00:06:50,619
There's gotta be something more
to this. It was too easy.
104
00:06:50,619 --> 00:06:52,371
I mean you could drive in
with a boat,
105
00:06:52,371 --> 00:06:53,747
Stacked up,
pull up to the dock
106
00:06:53,747 --> 00:06:55,374
And unload it
and nobody said a thing.
107
00:06:55,374 --> 00:06:57,668
There was no defense
of the border to speak of.
108
00:06:57,668 --> 00:06:59,211
And at
the present rate according to
109
00:06:59,211 --> 00:07:00,671
Some economists,
110
00:07:00,671 --> 00:07:04,800
The state's major industry
could soon be drug smuggling.
111
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:05,926
You could be out
in a boat
112
00:07:05,926 --> 00:07:08,679
And find bales
of marijuana floating.
113
00:07:08,679 --> 00:07:13,100
I mean the proverbial
square grouper.
114
00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:14,560
The Colombians realized
115
00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,104
They had they had a goldmine
here and when they were sending
116
00:07:17,104 --> 00:07:19,106
Like all this pot,
they would send
117
00:07:19,106 --> 00:07:20,524
A few kilos of coke.
118
00:07:20,524 --> 00:07:22,109
In the beginning
it was very small...
119
00:07:22,109 --> 00:07:23,694
Because
it was so expensive.
120
00:07:23,694 --> 00:07:25,279
And they would bring them
in a suitcase...
121
00:07:25,279 --> 00:07:26,530
So you didn't see
much of it.
122
00:07:26,530 --> 00:07:29,366
And it would get extremely
high prices for it.
123
00:07:29,366 --> 00:07:32,828
The mid-'70s with D.E.A.,
the priority was extremely low.
124
00:07:32,828 --> 00:07:35,706
Our office was pretty much shut
down when it came to cocaine.
125
00:07:35,706 --> 00:07:38,417
There is not a serious
problem nationwide
126
00:07:38,417 --> 00:07:42,337
Given the very large number
of people who use cocaine.
127
00:07:42,337 --> 00:07:46,175
It is a serious problem for
a certain smaller minority.
128
00:07:46,175 --> 00:07:48,802
I met a Cuban man
out in Hialeah
129
00:07:48,802 --> 00:07:50,846
And his name was
Albert Sanpedro.
130
00:07:50,846 --> 00:07:53,015
Most Cubans got
whatever they got
131
00:07:53,015 --> 00:07:55,392
From Colombians, obviously
because the Colombians,
132
00:07:55,392 --> 00:07:56,894
You know,
controlled everything.
133
00:07:56,894 --> 00:07:58,061
In drug trafficking,
134
00:07:58,061 --> 00:08:00,022
Cuban-American
organizations here
135
00:08:00,022 --> 00:08:02,149
Are often allied
with Colombian groups.
136
00:08:02,149 --> 00:08:04,985
Colombians importing the drugs,
Cubans distributing them.
137
00:08:04,985 --> 00:08:07,487
And Albert would front me
a quarter of a pound
138
00:08:07,487 --> 00:08:09,281
And he would give me
like three or four days
139
00:08:09,281 --> 00:08:11,617
And then i would go
and bring him the money back.
140
00:08:11,617 --> 00:08:13,243
And then he'd give me another
quarter of a pound,
141
00:08:13,243 --> 00:08:15,454
And i think i used to pay him
somewhere around...
142
00:08:15,454 --> 00:08:18,582
About 800 an ounce or something,
back in the '70s for it.
143
00:08:18,582 --> 00:08:20,125
And it wasn't of any quality,
144
00:08:20,125 --> 00:08:21,752
But a lot of people
didn't know the difference
145
00:08:21,752 --> 00:08:23,420
And they would see these
big rocks and they'd think,
146
00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:25,839
"Wow, this is great shit."
And my clients
147
00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:28,175
Weren't these people that you
would think they would be,
148
00:08:28,175 --> 00:08:29,259
Like these street people.
149
00:08:29,259 --> 00:08:30,385
If anybody had cocaine,
150
00:08:30,385 --> 00:08:31,845
They had to be
an airline pilot.
151
00:08:31,845 --> 00:08:33,180
Real estate people down here.
152
00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:34,348
Doctors, attorneys.
153
00:08:34,348 --> 00:08:36,475
I had lawyers,
i had doctors.
154
00:08:36,475 --> 00:08:38,644
Somebody that could afford
what it costs.
155
00:08:38,644 --> 00:08:40,062
They were called
weekend warriors.
156
00:08:40,062 --> 00:08:41,480
During the week
they wouldn't do anything
157
00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,482
But on the weekend they'd
just go from friday night
158
00:08:43,482 --> 00:08:46,235
Till sunday and do this thing.
And each guy would
159
00:08:46,235 --> 00:08:48,487
Introduce me to another friend.
So eventually
160
00:08:48,487 --> 00:08:49,696
It went from 4 ounces
161
00:08:49,696 --> 00:08:51,615
To 8 ounces
to 12 to 16
162
00:08:51,615 --> 00:08:53,825
Where within like a month
i was selling
163
00:08:53,825 --> 00:08:57,079
Probably 2, 3 kilos a week just
to these doctors and friends.
164
00:08:57,079 --> 00:08:58,872
When i came from New York,
i came down here
165
00:08:58,872 --> 00:09:01,166
With $650 in my pocket
166
00:09:01,166 --> 00:09:03,460
And i was making 20,000, 30,000
a week back then
167
00:09:03,460 --> 00:09:05,295
Just off this little trade.
168
00:09:05,295 --> 00:09:07,047
I had a friend
who i knew from New York,
169
00:09:07,047 --> 00:09:10,050
He developed a big, big trade
out in California
170
00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:11,593
In the San Francisco bay area.
171
00:09:11,593 --> 00:09:13,428
He was selling to
the Oakland raiders,
172
00:09:13,428 --> 00:09:15,597
He was selling to
the grateful dead.
173
00:09:15,597 --> 00:09:18,183
I had met a stewardess,
and this stewardess worked for
174
00:09:18,183 --> 00:09:19,726
National airlines at the time.
175
00:09:19,726 --> 00:09:21,603
So we would send coke
with the stewardess.
176
00:09:21,603 --> 00:09:23,981
And she would go from here
to San Francisco
177
00:09:23,981 --> 00:09:25,858
And we were sending him
anywhere
178
00:09:25,858 --> 00:09:28,527
From 5 to 10 kilos a week.
And i was getting back
179
00:09:28,527 --> 00:09:30,863
Big money at the time, i mean,
you're starting to get into
180
00:09:30,863 --> 00:09:34,032
The 200,000 to 300,000, and back
then i started meeting guys--
181
00:09:34,032 --> 00:09:36,410
Mercury morris, who was a great
running back for the dolphins
182
00:09:36,410 --> 00:09:38,537
Who also went to jail,
so it's no secret.
183
00:09:38,537 --> 00:09:40,164
Merc is just
one fallen angel
184
00:09:40,164 --> 00:09:41,832
Of the Miami football machine.
185
00:09:41,832 --> 00:09:43,333
Former "Dolphins" Don Reese
186
00:09:43,333 --> 00:09:46,336
And Randy Crowder were also
arrested by Miami police
187
00:09:46,336 --> 00:09:48,505
In another
cocaine transaction.
188
00:09:48,505 --> 00:09:49,965
I remember
the week of the super bowl
189
00:09:49,965 --> 00:09:51,592
When Dallas
played Pittsburgh here.
190
00:09:51,592 --> 00:09:53,635
Two nights before
i got the whole front line
191
00:09:53,635 --> 00:09:56,680
Of the Pittsburgh Steelers in my
house and they all sat down,
192
00:09:56,680 --> 00:09:58,765
"Come on, come on, break the
shit out, break the shit out."
193
00:09:58,765 --> 00:10:00,767
We don't get a chance to get
involved in all the festivities
194
00:10:00,767 --> 00:10:03,645
And all the fun and the parties
'cause we have curfews.
195
00:10:03,645 --> 00:10:05,898
They partied,
and they really partied hard.
196
00:10:05,898 --> 00:10:08,942
* Here we go, Steelers,
Here we go *
197
00:10:08,942 --> 00:10:11,445
I mean, you have no idea what
these guys were doped with.
198
00:10:11,445 --> 00:10:13,238
I'm saying, "you guys are
gonna play football sunday?"
199
00:10:13,238 --> 00:10:15,657
"Yeah, and we're gonna win."
200
00:10:15,657 --> 00:10:17,242
They went out and won,
you know what i mean,
201
00:10:17,242 --> 00:10:18,285
It didn't affect them.
202
00:10:18,285 --> 00:10:20,245
Well, our offensive line
did a great job.
203
00:10:20,245 --> 00:10:22,539
The popularity,
it began to shoot up,
204
00:10:22,539 --> 00:10:25,125
Everybody that before
was doing these pot things
205
00:10:25,125 --> 00:10:26,668
Was now into doing cocaine.
206
00:10:26,668 --> 00:10:28,295
We stayed
in the pot business until
207
00:10:28,295 --> 00:10:30,714
It got to the point where,
there was so much pot here
208
00:10:30,714 --> 00:10:33,175
That you couldn't sell it.
209
00:10:33,175 --> 00:10:35,511
And you just couldn't
get enough cocaine.
210
00:10:35,511 --> 00:10:36,845
I said the best way to do it
looks to me
211
00:10:36,845 --> 00:10:38,722
Like if we got
into the transportation of it.
212
00:10:38,722 --> 00:10:40,265
You're not buying it,
you're not selling it,
213
00:10:40,265 --> 00:10:43,477
You're not using it,
you're just an importer.
214
00:10:43,477 --> 00:10:46,313
The Colombians threw
a number at us
215
00:10:46,313 --> 00:10:48,482
That was more than agreeable.
216
00:10:48,482 --> 00:10:50,150
$3,000 apiece,
217
00:10:50,150 --> 00:10:51,735
Or a kilo in your terms.
218
00:10:51,735 --> 00:10:54,404
And they wanted to move
at least 400,
219
00:10:54,404 --> 00:10:57,115
And we went down there
and the first trip,
220
00:10:57,115 --> 00:11:01,578
We got paid $1.2 million.
221
00:11:01,578 --> 00:11:03,413
That was enough to excite us.
222
00:11:03,413 --> 00:11:06,083
Say, maybe we'll stay
in this trade for a while.
223
00:11:08,919 --> 00:11:10,504
The people
that i was dealing with
224
00:11:10,504 --> 00:11:12,089
Had a limited supply
225
00:11:12,089 --> 00:11:13,590
And as the people
i was selling to
226
00:11:13,590 --> 00:11:16,635
Expanded their business,
i couldn't get enough.
227
00:11:16,635 --> 00:11:18,512
You know, one guy would say,
i want 15 kilos
228
00:11:18,512 --> 00:11:20,556
Or 20 kilos or 25 kilos,
229
00:11:20,556 --> 00:11:23,016
I could only give him 15 or 10,
then it was money
230
00:11:23,016 --> 00:11:24,434
Coming out of my pocket.
231
00:11:24,434 --> 00:11:27,980
I could sell 100 kilos a week,
easily.
232
00:11:27,980 --> 00:11:31,817
I got lucky.
I think in about 1979,
233
00:11:31,817 --> 00:11:33,026
I met this girl.
234
00:11:33,026 --> 00:11:35,404
Woi flew to Miami
235
00:11:35,404 --> 00:11:38,282
And i was working on a shoot
with a girl
236
00:11:38,282 --> 00:11:43,287
And she told me that
she had somebody for me to meet.
237
00:11:43,287 --> 00:11:46,248
A friend of mine fixed me up
with her, he was a lawyer.
238
00:11:46,248 --> 00:11:48,333
He was dating
this really beautiful girl
239
00:11:48,333 --> 00:11:49,918
Who was a model for Ford.
240
00:11:53,922 --> 00:11:57,801
After i had known Jon 3 months,
it was my birthday,
241
00:11:57,801 --> 00:12:00,470
And i went into the garage
and he had a brand-new Porsche,
242
00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:02,097
Targa Carrera Porsche.
243
00:12:02,097 --> 00:12:07,728
And it had a huge bow sitting
on top, a huge red bow from him.
244
00:12:07,728 --> 00:12:10,439
But it was kind of a whirlwind
thing with Jon and i,
245
00:12:10,439 --> 00:12:15,611
I mean, we fell very much
in love. We were--
246
00:12:19,364 --> 00:12:20,782
The story i got was that
247
00:12:20,782 --> 00:12:22,743
He had discotheques
in manhattan.
248
00:12:22,743 --> 00:12:24,161
As i started dating her
249
00:12:24,161 --> 00:12:26,413
Obviously she saw
i wasn't working.
250
00:12:26,413 --> 00:12:28,415
Whenever i wanted to go to
New York i was in New York,
251
00:12:28,415 --> 00:12:30,501
And she got curious.
I'm the type of person,
252
00:12:30,501 --> 00:12:32,294
I'm pretty upfront
and so i told her,
253
00:12:32,294 --> 00:12:33,712
"Hey, this is what i do.
254
00:12:33,712 --> 00:12:35,297
"If you don't wanna
see me anymore, fine."
255
00:12:35,297 --> 00:12:37,466
She said
"no, i have a friend
256
00:12:37,466 --> 00:12:39,801
"And he is a pilot and he works
for these Colombians."
257
00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:42,137
So the guy introduces himself,
his name is mickey Munday
258
00:12:42,137 --> 00:12:44,056
And he's like
a redneck from Florida
259
00:12:44,056 --> 00:12:45,474
That's been here his whole life.
260
00:12:45,474 --> 00:12:47,434
I wanna say i didn't like him.
261
00:12:47,434 --> 00:12:48,810
The first time i meet Jon,
he's driving
262
00:12:48,810 --> 00:12:51,188
This black Mercedes two-door
263
00:12:51,188 --> 00:12:53,482
That's got "drug dealer"
written all over it.
264
00:12:53,482 --> 00:12:56,109
Mickey Munday had
a very successful transportation
265
00:12:56,109 --> 00:12:58,153
For these people for many years.
266
00:12:58,153 --> 00:13:01,073
Flamboyant, he just
looked like somebody
267
00:13:01,073 --> 00:13:03,784
That i don't wanna have
anything to do with.
268
00:13:03,784 --> 00:13:06,328
I mean he is...
remember the show macgyver?
269
00:13:06,328 --> 00:13:07,663
That's...that's this guy.
270
00:13:07,663 --> 00:13:09,665
He could do stuff
that just was incredible.
271
00:13:09,665 --> 00:13:12,626
He was a sharp guy but i just
didn't like his vehicles.
272
00:13:12,626 --> 00:13:14,294
To me it looked like
all the other guys
273
00:13:14,294 --> 00:13:15,379
Who were in the drug business.
274
00:13:15,379 --> 00:13:17,089
I told him
i outgrew the Cubans
275
00:13:17,089 --> 00:13:19,424
And it became a necessity
to find a Colombian
276
00:13:19,424 --> 00:13:21,176
That could supply
the large amounts
277
00:13:21,176 --> 00:13:23,053
That were needed at the time.
278
00:13:23,053 --> 00:13:24,847
And he said, "well,
i'm gonna hook you up,
279
00:13:24,847 --> 00:13:27,474
"I can take you to
these Colombians that i know
280
00:13:27,474 --> 00:13:29,768
"And this guy can give you
whatever you want."
281
00:13:29,768 --> 00:13:31,728
And i'd heard stories like that
many times,
282
00:13:31,728 --> 00:13:34,314
So i just said "sure, whenever
you're ready, let me know."
283
00:13:34,314 --> 00:13:36,650
And we drove
to sunny isles, Florida,
284
00:13:36,650 --> 00:13:38,277
And we go into this house,
285
00:13:38,277 --> 00:13:40,571
There was about 5 or 6
Colombians there
286
00:13:40,571 --> 00:13:42,072
All like loaded to bear--
287
00:13:42,072 --> 00:13:43,448
When i say loaded,
they were strapped.
288
00:13:43,448 --> 00:13:45,200
They had pistols, machine guns,
289
00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:46,743
And they were all
standing around
290
00:13:46,743 --> 00:13:49,413
And at that point i realized,
you know, this guy is serious.
291
00:13:49,413 --> 00:13:50,539
This is for real, because people
292
00:13:50,539 --> 00:13:52,124
Just don't stand around
like that.
293
00:13:52,124 --> 00:13:53,417
And i meet this little guy,
294
00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:55,586
He can't be more
than 5'4" or 5'5"
295
00:13:55,586 --> 00:13:57,671
And he introduces himself,
and he says, "my name is Rafa."
296
00:13:57,671 --> 00:13:59,256
And he's telling me,
"you know, i can give you
297
00:13:59,256 --> 00:14:01,633
"Whatever you want, man.
And if you got some money,
298
00:14:01,633 --> 00:14:03,302
"Uh, i'll front you
twice the amount of money
299
00:14:03,302 --> 00:14:05,053
"That you've come with."
300
00:14:05,053 --> 00:14:07,890
And i said, "well, you know,
show me something."
301
00:14:07,890 --> 00:14:09,933
He takes me into this back room,
he pushes a button
302
00:14:09,933 --> 00:14:11,685
And a whole wall
opens up like this
303
00:14:11,685 --> 00:14:14,396
And i have never seen so much
cocaine in my entire life
304
00:14:14,396 --> 00:14:16,190
Just sitting behind this wall.
305
00:14:16,190 --> 00:14:18,025
I said, "okay, i guess
you can help me, man."
306
00:14:18,025 --> 00:14:20,360
I said, "give me a day and
i'll put together the money
307
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:21,737
"And, you know, i'll be back."
308
00:14:21,737 --> 00:14:24,489
The next day i came,
he had an American guy there
309
00:14:24,489 --> 00:14:26,200
And he introduced the American,
310
00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:27,784
And he said,
"this is my compadre.
311
00:14:27,784 --> 00:14:29,119
"You know, i'm not in town a lot
312
00:14:29,119 --> 00:14:31,330
"But whatever it is you need,
this is the man,
313
00:14:31,330 --> 00:14:32,873
"He'll take care of you and...
314
00:14:32,873 --> 00:14:36,126
"Don't worry about it
he's...100%."
315
00:14:36,126 --> 00:14:38,629
And the man he introduced me to
happened to be this man
316
00:14:38,629 --> 00:14:40,130
Max Mermelstein.
317
00:14:40,130 --> 00:14:41,757
Jon introduced me to Max.
318
00:14:41,757 --> 00:14:43,967
Max was the...at the time,
i thought a good person,
319
00:14:43,967 --> 00:14:45,886
And i thought, you know,
a trusted person.
320
00:14:45,886 --> 00:14:49,306
Max seemed like
a very nice guy back then.
321
00:14:49,306 --> 00:14:51,850
He seemed that way, anyway.
322
00:14:51,850 --> 00:14:53,435
In the beginning
Max was giving me
323
00:14:53,435 --> 00:14:55,646
Like 75, 100 kilos a week.
324
00:14:55,646 --> 00:14:57,314
Eventually when Max saw
i was serious
325
00:14:57,314 --> 00:14:58,941
And this was happening
every week,
326
00:14:58,941 --> 00:15:01,109
When you're bringing somebody
a million dollars every week,
327
00:15:01,109 --> 00:15:03,403
All of a sudden you know,
you grow...
328
00:15:03,403 --> 00:15:05,531
A bond becomes between people.
329
00:15:05,531 --> 00:15:08,367
And Max said, "i want you
to do my end of the business,
330
00:15:08,367 --> 00:15:09,910
"Going to Colombia,
arranging the trips,
331
00:15:09,910 --> 00:15:12,371
"And if you split it with me
you're gonna make much more,
332
00:15:12,371 --> 00:15:14,957
"And you can continue
to supply you whoever you want."
333
00:15:14,957 --> 00:15:16,792
And Max sent me to Colombia.
334
00:15:16,792 --> 00:15:19,086
This is the envigado
section of Medellin.
335
00:15:19,086 --> 00:15:21,505
It is here that
the cocaine bosses meet.
336
00:15:21,505 --> 00:15:23,298
And i would hook up
with Rafa
337
00:15:23,298 --> 00:15:25,801
And Rafa would introduce me to
the people he was working with.
338
00:15:25,801 --> 00:15:27,261
We met, you might say
339
00:15:27,261 --> 00:15:30,597
The elite of the drug business
from Colombia.
340
00:15:30,597 --> 00:15:32,808
And it would be
the Ochoas, and...
341
00:15:32,808 --> 00:15:34,059
Pablo Escobar.
People that you
342
00:15:34,059 --> 00:15:35,853
Read about in books.
Carlos lehder.
343
00:15:35,853 --> 00:15:37,396
You know, here i was,
a kid from New York
344
00:15:37,396 --> 00:15:39,147
Never thinking that this
would really happen.
345
00:15:39,147 --> 00:15:40,440
They make it sound
like they had, you know,
346
00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,442
An office the size of this
with computers
347
00:15:42,442 --> 00:15:44,319
And they got 40 secretaries,
and it's just a bunch of
348
00:15:44,319 --> 00:15:46,947
Bums down there, they were
a bunch of street thugs...
349
00:15:46,947 --> 00:15:48,574
That got lucky.
350
00:15:50,367 --> 00:15:51,493
Let's break it down
a different way
351
00:15:51,493 --> 00:15:53,453
That people in America
could understand.
352
00:15:53,453 --> 00:15:55,998
People in America are used to
Italians and the mafia.
353
00:15:55,998 --> 00:15:57,291
The Colombians
have their own thing,
354
00:15:57,291 --> 00:15:59,710
It's a mafia,
only it's a Colombian mafia.
355
00:15:59,710 --> 00:16:02,713
There was only one family
at that time that i knew.
356
00:16:02,713 --> 00:16:04,423
And that family
was from Medellin.
357
00:16:04,423 --> 00:16:06,049
The ochoa family
358
00:16:06,049 --> 00:16:09,511
Was a highly respected family
of ranchers
359
00:16:09,511 --> 00:16:11,013
With a great deal of influence
360
00:16:11,013 --> 00:16:13,640
In their home city
of Medellin, Colombia.
361
00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:14,850
So they have, of course,
362
00:16:14,850 --> 00:16:16,894
The captain
and the head, the capo.
363
00:16:16,894 --> 00:16:18,937
Which was...
as many people wanna believe
364
00:16:18,937 --> 00:16:22,232
That pablo Escobar was the king
of cocaine and everything,
365
00:16:22,232 --> 00:16:23,483
They can believe that,
366
00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:26,820
But the man that was
really the king was ochoa.
367
00:16:26,820 --> 00:16:29,031
And not fabito, the poor man,
it was the old man.
368
00:16:29,031 --> 00:16:32,034
The old man was the silent man
who never did a day in jail
369
00:16:32,034 --> 00:16:34,161
Who really controlled Escobar.
370
00:16:34,161 --> 00:16:37,456
Fabio ochoa, the patriarch
of the ochoa family
371
00:16:37,456 --> 00:16:39,249
Of the Medellin cartel.
372
00:16:39,249 --> 00:16:41,919
They are credited
with having created
373
00:16:41,919 --> 00:16:45,380
A lloyd's of London for the
cocaine trade in Colombia.
374
00:16:45,380 --> 00:16:47,132
Rafa was like a lieutenant
375
00:16:47,132 --> 00:16:50,260
And Rafa really controlled
almost every kilo of coke
376
00:16:50,260 --> 00:16:51,720
That came into this country.
377
00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:53,013
Through the people from
Medellin,
378
00:16:53,013 --> 00:16:55,307
Rafa knew it was coming
and Rafa knew
379
00:16:55,307 --> 00:16:57,768
Who was getting it and how much
they were getting for each one.
380
00:16:57,768 --> 00:17:00,395
And he made these people...
i can't even believe.
381
00:17:00,395 --> 00:17:02,564
I mean, you know
millions isn't enough,
382
00:17:02,564 --> 00:17:05,317
Millions isn't what he made
these people.
383
00:17:05,317 --> 00:17:06,693
There was nobody
higher than him
384
00:17:06,693 --> 00:17:08,612
For the Medellin cartel
in this country.
385
00:17:08,612 --> 00:17:10,531
And he had many soldiers,
just like
386
00:17:10,531 --> 00:17:12,824
The mafia people have soldiers
that would work for him.
387
00:17:12,824 --> 00:17:14,284
Some of them
would sell the drugs,
388
00:17:14,284 --> 00:17:15,619
Some of them were enforcers.
389
00:17:15,619 --> 00:17:17,830
He had accountants, lawyers.
390
00:17:17,830 --> 00:17:19,039
Woso in your view,
these fellas
391
00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:20,541
Are not the cocaine cowboys?
392
00:17:20,541 --> 00:17:22,000
Absolutely not.
393
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,293
You know, he had everything
in this country
394
00:17:23,293 --> 00:17:24,962
And they were
a well-formed group.
395
00:17:24,962 --> 00:17:26,630
Guess what--
They're not all different people
396
00:17:26,630 --> 00:17:28,841
Sending the stuff
and it's one organization,
397
00:17:28,841 --> 00:17:30,551
The Medellin cartel.
398
00:17:30,551 --> 00:17:33,637
The feds charge
the cartel controls 80%
399
00:17:33,637 --> 00:17:36,265
Of the cocaine
coming into the United States.
400
00:17:36,265 --> 00:17:38,684
Federal authorities say,
"these three men
401
00:17:38,684 --> 00:17:41,144
"Now run an organization
more violent
402
00:17:41,144 --> 00:17:43,772
"And at least as powerful
as the American mafia."
403
00:17:43,772 --> 00:17:46,024
From my experience
in New York with mafia people,
404
00:17:46,024 --> 00:17:47,401
And from my experience
with the Colombians,
405
00:17:47,401 --> 00:17:49,027
They made far more money,
the Colombians,
406
00:17:49,027 --> 00:17:50,487
In a far shorter time
407
00:17:50,487 --> 00:17:53,240
Than the mafia
ever dreamed of making ever.
408
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:54,616
The Colombians had farms,
409
00:17:54,616 --> 00:17:56,952
Fincas, they called them,
just filled
410
00:17:56,952 --> 00:17:59,538
With cocaine down there
'cause they just kept producing.
411
00:17:59,538 --> 00:18:01,498
They had guys
chewing leaves all night.
412
00:18:01,498 --> 00:18:04,042
Working in factories and chewing
the leaves, chewing the leaves.
413
00:18:04,042 --> 00:18:06,837
And these guys, you know,
they worked nonstop.
414
00:18:06,837 --> 00:18:08,797
And down there,
there is no industry.
415
00:18:08,797 --> 00:18:11,133
These guys were making
their living growing this.
416
00:18:11,133 --> 00:18:13,135
These poor farmers,
and poor workers,
417
00:18:13,135 --> 00:18:15,137
They were getting paid a lot of
money to do this stuff.
418
00:18:15,137 --> 00:18:19,558
And it was a whole process,
it was like a factory working.
419
00:18:19,558 --> 00:18:21,768
And we worked with
shortwave radios at the time,
420
00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:23,645
There was
no telephone communication
421
00:18:23,645 --> 00:18:26,607
Like people you see on the
phones, in the movies, you know,
422
00:18:26,607 --> 00:18:28,400
"Hey, what's going on
down there in Colombia?
423
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,069
"I need 600 kilos."
It...it wasn't like that.
424
00:18:31,069 --> 00:18:33,071
We had antennas that would
come up out of the ground
425
00:18:33,071 --> 00:18:35,866
Go 80 feet into the air
for communication.
426
00:18:35,866 --> 00:18:38,118
We would have a certain time
they'd turn their shortwave on
427
00:18:38,118 --> 00:18:41,872
And we'd turn on ours
and we would talk that way.
428
00:18:41,872 --> 00:18:44,249
Also at this hour
in Miami
429
00:18:44,249 --> 00:18:45,417
On a shortwave radio band
430
00:18:45,417 --> 00:18:48,170
That most radios
cannot pick up
431
00:18:48,170 --> 00:18:51,256
The coded instructions are
coming in from a transmitter
432
00:18:51,256 --> 00:18:53,091
In Medellin, Colombia,
433
00:18:53,091 --> 00:18:54,968
From members of
the world's largest
434
00:18:54,968 --> 00:18:57,012
Cocaine smuggling organization.
435
00:18:58,080 --> 00:18:59,765
The cattle is ready,
436
00:18:59,765 --> 00:19:01,141
The cattle is ready.
437
00:19:02,462 --> 00:19:04,186
At 8 o'clock.
438
00:19:04,186 --> 00:19:05,812
8 for the first one.
439
00:19:05,812 --> 00:19:08,023
And that's how
we would set up the trips
440
00:19:08,023 --> 00:19:10,609
And we were contracted actually
by the Colombians.
441
00:19:10,609 --> 00:19:12,152
I would make arrangements
with them
442
00:19:12,152 --> 00:19:14,613
And they would tell me,
"okay, there's 1000 kilos.
443
00:19:14,613 --> 00:19:15,948
"Come pick it up."
444
00:19:15,948 --> 00:19:17,950
Over the mountains, down
and slide through a valley
445
00:19:17,950 --> 00:19:19,076
So nobody would see you.
446
00:19:19,076 --> 00:19:20,869
And you never had
a problem landing
447
00:19:20,869 --> 00:19:22,246
You never had a problem
taking off.
448
00:19:22,246 --> 00:19:24,915
It was all paid down there,
the government worked with them,
449
00:19:24,915 --> 00:19:26,750
And we would send
the plane down there.
450
00:19:26,750 --> 00:19:29,628
The Colombians
really didn't have...
451
00:19:29,628 --> 00:19:31,296
And i'll say it, they didn't
have their shit together.
452
00:19:31,296 --> 00:19:33,048
99% of the strips we went to
453
00:19:33,048 --> 00:19:35,676
Were dirt, grass,
the people that worked there.
454
00:19:35,676 --> 00:19:37,803
That's the reason why we would
take our own equipment.
455
00:19:37,803 --> 00:19:39,346
And you would see,
when you get there,
456
00:19:39,346 --> 00:19:41,765
The wrecked airplanes--
Not gonna happen.
457
00:19:41,765 --> 00:19:44,226
The plane would land,
they would spend the night.
458
00:19:44,226 --> 00:19:45,561
And you would land there
and they would say,
459
00:19:45,561 --> 00:19:47,479
"Oh, you wanna stay
or you want a woman?
460
00:19:47,479 --> 00:19:49,147
"If you want my little sister,
you're gonna get her, right?
461
00:19:49,147 --> 00:19:50,524
"You want something to drink?"
462
00:19:50,524 --> 00:19:52,359
I go, "yeah, i really want to
drink and get back in this plane
463
00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,279
"And fly for another 12 hours
drunk. Right.
464
00:19:55,279 --> 00:19:56,238
"The woman didn't sound bad."
465
00:19:56,238 --> 00:19:57,698
The next thing
would be loading.
466
00:19:57,698 --> 00:19:59,157
There's two ways
to come back from down there.
467
00:19:59,157 --> 00:20:00,325
If you're flying,
you could come around
468
00:20:00,325 --> 00:20:02,161
The east side of Cuba,
which is the shorter,
469
00:20:02,161 --> 00:20:04,037
Or you can come around
the west side.
470
00:20:04,037 --> 00:20:06,123
If you had a lot of fuel, the
west side was actually better
471
00:20:06,123 --> 00:20:09,084
Because almost everything
that was happening
472
00:20:09,084 --> 00:20:10,377
Came from the bahamas.
473
00:20:10,377 --> 00:20:12,504
So if they were patrolling,
474
00:20:12,504 --> 00:20:14,256
That would be where
they would be,
475
00:20:14,256 --> 00:20:16,175
You're gonna go
where most of the action is.
476
00:20:16,175 --> 00:20:19,595
So we would come from the west,
nobody would think of you there.
477
00:20:19,595 --> 00:20:20,929
Apparently
heavy surveillance
478
00:20:20,929 --> 00:20:23,640
And stricter enforcement
on Florida's east coast
479
00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,185
Is driving smugglers
to the desolate west coast
480
00:20:26,185 --> 00:20:28,061
To make their connections.
481
00:20:28,061 --> 00:20:30,564
We would pop the coast
maybe over by marco island,
482
00:20:30,564 --> 00:20:32,649
Fly almost
all the way to georgia,
483
00:20:32,649 --> 00:20:34,234
Then turn around and fly back.
484
00:20:34,234 --> 00:20:36,069
Now we look like
somebody coming south.
485
00:20:36,069 --> 00:20:37,946
Nobody coming from
the north south
486
00:20:37,946 --> 00:20:39,198
Is doing anything illegal.
487
00:20:39,198 --> 00:20:41,992
You could move
62,000 dead bodies
488
00:20:41,992 --> 00:20:43,410
In a plane
in the United States
489
00:20:43,410 --> 00:20:45,120
Because i don't know how many
planes there are
490
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:46,663
In the air at one time
491
00:20:46,663 --> 00:20:47,915
But there's no checking.
492
00:20:47,915 --> 00:20:49,625
You can land in a small airport
493
00:20:49,625 --> 00:20:51,335
And they don't have police
at every airport,
494
00:20:51,335 --> 00:20:52,711
"Hey, what's in your plane?"
495
00:20:52,711 --> 00:20:54,213
We would make it look
like we were going into
496
00:20:54,213 --> 00:20:55,672
One of the local airports,
497
00:20:55,672 --> 00:20:59,426
And what we would do
is make a flyby and head west.
498
00:20:59,426 --> 00:21:02,513
We'd bought
some property in lakeland.
499
00:21:02,513 --> 00:21:04,348
We built two runways there,
500
00:21:04,348 --> 00:21:06,433
Put up a couple of barns
that were really hangars.
501
00:21:06,433 --> 00:21:07,976
They looked like barns.
502
00:21:07,976 --> 00:21:09,561
And when you'd open up
the hayloft door,
503
00:21:09,561 --> 00:21:13,148
You would see that it was shaped
to the tail of an airplane.
504
00:21:13,148 --> 00:21:16,109
I would use a 5, 6, 8-year-old
family car...
505
00:21:16,109 --> 00:21:17,528
And we would load 300 pieces
506
00:21:17,528 --> 00:21:19,112
And we would put air shocks
on the car
507
00:21:19,112 --> 00:21:20,948
So that the car
wouldn't fall to the ground
508
00:21:20,948 --> 00:21:23,534
And we'd use a tow truck
to tow the vehicle back.
509
00:21:23,534 --> 00:21:25,327
We had a towing company
that we'd formed
510
00:21:25,327 --> 00:21:27,955
And we bought a gas station
and a garage down here in Miami.
511
00:21:27,955 --> 00:21:30,165
And the guy with the tow
truck would have a work order.
512
00:21:30,165 --> 00:21:32,709
We had a driver who
obviously knew what was going on
513
00:21:32,709 --> 00:21:33,961
But was told,
"you get pulled over
514
00:21:33,961 --> 00:21:36,338
"And they open the trunk
of the car, you don't know."
515
00:21:36,338 --> 00:21:38,173
If you're driving the vehicle
it's kind of hard not to know
516
00:21:38,173 --> 00:21:40,259
What's in the trunk, but the guy
in the tow truck would not know.
517
00:21:40,259 --> 00:21:42,219
You don't know, you're
contracted to tow the car.
518
00:21:42,219 --> 00:21:44,513
He hooked up
and away he went.
519
00:21:44,513 --> 00:21:46,139
Let them take the car and
let them take heat down there
520
00:21:46,139 --> 00:21:48,475
But they can't hold you, you've
got the bill and everything.
521
00:21:48,475 --> 00:21:50,978
We would get a caravan,
with two or three cars going.
522
00:21:50,978 --> 00:21:52,354
We would use one car in front
523
00:21:52,354 --> 00:21:54,356
As a spotter,
and one car behind.
524
00:21:54,356 --> 00:21:57,568
They would bring them into Miami
and we did that for...
525
00:21:57,568 --> 00:22:01,154
6, 7 years, never had
one little problem at all.
526
00:22:01,154 --> 00:22:02,739
That was one of the advantages
of lakeland,
527
00:22:02,739 --> 00:22:04,533
I mean, there was always
people being stopped
528
00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:06,285
Going from Miami north
529
00:22:06,285 --> 00:22:09,830
But you never heard of anybody
ever being stopped coming south.
530
00:22:09,830 --> 00:22:12,207
Mickey and them
started to do air drops.
531
00:22:12,207 --> 00:22:15,419
I built me a small
boat factory to play with.
532
00:22:15,419 --> 00:22:18,547
We decided to do Colombia
up to the bahamas,
533
00:22:18,547 --> 00:22:20,549
Air-drop it to boats.
534
00:22:20,549 --> 00:22:22,801
And they had beacons
that they would drop,
535
00:22:22,801 --> 00:22:25,888
And they would be able to know
exactly where the load was
536
00:22:25,888 --> 00:22:27,347
Because there would be
a frequency
537
00:22:27,347 --> 00:22:29,766
That would send back
to where it was.
538
00:22:29,766 --> 00:22:33,478
The middle console
would open up,
539
00:22:33,478 --> 00:22:35,689
They put holes
in the middle of the boat,
540
00:22:35,689 --> 00:22:37,691
And you would fill them up.
541
00:22:37,691 --> 00:22:39,776
And then bring it in
with boats.
542
00:22:42,487 --> 00:22:45,449
The big problem at first
was the packaging of the product
543
00:22:45,449 --> 00:22:47,993
Which was a fiasco
because the Colombians,
544
00:22:47,993 --> 00:22:50,120
Being such wonderful people
in organization,
545
00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:51,455
Screwed it up for two trips.
546
00:22:51,455 --> 00:22:53,582
It would get seepage,
there would be salt water
547
00:22:53,582 --> 00:22:56,084
That would get into it,
and it really kills coke.
548
00:22:56,084 --> 00:22:58,378
Salt water is really
an enemy of coke.
549
00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:01,256
Mickey was determined
that he could stop the leakage
550
00:23:01,256 --> 00:23:02,591
And told them how to wrap it.
551
00:23:02,591 --> 00:23:04,885
I sent tape recordings,
i sent pictures of it,
552
00:23:04,885 --> 00:23:06,762
Step by step
as to how to do this.
553
00:23:06,762 --> 00:23:08,722
You have to understand, you're
not gonna tell a Colombian
554
00:23:08,722 --> 00:23:10,557
How to do anything.
555
00:23:10,557 --> 00:23:12,893
So mickey could talk from today
till tomorrow and the Colombians
556
00:23:12,893 --> 00:23:15,062
Aren't gonna do
what he tells them to do anyway.
557
00:23:15,062 --> 00:23:16,688
Well, my guys go down,
pick up the stuff,
558
00:23:16,688 --> 00:23:18,398
They come back on the trip...
559
00:23:18,398 --> 00:23:21,443
And it's not packaged.
It was just like it always is.
560
00:23:21,443 --> 00:23:22,778
And they'd throw it out the
door,
561
00:23:22,778 --> 00:23:24,696
More than half of it
busted up,
562
00:23:24,696 --> 00:23:26,365
And they lost
millions of dollars
563
00:23:26,365 --> 00:23:27,866
'Cause they didn't
package it right.
564
00:23:27,866 --> 00:23:30,327
So by their stupidity,
it would get water damage.
565
00:23:30,327 --> 00:23:32,037
And they were
all bent out of shape at me.
566
00:23:32,037 --> 00:23:33,831
But they couldn't blame me,
that's their problem.
567
00:23:33,831 --> 00:23:36,458
"Hey, it's your problem."
568
00:23:36,458 --> 00:23:39,294
It wasn't till the third trip
that it worked
569
00:23:39,294 --> 00:23:41,922
And then it worked
and worked and worked.
570
00:23:41,922 --> 00:23:44,424
Sometimes i would run
what we called the front door.
571
00:23:44,424 --> 00:23:46,802
The front door would be
the entrance at haulover.
572
00:23:46,802 --> 00:23:48,470
We would call it
the front door.
573
00:23:48,470 --> 00:23:49,930
You can't say "well,
you're coming in at haulover."
574
00:23:49,930 --> 00:23:51,390
So you'd come in
in the front door.
575
00:23:51,390 --> 00:23:53,350
It's a code of sorts.
576
00:23:53,350 --> 00:23:55,727
At haulover inlet,
i'd rented an apartment
577
00:23:55,727 --> 00:23:57,271
On the 12th floor
on the northeast corner
578
00:23:57,271 --> 00:23:58,605
Called the harbour house
579
00:23:58,605 --> 00:24:02,234
Which has a spectacular view
of the inlet.
580
00:24:02,234 --> 00:24:05,946
And i put a young lady there,
i paid her to live there,
581
00:24:05,946 --> 00:24:07,823
Paid for the apartment.
582
00:24:07,823 --> 00:24:09,408
And whenever we did a trip
583
00:24:09,408 --> 00:24:11,160
She has an unbelievable
set of binoculars
584
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:12,536
And of course she has a radio.
585
00:24:12,536 --> 00:24:15,080
And we found every
radio frequency we could have
586
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:16,874
Against what we'll call
the competition.
587
00:24:16,874 --> 00:24:19,751
The U.S. Customs,
the local marine patrol.
588
00:24:19,751 --> 00:24:22,004
We would know
if they were there listening.
589
00:24:22,004 --> 00:24:24,506
So came home one time,
i'm in a boat.
590
00:24:24,506 --> 00:24:26,675
Sometimes i was with the guys
working in the front door
591
00:24:26,675 --> 00:24:28,135
Or in the apartment.
592
00:24:28,135 --> 00:24:29,595
This particular time
i'm in a boat,
593
00:24:29,595 --> 00:24:31,680
I'm talking to my friends
in the apartment.
594
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,974
Lo and behold, here comes
this U.S. Customs
595
00:24:33,974 --> 00:24:36,518
And U.S. Coastguard
and the guy's got an M16 rifle.
596
00:24:36,518 --> 00:24:39,813
We didn't think they were after
us but they were checking boats.
597
00:24:39,813 --> 00:24:42,191
And i'm in a boat that's loaded!
598
00:24:42,191 --> 00:24:43,525
But when he pulls up
alongside of me,
599
00:24:43,525 --> 00:24:45,152
The motor on his boat's going
600
00:24:45,152 --> 00:24:47,112
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang
bang, bang, bang!
601
00:24:47,112 --> 00:24:48,989
I said, "jeez, that sounds
terrible."
602
00:24:48,989 --> 00:24:50,491
And he says, "ah, it's been
doing that since yesterday."
603
00:24:50,491 --> 00:24:51,909
Oh, oh, god!
604
00:24:51,909 --> 00:24:54,786
And he turns around and he don't
get 100 feet from me
605
00:24:54,786 --> 00:24:56,455
And there's kind of a...boom!
606
00:24:56,455 --> 00:24:58,999
I thought he shot
the rifle or something
607
00:24:58,999 --> 00:25:01,502
And it was...
it caught the wave just perfect,
608
00:25:01,502 --> 00:25:03,253
The piston comes out through
the side of the motor
609
00:25:03,253 --> 00:25:06,006
And skips on the wave. Looked
like some kid throwing a rock.
610
00:25:06,006 --> 00:25:07,841
And a big flame, pshoom!
Out the side,
611
00:25:07,841 --> 00:25:11,094
Just lights everything up,
and i go, "god damn!"
612
00:25:11,094 --> 00:25:13,388
And they're on the radio
and they can't get anyone.
613
00:25:13,388 --> 00:25:15,057
And this was with
superior equipment,
614
00:25:15,057 --> 00:25:16,892
And i'm worried about these
guys. I said,
615
00:25:16,892 --> 00:25:18,101
"Do you guys need a tow?"
616
00:25:18,101 --> 00:25:21,855
And i threw them a line
and they got on my boat
617
00:25:21,855 --> 00:25:24,024
And i towed the U.S. Coastguard
618
00:25:24,024 --> 00:25:25,859
And the U.S. Customs,
but we were in a boat
619
00:25:25,859 --> 00:25:28,695
That had 350, 400 kilos in it.
620
00:25:28,695 --> 00:25:30,030
The young lady
who was up in the apartment
621
00:25:30,030 --> 00:25:31,615
Said only i would--
622
00:25:31,615 --> 00:25:35,077
Anybody else would have panicked
and probably jumped overboard.
623
00:25:35,077 --> 00:25:36,662
From there we were going up
624
00:25:36,662 --> 00:25:38,247
To the entrance
to maule lake marina
625
00:25:38,247 --> 00:25:40,040
Where i had several
slips that i rented.
626
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,501
Then the next day
my tow truck would show up
627
00:25:42,501 --> 00:25:44,253
With a work order and a trailer.
628
00:25:44,253 --> 00:25:46,129
My shop was only like
four blocks away.
629
00:25:46,129 --> 00:25:48,715
The boat would go in there
and we would go in the back,
630
00:25:48,715 --> 00:25:52,511
Open up the compartment and
load the stuff into the cars.
631
00:25:52,511 --> 00:25:54,429
All the merchandize
would be handed to me.
632
00:25:54,429 --> 00:25:56,723
I had different
stash houses in Miami,
633
00:25:56,723 --> 00:25:58,433
I used normal people,
634
00:25:58,433 --> 00:26:00,561
Working people
that wanted extra money.
635
00:26:00,561 --> 00:26:03,730
I would try to find someone
in a decent neighborhood
636
00:26:03,730 --> 00:26:06,567
That really didn't use the drug,
637
00:26:06,567 --> 00:26:09,361
Because i made a few mistakes
where i would go
638
00:26:09,361 --> 00:26:11,989
And i would find like, you know,
holes in the different kilos
639
00:26:11,989 --> 00:26:13,782
Where people would
pop a straw in, i guess,
640
00:26:13,782 --> 00:26:15,909
And there were holes
like a rat got into it.
641
00:26:15,909 --> 00:26:18,287
And it wasn't in one, it would
be in five different ones
642
00:26:18,287 --> 00:26:20,706
So that maybe there was a gram
or two missing from each one.
643
00:26:20,706 --> 00:26:22,916
I would pull into the garage
with these cars,
644
00:26:22,916 --> 00:26:24,376
I would take the product out.
645
00:26:24,376 --> 00:26:26,336
Every house had to have
a garage obviously,
646
00:26:26,336 --> 00:26:28,589
'Cause there were so many kilos
going in and out of the house
647
00:26:28,589 --> 00:26:30,632
You couldn't just start
unloading it in the street.
648
00:26:30,632 --> 00:26:33,552
I would count it, make sure
that everything was there,
649
00:26:33,552 --> 00:26:36,138
Do it all during the day,
i never worked at night.
650
00:26:36,138 --> 00:26:38,265
Each product was marked
with a marking.
651
00:26:38,265 --> 00:26:40,267
Maybe 300 would have bicycles
652
00:26:40,267 --> 00:26:42,561
And 200 would have eye glasses.
653
00:26:42,561 --> 00:26:44,771
And each one went
to a certain group,
654
00:26:44,771 --> 00:26:47,608
There was three, four...
four different groups.
655
00:26:47,608 --> 00:26:49,276
And i had guys driving the cars
656
00:26:49,276 --> 00:26:50,652
To say a denny's
657
00:26:50,652 --> 00:26:52,112
Or uncle tom's ribs
658
00:26:52,112 --> 00:26:54,573
And whoever drove the car there
would go inside
659
00:26:54,573 --> 00:26:55,908
And there'd be
a Colombian inside
660
00:26:55,908 --> 00:26:57,367
And he'd just hand him the keys.
661
00:26:57,367 --> 00:26:59,369
It was always delivered
to Colombians.
662
00:26:59,369 --> 00:27:02,539
Because they had brought their
own Colombians here to sell it.
663
00:27:02,539 --> 00:27:04,041
And that was it, there was never
664
00:27:04,041 --> 00:27:05,876
This Miami vice ridiculousness
in the street
665
00:27:05,876 --> 00:27:08,337
Where cars would pull up
with guns and everything,
666
00:27:08,337 --> 00:27:09,671
"Let me see
what you got in the trunk,
667
00:27:09,671 --> 00:27:12,007
"I'm gonna check it out
and do tests and bring it back."
668
00:27:12,007 --> 00:27:13,550
It...it doesn't work like that.
669
00:27:13,550 --> 00:27:15,844
These people are controlled
by the people down there.
670
00:27:15,844 --> 00:27:17,179
So it wasn't like
they had a choice,
671
00:27:17,179 --> 00:27:18,514
They were taking it anyway
672
00:27:18,514 --> 00:27:20,098
Whether it was garbage
or whether it was good,
673
00:27:20,098 --> 00:27:21,475
They were taking it.
674
00:27:21,475 --> 00:27:22,643
The people that i gave it to
675
00:27:22,643 --> 00:27:23,852
Were wholesalers.
676
00:27:23,852 --> 00:27:25,729
Those wholesalers
would break it down
677
00:27:25,729 --> 00:27:29,024
Into 25, 50, 75,
whatever their different...
678
00:27:29,024 --> 00:27:30,484
Retailers desired.
679
00:27:30,484 --> 00:27:32,736
I remember kilos going
for $40,000, $50,000
680
00:27:32,736 --> 00:27:34,029
In the street back then.
681
00:27:34,029 --> 00:27:36,448
They would pay us
for transportation of the kilos.
682
00:27:36,448 --> 00:27:38,325
And back then
i think that we were getting
683
00:27:38,325 --> 00:27:40,285
$3500 a kilo.
684
00:27:40,285 --> 00:27:42,830
And what i would do to make sure
we got our money was
685
00:27:42,830 --> 00:27:44,456
We would only deliver half
686
00:27:44,456 --> 00:27:45,916
And they would put
the money in the trunk
687
00:27:45,916 --> 00:27:47,709
And then
they would return the car,
688
00:27:47,709 --> 00:27:50,921
I would then give them
the rest of the product.
689
00:27:50,921 --> 00:27:54,967
So what we tried to do was keep
everybody away from everybody
690
00:27:54,967 --> 00:27:56,802
And that way there was no way
to trace it back.
691
00:27:56,802 --> 00:27:59,012
That was my biggest fear,
that these wholesalers
692
00:27:59,012 --> 00:28:01,640
Who were giving it to four and
five different retailers,
693
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,433
One of their guys
would get busted
694
00:28:03,433 --> 00:28:06,019
And he didn't wanna go to jail
so he would flip
695
00:28:06,019 --> 00:28:07,437
And he might tell them,
you know,
696
00:28:07,437 --> 00:28:09,273
"This is my main guy over here,
697
00:28:09,273 --> 00:28:11,525
"Follow him and you're gonna
follow him back to me."
698
00:28:11,525 --> 00:28:14,403
I hear stories from Rafa like,
"i gotta go kill this guy
699
00:28:14,403 --> 00:28:17,156
"Because this guy got busted
and he's gonna rat on my guy."
700
00:28:17,156 --> 00:28:19,116
And, you know, i'd hear
all these weird stories
701
00:28:19,116 --> 00:28:22,661
So what i tried to do was
make myself
702
00:28:22,661 --> 00:28:23,954
Never need anybody.
703
00:28:23,954 --> 00:28:25,289
'Cause they were getting a car,
704
00:28:25,289 --> 00:28:26,498
They didn't know
where the car came from
705
00:28:26,498 --> 00:28:28,375
Because, you know,
here's a car.
706
00:28:28,375 --> 00:28:30,627
And you never
brought the car back
707
00:28:30,627 --> 00:28:32,504
To where you had the coke
'cause you never wanted
708
00:28:32,504 --> 00:28:34,631
To have money and drugs
in the same place,
709
00:28:34,631 --> 00:28:37,301
And the money would stay there
in one of the stash houses.
710
00:28:37,301 --> 00:28:39,094
Out of that money,
i would take my money
711
00:28:39,094 --> 00:28:40,387
And put the rest away
712
00:28:40,387 --> 00:28:42,264
'Cause i would have to send back
713
00:28:42,264 --> 00:28:44,224
Ochoas and Escobar their money.
714
00:28:44,224 --> 00:28:46,894
At that time we were working
with noriega in Panama.
715
00:28:50,564 --> 00:28:52,149
General noriega's country
716
00:28:52,149 --> 00:28:54,401
Is a mecca for drug money
laundering.
717
00:28:54,401 --> 00:28:56,236
So the money would be put
on one of our planes
718
00:28:56,236 --> 00:28:59,531
And we would fly the plane
from here to noriega's people.
719
00:29:02,659 --> 00:29:04,119
Because we would
never send a plane
720
00:29:04,119 --> 00:29:05,496
With less than $10 million.
721
00:29:05,496 --> 00:29:07,289
Unlimited amounts
of money may be brought
722
00:29:07,289 --> 00:29:10,000
Into and out of the country
with no reporting requirements,
723
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,252
And money laundering
is not a crime.
724
00:29:12,252 --> 00:29:14,796
The money would be
taken off there by the army
725
00:29:14,796 --> 00:29:16,882
And the army
would take it to a bank
726
00:29:16,882 --> 00:29:18,759
And we were partners in the bank
with noriega,
727
00:29:18,759 --> 00:29:20,802
And they set up accounts
and you had an account
728
00:29:20,802 --> 00:29:22,095
And just...whatever you wanted
729
00:29:22,095 --> 00:29:23,305
You wrote a check for it.
730
00:29:23,305 --> 00:29:25,432
A lot of times
i would make a deal where
731
00:29:25,432 --> 00:29:26,975
Instead of paying me the cash,
732
00:29:26,975 --> 00:29:28,519
Out of this 500 kilos,
733
00:29:28,519 --> 00:29:30,312
Give me 100 for myself
734
00:29:30,312 --> 00:29:32,314
And i could sell it for 25,000.
735
00:29:32,314 --> 00:29:34,316
So as the loads would come
i'd be going through them
736
00:29:34,316 --> 00:29:35,442
Pulling out the best ones
737
00:29:35,442 --> 00:29:36,443
Because they weren't
all the same,
738
00:29:36,443 --> 00:29:37,903
And i'd be throwing them
over here
739
00:29:37,903 --> 00:29:39,738
And throwing them over here.
It ended up where Max and i
740
00:29:39,738 --> 00:29:42,741
Were making like very trip,
$750,000, $1,000,000,
741
00:29:42,741 --> 00:29:44,535
And Max was saying
"wow, i used to just make,
742
00:29:44,535 --> 00:29:46,912
"You know, 250
from just the transportation."
743
00:29:46,912 --> 00:29:48,497
So not only
did he plug himself in
744
00:29:48,497 --> 00:29:50,207
Where he could sit home
on his fat ass,
745
00:29:50,207 --> 00:29:51,500
He plugged himself into
746
00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:53,669
Like three times
the amount of money every week.
747
00:29:53,669 --> 00:29:55,921
And the drugs...were everywhere.
748
00:29:55,921 --> 00:29:57,506
Everybody
started using cocaine.
749
00:29:57,506 --> 00:30:00,926
I mean, i remember in the '80s
it was like...phew!
750
00:30:00,926 --> 00:30:02,678
Cocaine
was the in thing back then.
751
00:30:02,678 --> 00:30:04,346
It was the chichi thing to do.
752
00:30:04,346 --> 00:30:06,014
You know,
you'd go somewhere,
753
00:30:06,014 --> 00:30:07,307
I mean, you couldn't
go anywhere
754
00:30:07,307 --> 00:30:08,934
Without going into a bathroom
and...
755
00:30:08,934 --> 00:30:10,602
I mean, you go in the bathroom,
there was always
756
00:30:10,602 --> 00:30:11,895
Somebody in there doing a line.
757
00:30:11,895 --> 00:30:13,730
You hear the door slam,
one of those toilet doors
758
00:30:13,730 --> 00:30:15,107
And behind the door...
759
00:30:15,107 --> 00:30:16,525
And everybody's
putting shit up their nose.
760
00:30:16,525 --> 00:30:17,526
You would see guys
761
00:30:17,526 --> 00:30:18,986
Coming out of the girls'
bathroom.
762
00:30:18,986 --> 00:30:20,821
There were clubs
where the tables
763
00:30:20,821 --> 00:30:22,322
Were actually mirror tops.
764
00:30:22,322 --> 00:30:25,951
I recall waiters
helping patrons chop up cocaine.
765
00:30:25,951 --> 00:30:28,912
There was a time in Miami
when there were car accidents,
766
00:30:28,912 --> 00:30:30,873
These would just be
routine accidents,
767
00:30:30,873 --> 00:30:33,167
Sometimes there'd be 3 or 4 or 5
of them in the vehicle,
768
00:30:33,167 --> 00:30:35,085
They'd jump out and run
in all different directions.
769
00:30:35,085 --> 00:30:37,588
And you'd find cocaine
and guns in the car.
770
00:30:37,588 --> 00:30:39,715
Policethey pulled
this one over and they found
771
00:30:39,715 --> 00:30:43,594
30 duffel bags
filled with 2100 plus pounds
772
00:30:43,594 --> 00:30:45,846
Of 90% to 95% pure cocaine.
773
00:30:45,846 --> 00:30:48,849
But while busts and
seizures of most drugs are up,
774
00:30:48,849 --> 00:30:52,352
There is more cocaine in
South Florida then ever before.
775
00:30:52,352 --> 00:30:56,690
We went from having cases
of a kilo or 2 kilos of cocaine
776
00:30:56,690 --> 00:31:00,194
To 1,000 kilos,
which is a tonne of cocaine,
777
00:31:00,194 --> 00:31:03,864
To 5,000 kilos,
which is 10 tons of cocaine.
778
00:31:03,864 --> 00:31:07,034
There was a period of time
where over a 5-year period,
779
00:31:07,034 --> 00:31:11,371
I tried the "largest amount of
cocaine in history" case
780
00:31:11,371 --> 00:31:12,539
10 times.
781
00:31:12,539 --> 00:31:15,292
Every case was bigger than
the last one
782
00:31:15,292 --> 00:31:16,793
And a new record.
783
00:31:16,793 --> 00:31:19,004
Usually,
when prices of goods fall,
784
00:31:19,004 --> 00:31:20,547
This comes as good news.
785
00:31:20,547 --> 00:31:24,801
An exception are the current
bargain rates for cocaine.
786
00:31:24,801 --> 00:31:26,011
There were
millions of dollars of drugs
787
00:31:26,011 --> 00:31:27,429
Dropping out of the air.
788
00:31:27,429 --> 00:31:29,681
There was one day that
a preacher was giving a sermon
789
00:31:29,681 --> 00:31:31,266
In a south state church
and one of the things
790
00:31:31,266 --> 00:31:33,769
He was speaking out against
was drugs
791
00:31:33,769 --> 00:31:34,978
And half a million dollars
in cocaine
792
00:31:34,978 --> 00:31:36,522
Came crashing
through the roof
793
00:31:36,522 --> 00:31:38,065
Because the plane
that was dropping it
794
00:31:38,065 --> 00:31:39,441
Got off course
795
00:31:39,441 --> 00:31:42,736
And it was being chased
by a customs plane.
796
00:31:42,736 --> 00:31:44,613
The price for
the illegal white powder
797
00:31:44,613 --> 00:31:48,742
In South Florida has fallen
by 50% in the last 2 years.
798
00:31:48,742 --> 00:31:50,786
Oh, my god!
You got these people from cali,
799
00:31:50,786 --> 00:31:52,871
You got another cartel
from barranquilla,
800
00:31:52,871 --> 00:31:54,248
You started to multiply
all the cocaine
801
00:31:54,248 --> 00:31:55,415
That was coming
into this country.
802
00:31:55,415 --> 00:31:56,750
The Miami-Colombian
connection
803
00:31:56,750 --> 00:32:00,838
Is 80% of a $20 billion
annual cocaine business.
804
00:32:00,838 --> 00:32:03,006
Miami is one of the
principal branch offices
805
00:32:03,006 --> 00:32:05,801
Of what can be called
cocaine, inc.
806
00:32:05,801 --> 00:32:08,428
Florida is awash in cocaine.
807
00:32:12,182 --> 00:32:13,642
It was everywhere.
It was everywhere.
808
00:32:13,642 --> 00:32:15,477
It was everywhere.
Clubs, restaurants,
809
00:32:15,477 --> 00:32:16,645
It was just everywhere.
810
00:32:16,645 --> 00:32:19,231
The elitist drug
is turning blue collar.
811
00:32:19,231 --> 00:32:24,236
Regular middle class folks
think of it as beer or popcorn.
812
00:32:24,236 --> 00:32:28,282
One out of ten American workers
on the job is stoned.
813
00:32:28,282 --> 00:32:30,909
People would wear it
on their neck, nobody hid it.
814
00:32:30,909 --> 00:32:32,411
Nobody tried to hide it.
815
00:32:32,411 --> 00:32:34,246
I mean i tried it,
of course i tried it,
816
00:32:34,246 --> 00:32:35,581
But i could never figure out
817
00:32:35,581 --> 00:32:37,166
What people...
why did they like it.
818
00:32:37,166 --> 00:32:39,710
It is so intense,
i can't even describe it.
819
00:32:39,710 --> 00:32:41,253
It's the best, it really is.
820
00:32:41,253 --> 00:32:42,629
People went crazy for it.
821
00:32:42,629 --> 00:32:44,840
In dade county alone,
fatal drug overdoses
822
00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,468
Have increased more than 88%
in just the last 12 months.
823
00:32:48,468 --> 00:32:51,138
15 years ago
one coke-related death a year
824
00:32:51,138 --> 00:32:53,307
Was rare.
Cocaine deaths in dade county
825
00:32:53,307 --> 00:32:55,642
Have now jumped to about
two a week.
826
00:32:55,642 --> 00:32:57,186
People started smoking it.
827
00:32:57,186 --> 00:32:59,771
Studies indicate
that most cocaine users here
828
00:32:59,771 --> 00:33:01,565
Have switched
to smoking the drug.
829
00:33:01,565 --> 00:33:03,150
Did you come here
to smoke cocaine?
830
00:33:03,150 --> 00:33:04,193
Yeah.
831
00:33:04,193 --> 00:33:06,403
And not the crack
but freebasing,
832
00:33:06,403 --> 00:33:08,155
Because freebasing
came before crack.
833
00:33:08,155 --> 00:33:09,490
It became a rage,
people would
834
00:33:09,490 --> 00:33:11,658
Lock themselves in houses
and freebase.
835
00:33:11,658 --> 00:33:14,953
And i stayed up for almost
four and a half days straight,
836
00:33:14,953 --> 00:33:17,873
Nonstop, no food, no sleep.
837
00:33:17,873 --> 00:33:20,709
I couldn't understand
but i kept, "do it, do it."
838
00:33:20,709 --> 00:33:22,336
You know what i mean?
For me it was just a business,
839
00:33:22,336 --> 00:33:25,589
And the more they did,
the more money i was making.
840
00:33:25,589 --> 00:33:29,426
I came down here
with $750 or $800.
841
00:33:29,426 --> 00:33:30,552
That's what i had to my name.
842
00:33:30,552 --> 00:33:33,805
I was, uh, 25 years old,
26 years old.
843
00:33:33,805 --> 00:33:35,974
I remember when i first
started in the business,
844
00:33:35,974 --> 00:33:38,560
I used my grandfather's
apartment on South Beach.
845
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:40,103
I used to have kilos
in his apartment
846
00:33:40,103 --> 00:33:42,189
And i'll never forget
the first time he looked at them
847
00:33:42,189 --> 00:33:44,149
And he said, "what is this?"
And i told him what it was
848
00:33:44,149 --> 00:33:46,235
And he said,
"i can't understand."
849
00:33:46,235 --> 00:33:48,070
I said, "can you understand
like, you know,
850
00:33:48,070 --> 00:33:50,030
"I'm making like
50 grand a week?"
851
00:33:50,030 --> 00:33:51,657
I remember one time
i went to him and said,
852
00:33:51,657 --> 00:33:53,325
"You know something, i'm not
gonna use your house anymore.
853
00:33:53,325 --> 00:33:54,701
"I'm gonna pay somebody."
And he said,
854
00:33:54,701 --> 00:33:56,453
"What do you mean? Don't
do that, don't do that."
855
00:33:56,453 --> 00:33:58,664
And i said, "it's okay,
i got a million dollars now."
856
00:33:58,664 --> 00:34:00,833
And he said, "you don't have
a million dollars."
857
00:34:00,833 --> 00:34:02,543
I said, "i got a million dollars
now, i'm gonna pay somebody
858
00:34:02,543 --> 00:34:04,086
"To put stuff in their house.
859
00:34:04,086 --> 00:34:05,754
"I don't need
to do this to you anymore."
860
00:34:05,754 --> 00:34:07,339
'Cause at that time a million
dollars to me
861
00:34:07,339 --> 00:34:08,298
Was a lot of money.
862
00:34:08,298 --> 00:34:10,008
It was the first million
you ever make
863
00:34:10,008 --> 00:34:13,095
So it's a lot of money,
but after that it was like...
864
00:34:14,429 --> 00:34:16,890
In the mid to late '70s
865
00:34:16,890 --> 00:34:20,686
Much of the American economy
was in a state of shambles.
866
00:34:20,686 --> 00:34:22,729
2nd the financial pages
of the Miami herald
867
00:34:22,729 --> 00:34:26,400
Were talking about a nationwide
recession that was in progress.
868
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,862
Unemployment was huge,
people were losing their homes,
869
00:34:29,862 --> 00:34:31,655
The real estate market
went to hell.
870
00:34:31,655 --> 00:34:34,575
The drug trade is rapidly
affecting our economy
871
00:34:34,575 --> 00:34:35,951
Here in South Florida.
872
00:34:35,951 --> 00:34:37,619
But in Miami
you couldn't buy a house.
873
00:34:37,619 --> 00:34:39,204
In Miami they couldn't get
874
00:34:39,204 --> 00:34:41,832
Enough gold rolexes
to supply the local market.
875
00:34:41,832 --> 00:34:46,003
For the first 6 months
of 1977, retail sales in Miami
876
00:34:46,003 --> 00:34:47,671
Topped $10 billion.
877
00:34:47,671 --> 00:34:49,548
No sign
of recession here.
878
00:34:49,548 --> 00:34:51,300
South Florida has held up
better than
879
00:34:51,300 --> 00:34:53,093
Some of the other parts
of the country.
880
00:34:53,093 --> 00:34:55,888
In Miami, we were selling
bulletproof cars
881
00:34:55,888 --> 00:34:57,264
For hundreds of thousands
of dollars.
882
00:34:57,264 --> 00:35:00,767
You couldn't get a Ferrari
or a Mercedes at all.
883
00:35:00,767 --> 00:35:02,144
Some of the car dealers
we checked with
884
00:35:02,144 --> 00:35:05,272
Said they have less than a
one-month supply of unsold cars.
885
00:35:05,272 --> 00:35:07,399
They'd said they are still
taking deposits
886
00:35:07,399 --> 00:35:09,401
Though deliveries
will be delayed.
887
00:35:09,401 --> 00:35:12,946
They were all going to
the "Drug-Dealer" market.
888
00:35:12,946 --> 00:35:16,074
Drugs and money, they go
hand in hand in South Florida.
889
00:35:16,074 --> 00:35:19,244
It's a $7 billion a year
retail business,
890
00:35:19,244 --> 00:35:23,790
That's about $12,000 for each
household in dade county.
891
00:35:23,790 --> 00:35:26,460
If you reach in your wallet
in Miami
892
00:35:26,460 --> 00:35:29,254
And take out a bill
and analyze that bill,
893
00:35:29,254 --> 00:35:30,964
You will find cocaine on it.
894
00:35:30,964 --> 00:35:32,758
The profits
for the drug lords
895
00:35:32,758 --> 00:35:35,344
Have made the local economy
recession resistant.
896
00:35:35,344 --> 00:35:38,972
Every day, cash pours into
our cocaine economy.
897
00:35:38,972 --> 00:35:40,349
Buying real estate,
898
00:35:40,349 --> 00:35:42,267
Boats, cars.
899
00:35:42,267 --> 00:35:43,602
I had a Turbo Porsche,
900
00:35:43,602 --> 00:35:46,980
I had a Mercedes, back then
the 6.9 was the hot car.
901
00:35:46,980 --> 00:35:48,398
We had an argument one time.
902
00:35:48,398 --> 00:35:50,108
We got mad at each other
and she wanted something
903
00:35:50,108 --> 00:35:51,318
And i wouldn't give it to her.
904
00:35:51,318 --> 00:35:53,403
I walked over
and slapped him across the face.
905
00:35:53,403 --> 00:35:54,822
She chased me
around the driveway
906
00:35:54,822 --> 00:35:57,115
And we took two Mercedes
and just smashed them to death.
907
00:35:57,115 --> 00:36:00,077
Jon pulled out a gun
and shot at the car
908
00:36:00,077 --> 00:36:01,954
Through the...
right next to my head.
909
00:36:01,954 --> 00:36:04,039
I had to have somebody come
pick them up on wreckers
910
00:36:04,039 --> 00:36:05,123
And destroy them!
911
00:36:05,123 --> 00:36:07,292
We demolished both vehicles.
912
00:36:07,292 --> 00:36:08,627
And then i'd laugh about it
the next day.
913
00:36:08,627 --> 00:36:10,254
We wrecked a lot of things.
914
00:36:10,254 --> 00:36:12,673
Jesus, that was $100,000
worth of cars, you know.
915
00:36:12,673 --> 00:36:15,384
At that time there was a company
called: L.P Evans Mercedes.
916
00:36:15,384 --> 00:36:20,013
He had guys like Max, Rafael,
two or three of Rafael's workers
917
00:36:20,013 --> 00:36:24,226
Buying like on an average, what?
8, 10 Mercedes a year
918
00:36:24,226 --> 00:36:26,687
From the Mercedes dealer
with a check from Panama.
919
00:36:26,687 --> 00:36:28,814
I mean who buys
8, 10 Mercedes a year?
920
00:36:28,814 --> 00:36:30,274
They didn't care back then.
921
00:36:30,274 --> 00:36:32,693
They would let me walk in
"oh, how are you mr. Roberts?
922
00:36:32,693 --> 00:36:33,735
"What do you need this week?"
923
00:36:33,735 --> 00:36:35,362
"I need the 6.9 over there."
924
00:36:35,362 --> 00:36:36,697
"Okay, is it all right
in black?"
925
00:36:36,697 --> 00:36:38,031
"Yeah, he don't care
what color it is.
926
00:36:38,031 --> 00:36:39,825
"And i need a station wagon
for his girlfriend."
927
00:36:39,825 --> 00:36:40,951
And i'd just write him a check.
928
00:36:40,951 --> 00:36:42,161
It wasn't even
a cashier's check.
929
00:36:42,161 --> 00:36:43,620
I knew the guy
in the Mercedes dealer,
930
00:36:43,620 --> 00:36:48,041
It was just a check
drawn from a Panamanian bank,
931
00:36:48,041 --> 00:36:49,877
Out of the door
would go the car.
932
00:36:49,877 --> 00:36:51,461
Relatively little
is being done
933
00:36:51,461 --> 00:36:55,507
To stop this disease-like spread
of the cocaine economy.
934
00:36:55,507 --> 00:36:57,176
Everybody wanted money
back then.
935
00:36:57,176 --> 00:37:00,554
It's not unusual for a
latin to spend $20,000 and more
936
00:37:00,554 --> 00:37:02,598
For all kinds of merchandise.
937
00:37:02,598 --> 00:37:05,809
And best of all for the
merchant, he pays in cash.
938
00:37:05,809 --> 00:37:08,770
If South Florida businessmen
are not hooked on drugs,
939
00:37:08,770 --> 00:37:11,899
The experts say they
can be addicted to drug money.
940
00:37:11,899 --> 00:37:13,734
We purchased
a Cessna conquest.
941
00:37:13,734 --> 00:37:16,487
We paid $980,000 for it
942
00:37:16,487 --> 00:37:19,656
In cash, how do you like that?
Try that one today.
943
00:37:19,656 --> 00:37:20,699
They never blinked an eye.
944
00:37:20,699 --> 00:37:21,658
They suspect they know
945
00:37:21,658 --> 00:37:22,993
Where the money comes from
946
00:37:22,993 --> 00:37:25,287
But they are not gonna
bite the hand that feeds them.
947
00:37:25,287 --> 00:37:26,663
They never blinked an eye.
948
00:37:26,663 --> 00:37:28,790
Don't ask, don't tell,
take the money and run.
949
00:37:28,790 --> 00:37:30,167
And they didn't give a shit.
950
00:37:30,167 --> 00:37:32,211
Cocaine and marijuana sales
through Miami
951
00:37:32,211 --> 00:37:33,962
Generate so much money
952
00:37:33,962 --> 00:37:37,049
That smugglers literally have
no place to put it all.
953
00:37:37,049 --> 00:37:39,218
You don't understand,
i had garbage bags in my lawn
954
00:37:39,218 --> 00:37:42,054
With, you know, each bag had
like a million, $700,000,
955
00:37:42,054 --> 00:37:43,472
Buried in the lawn 'cause
i had nowhere to put it.
956
00:37:43,472 --> 00:37:45,766
He used to bury it
in the horse feed too.
957
00:37:45,766 --> 00:37:47,351
I remember i'd be digging
for horse feed
958
00:37:47,351 --> 00:37:50,854
I'd find money
in the horse bag.
959
00:37:50,854 --> 00:37:52,940
And it was like, you know,
nobody was questioning anything
960
00:37:52,940 --> 00:37:54,274
Because my neighbor next to me,
961
00:37:54,274 --> 00:37:55,776
I was giving him 10 kilos
a week.
962
00:37:55,776 --> 00:37:57,820
Tierra Del Rey,
the neighborhood was like
963
00:37:57,820 --> 00:37:59,446
Falling apart
when we moved in.
964
00:37:59,446 --> 00:38:00,739
And my neighbor
across the street was getting
965
00:38:00,739 --> 00:38:02,950
20 kilos a week,
so he was watching out for me.
966
00:38:02,950 --> 00:38:04,201
Everybody was hurt for money
967
00:38:04,201 --> 00:38:06,161
And all of a sudden
everybody had money.
968
00:38:06,161 --> 00:38:08,580
That was a whole neighborhood.
969
00:38:08,580 --> 00:38:10,749
You shell out an extra hundred
grand you're not supposed to,
970
00:38:10,749 --> 00:38:13,794
And it's okay. You know,
Jon was good like that.
971
00:38:13,794 --> 00:38:15,546
It didn't matter, though.
It was never like,
972
00:38:15,546 --> 00:38:17,714
"Uh-Oh, i don't have
enough money to buy this."
973
00:38:17,714 --> 00:38:20,133
Well, you know,
how could that be?
974
00:38:20,133 --> 00:38:21,844
How could it possibly be?
975
00:38:21,844 --> 00:38:24,054
I had three cigarettes
hanging in the back yard,
976
00:38:24,054 --> 00:38:26,807
Two cougars, i had mountain
lions living in my house.
977
00:38:26,807 --> 00:38:28,684
I had a helicopter
in my back yard.
978
00:38:28,684 --> 00:38:30,853
And i used to fly with
the helicopter to the racetrack.
979
00:38:30,853 --> 00:38:32,312
Everybody else
was driving their cars.
980
00:38:32,312 --> 00:38:34,523
I'd land to see my horses
running in the helicopter
981
00:38:34,523 --> 00:38:36,483
For like an hour
and then go back home.
982
00:38:36,483 --> 00:38:39,069
I had 40, 50 horses at a time,
race horses.
983
00:38:39,069 --> 00:38:41,321
Oh, my god,
he had terrific race horses.
984
00:38:41,321 --> 00:38:43,532
You know what
they cost a month to feed?
985
00:38:43,532 --> 00:38:45,576
50,000 a month
just to feed 'em.
986
00:38:45,576 --> 00:38:46,618
You didn't care what it cost
987
00:38:46,618 --> 00:38:48,412
'Cause you had money
in your pocket.
988
00:38:48,412 --> 00:38:49,413
People went out and partied.
989
00:38:49,413 --> 00:38:51,165
We suddenly had dozens
990
00:38:51,165 --> 00:38:53,542
Of super-high-end
nightclubs opening.
991
00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:55,586
It's been years since
a real night club
992
00:38:55,586 --> 00:38:57,087
Opened on Miami beach.
993
00:38:57,087 --> 00:38:58,881
The jockey club,
turnberry,
994
00:38:58,881 --> 00:39:00,465
The palm bay club,
the cricket club.
995
00:39:00,465 --> 00:39:02,551
But the best of all clubs
was definitely
996
00:39:02,551 --> 00:39:04,803
The mutiny
in coconut grove.
997
00:39:04,803 --> 00:39:08,682
It catered almost exclusively
to the drug traffic.
998
00:39:08,682 --> 00:39:10,475
If you were in that
trade, you had the money.
999
00:39:10,475 --> 00:39:13,020
You could entertain people
lavishly.
1000
00:39:13,020 --> 00:39:14,855
I mean we used to go
into restaurants...
1001
00:39:14,855 --> 00:39:17,024
To dinner at arturo's,
or the palm
1002
00:39:17,024 --> 00:39:18,358
Or joe's stone crab.
1003
00:39:18,358 --> 00:39:20,694
At that time, the forge
was the best restaurant.
1004
00:39:20,694 --> 00:39:22,362
They would just give us
the back room at the forge
1005
00:39:22,362 --> 00:39:24,490
And just close
the whole back room down.
1006
00:39:24,490 --> 00:39:27,284
And here you could spend
$20,000 in a night there
1007
00:39:27,284 --> 00:39:28,660
And we would destroy the walls,
1008
00:39:28,660 --> 00:39:30,662
And here's the money,
whatever we did, fix it up.
1009
00:39:30,662 --> 00:39:34,124
It was like waste, it was like
nothing, the money.
1010
00:39:34,124 --> 00:39:36,376
And Jon liked to go out
to the ladies bars.
1011
00:39:36,376 --> 00:39:39,630
It was nothing to spend
$5,000 in a strip joint.
1012
00:39:39,630 --> 00:39:42,090
I mean, you are talking about
not one night
1013
00:39:42,090 --> 00:39:43,842
You're talking about
three or four nights a week
1014
00:39:43,842 --> 00:39:45,344
And i'd tell my friends,
"you see that girl there?
1015
00:39:45,344 --> 00:39:48,680
"I guarantee you i can get her
to have sex with you tonight."
1016
00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:50,140
And he would say,
"there's no way,
1017
00:39:50,140 --> 00:39:51,725
"She doesn't want to look at me
and have sex."
1018
00:39:51,725 --> 00:39:53,143
And i'd tell her,
"how much do you need
1019
00:39:53,143 --> 00:39:55,479
"To have sex with this guy?"
"I'm not doing that."
1020
00:39:55,479 --> 00:39:57,356
"You're not doing
it? Here's 500."
1021
00:39:57,356 --> 00:39:58,690
"I'm not doing it."
"Here's a thousand."
1022
00:39:58,690 --> 00:40:00,192
"You're not doing it?
Here's 2000."
1023
00:40:00,192 --> 00:40:02,694
Eventually, like i said,
she'd break down,
1024
00:40:02,694 --> 00:40:04,112
$2,000, $3000,
"i'll have sex."
1025
00:40:04,112 --> 00:40:07,032
And the guy would be like,
you know, they'd be shaking,
1026
00:40:07,032 --> 00:40:09,326
They couldn't understand
how you do all this.
1027
00:40:09,326 --> 00:40:11,870
I still believe it now even
though maybe Miami's changed,
1028
00:40:11,870 --> 00:40:14,081
Everybody had a price.
Everybody does have a price.
1029
00:40:14,081 --> 00:40:15,624
There are very few people
that don't.
1030
00:40:15,624 --> 00:40:17,876
You could start as high
as noriega in Panama
1031
00:40:17,876 --> 00:40:19,086
And you can go all the way down
1032
00:40:19,086 --> 00:40:21,672
To city managers,
to the police departments.
1033
00:40:21,672 --> 00:40:23,048
If somebody got pulled over
1034
00:40:23,048 --> 00:40:25,592
And they had 50 kilos
in the trunk, offer a bribe.
1035
00:40:25,592 --> 00:40:28,387
You know, maybe you couldn't
bribe a cop with $20
1036
00:40:28,387 --> 00:40:31,306
Or $50 or $100, but there were
hundreds and hundreds
1037
00:40:31,306 --> 00:40:32,349
Of thousands of dollars.
1038
00:40:32,349 --> 00:40:33,976
Tell them within an hour
you'll have
1039
00:40:33,976 --> 00:40:35,894
Whatever it is that they want
there in cash.
1040
00:40:35,894 --> 00:40:37,020
Half a million dollars,
1041
00:40:37,020 --> 00:40:38,814
Three quarters
of a million dollars.
1042
00:40:38,814 --> 00:40:40,107
But you've got to leave
with the coke.
1043
00:40:40,107 --> 00:40:41,525
And most of the time
it worked.
1044
00:40:41,525 --> 00:40:42,860
I happened to know
this lieutenant
1045
00:40:42,860 --> 00:40:44,319
That worked in north bay
village,
1046
00:40:44,319 --> 00:40:45,320
Approached him one day
and i said,
1047
00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,030
"Listen, i want to
unload some boats
1048
00:40:47,030 --> 00:40:49,032
"Behind the north bay village
police department,
1049
00:40:49,032 --> 00:40:50,659
"You think we've got
any problem doing that?"
1050
00:40:50,659 --> 00:40:52,911
He said, "i'll tell you what,
we'll have two patrol cars
1051
00:40:52,911 --> 00:40:54,121
"And we'll throw it
in the back of the patrol cars
1052
00:40:54,121 --> 00:40:55,581
"And drive it
wherever you want."
1053
00:40:55,581 --> 00:40:57,916
We had four mayors indicted,
1054
00:40:57,916 --> 00:41:02,045
Most of them convicted
of engaging in corruption.
1055
00:41:02,045 --> 00:41:04,631
We became so powerful
and had so much money.
1056
00:41:04,631 --> 00:41:06,008
Are there places
where they are more powerful
1057
00:41:06,008 --> 00:41:08,427
Than the government?
Uh...unfortunately
1058
00:41:08,427 --> 00:41:09,970
I think that that may be true.
1059
00:41:09,970 --> 00:41:12,514
I was a member of
the republican inner circle.
1060
00:41:12,514 --> 00:41:14,433
Howard baker sent me a letter
and said,
1061
00:41:14,433 --> 00:41:16,894
"Send me my contribution
and you can come to washington."
1062
00:41:16,894 --> 00:41:19,980
Here i am with all these
senators, all these big people,
1063
00:41:19,980 --> 00:41:21,523
And not one of them
ever questioned me
1064
00:41:21,523 --> 00:41:24,067
Or even said to me, "what is it
you do down in Miami?"
1065
00:41:24,067 --> 00:41:25,444
Come on,
they welcomed me in there
1066
00:41:25,444 --> 00:41:26,945
Because i made a big
contribution
1067
00:41:26,945 --> 00:41:28,363
To the republican party.
1068
00:41:28,363 --> 00:41:30,782
You're in the inner circle,
and i said to myself,
1069
00:41:30,782 --> 00:41:32,618
"You know, i did this, you know,
all with drugs
1070
00:41:32,618 --> 00:41:34,912
"And i did it
with nothing else, you know."
1071
00:41:34,912 --> 00:41:37,789
Cocaine trafficking
and the money,
1072
00:41:37,789 --> 00:41:42,377
The money almost ruins
any morality in this community.
1073
00:41:42,377 --> 00:41:44,087
Millions of dollars
in cash
1074
00:41:44,087 --> 00:41:46,632
Supports a network
of drug banks.
1075
00:41:46,632 --> 00:41:48,509
Have you ever seen a city
with so many banks?
1076
00:41:48,509 --> 00:41:49,927
You're gonna tell me
there's that kind of
1077
00:41:49,927 --> 00:41:51,678
Industry and business
in this city?
1078
00:41:51,678 --> 00:41:53,388
Please, come on.
1079
00:41:53,388 --> 00:41:55,265
What makes
law officials suspicious
1080
00:41:55,265 --> 00:41:57,518
Is that last year
South Florida banks
1081
00:41:57,518 --> 00:42:02,356
Took in $6 billion
in extra cash from depositors.
1082
00:42:02,356 --> 00:42:06,693
Bank presidents were in rooms
for days counting currency.
1083
00:42:06,693 --> 00:42:08,695
Is landmark a cocaine bank?
1084
00:42:08,695 --> 00:42:10,489
It is not, definitely not.
1085
00:42:10,489 --> 00:42:14,117
Banks invested
in huge cash-counting machines.
1086
00:42:14,117 --> 00:42:16,453
Lacking storage space,
the banks turned it over
1087
00:42:16,453 --> 00:42:17,996
To the federal reserve.
1088
00:42:17,996 --> 00:42:20,290
Authorities say a bank
this size normally deposits
1089
00:42:20,290 --> 00:42:23,919
About $12 million a year in cash
with the federal reserve.
1090
00:42:23,919 --> 00:42:26,046
Last year,
Continental-National
1091
00:42:26,046 --> 00:42:29,049
Deposited $600 million in cash.
1092
00:42:29,049 --> 00:42:30,259
Are you implying that
1093
00:42:30,259 --> 00:42:31,802
In this bank
there's something wrong?
1094
00:42:31,802 --> 00:42:32,803
This is
the counting room
1095
00:42:32,803 --> 00:42:34,930
Of the federal reserve
bank in Miami.
1096
00:42:34,930 --> 00:42:37,140
Last year,
the federal reserve bank here
1097
00:42:37,140 --> 00:42:41,061
Generated a surplus in cash
of $5 billion,
1098
00:42:41,061 --> 00:42:43,564
More money than all of the other
federal reserve banks
1099
00:42:43,564 --> 00:42:45,357
In the country combined.
1100
00:42:45,357 --> 00:42:47,192
Miami could possibly be
described
1101
00:42:47,192 --> 00:42:49,278
As the overseas
corporate headquarters
1102
00:42:49,278 --> 00:42:51,321
For money laundering
for the Colombians.
1103
00:42:51,321 --> 00:42:53,323
I started buying property
all over the place.
1104
00:42:53,323 --> 00:42:54,825
There are
thousands of properties
1105
00:42:54,825 --> 00:42:56,410
Worth more
than a billion dollars
1106
00:42:56,410 --> 00:42:59,580
That have been bought with
illicit money in South Florida.
1107
00:42:59,580 --> 00:43:00,664
A couple of houses.
1108
00:43:00,664 --> 00:43:01,915
We bought a boat company.
1109
00:43:01,915 --> 00:43:03,417
The property
where the boat shop was at.
1110
00:43:03,417 --> 00:43:04,418
We bought apartments.
1111
00:43:04,418 --> 00:43:05,544
Lots of warehouse space.
1112
00:43:05,544 --> 00:43:08,422
We bought 480 acres
of land up in tampa.
1113
00:43:08,422 --> 00:43:09,798
Great deal
of real estate.
1114
00:43:09,798 --> 00:43:11,091
We bought one
of the buildings
1115
00:43:11,091 --> 00:43:12,467
So we could
make it a radio room.
1116
00:43:12,467 --> 00:43:14,761
A thousand acres
up here in central Florida.
1117
00:43:14,761 --> 00:43:18,098
Drug dealers would come in
and buy 8, 10, 15 houses.
1118
00:43:18,098 --> 00:43:19,266
One place in south Miami,
1119
00:43:19,266 --> 00:43:21,351
I owned practically
the whole neighborhood.
1120
00:43:21,351 --> 00:43:25,606
I had $24 million
in real estate.
1121
00:43:25,606 --> 00:43:29,985
I'm going to work one day,
i come onto interstate 95,
1122
00:43:29,985 --> 00:43:35,199
Which gives me a beautiful view
of all of downtown Miami.
1123
00:43:35,199 --> 00:43:37,159
"Look at this"
and we counted...
1124
00:43:37,159 --> 00:43:42,414
22 construction cranes
1125
00:43:42,414 --> 00:43:45,083
On the horizon,
that we could see.
1126
00:43:45,083 --> 00:43:48,378
I said, "i wonder how much
of this is drug money."
1127
00:43:48,378 --> 00:43:51,965
God! How much did i spend?
1128
00:43:51,965 --> 00:43:57,346
And there was so much
money that once it broke through
1129
00:43:57,346 --> 00:43:58,847
It couldn't be eradicated.
1130
00:44:02,309 --> 00:44:03,810
Probably as much
as i put in the bank--
1131
00:44:03,810 --> 00:44:06,855
$50 million easily, easily.
1132
00:44:06,855 --> 00:44:08,941
Billions of dollars
may have funded
1133
00:44:08,941 --> 00:44:12,611
A lot of development and
a lot of construction in Miami.
1134
00:44:12,611 --> 00:44:14,530
But it was blood money.
1135
00:44:22,788 --> 00:44:24,331
'79 was the year when
1136
00:44:24,331 --> 00:44:27,793
Things began
to get really serious.
1137
00:44:27,793 --> 00:44:30,546
Certainly dadeland
really was the defining moment.
1138
00:44:30,546 --> 00:44:32,881
The first public shot
of the cocaine wars.
1139
00:44:32,881 --> 00:44:35,259
The shootout occurred
at about 2:30 this afternoon
1140
00:44:35,259 --> 00:44:38,053
When two or more latin males
entered the crown liquor store
1141
00:44:38,053 --> 00:44:40,055
Here on the west end
of the dadeland mall.
1142
00:44:40,055 --> 00:44:42,850
They were followed by
two or three other latin males
1143
00:44:42,850 --> 00:44:44,518
And then the shooting began.
1144
00:44:44,518 --> 00:44:46,436
I mean, we knew exactly,
the minute we heard that,
1145
00:44:46,436 --> 00:44:49,815
It was another Colombian
drug-related machine-gunning.
1146
00:44:49,815 --> 00:44:51,984
Right now two people are dead
1147
00:44:51,984 --> 00:44:54,069
And there are others injured.
1148
00:44:54,069 --> 00:44:56,822
Woinside the liquor store,
one Colombian national
1149
00:44:56,822 --> 00:45:00,159
And another non-Cuban latin
suspected of drug trafficking
1150
00:45:00,159 --> 00:45:02,828
Lay face up
in a pool of blood.
1151
00:45:02,828 --> 00:45:04,788
Well, i went racing down there
and i said,
1152
00:45:04,788 --> 00:45:06,999
"I'm from the Miami herald,
you know, what happened here?"
1153
00:45:06,999 --> 00:45:09,751
And the cops were just
shocked and askance.
1154
00:45:09,751 --> 00:45:12,421
I have never seen
in my life uh...
1155
00:45:12,421 --> 00:45:14,756
Uh...an extensive
amount of, uh...
1156
00:45:14,756 --> 00:45:18,427
Uh...how would you put it?
1157
00:45:18,427 --> 00:45:21,221
Well, july 1979, i'd been
in homicide for about 2 years.
1158
00:45:21,221 --> 00:45:23,599
But this was just beyond
the scope of anything
1159
00:45:23,599 --> 00:45:26,226
That anybody could have imagined
up until that day.
1160
00:45:26,226 --> 00:45:29,313
Well, there was just glass,
debris, all over the place.
1161
00:45:29,313 --> 00:45:33,484
There were bullet cases
on the wall, on the floor,
1162
00:45:33,484 --> 00:45:36,778
On the shelf, it just looked
like an old western shootout.
1163
00:45:36,778 --> 00:45:38,155
The assailant
sprayed gunfire
1164
00:45:38,155 --> 00:45:39,531
All around the parking lot.
1165
00:45:39,531 --> 00:45:40,532
Did you see what
happened to them
1166
00:45:40,532 --> 00:45:41,575
When the shooting was over?
1167
00:45:41,575 --> 00:45:43,744
They ran.
Where?
1168
00:45:43,744 --> 00:45:45,621
I don't know, i was running.
1169
00:45:45,621 --> 00:45:47,706
Innocent bystanders
dove for cover,
1170
00:45:47,706 --> 00:45:49,666
Cars were riddled with
machine-gun fire,
1171
00:45:49,666 --> 00:45:51,001
Gas tanks spilling out.
1172
00:45:51,001 --> 00:45:53,212
Actually there were two scenes,
they were the primary scene
1173
00:45:53,212 --> 00:45:55,589
Where the two dead bodies were
inside crown liquors,
1174
00:45:55,589 --> 00:45:57,633
But the secondary scene,
which is where i was assigned to
1175
00:45:57,633 --> 00:45:59,801
Was what has become known as
the war wagon.
1176
00:46:01,470 --> 00:46:03,847
A delivery van
was found abandoned
1177
00:46:03,847 --> 00:46:05,224
In the north side of the mall
1178
00:46:05,224 --> 00:46:06,934
With the door open
and the motor running.
1179
00:46:06,934 --> 00:46:09,770
It was a 1979 brand-new
Ford Econoline van
1180
00:46:09,770 --> 00:46:11,438
Converted into an armed
personnel carrier.
1181
00:46:11,438 --> 00:46:12,773
It was just a death machine.
1182
00:46:12,773 --> 00:46:15,275
It had reinforced steel
welded to the sides.
1183
00:46:15,275 --> 00:46:17,569
Windows could be popped out,
used as gun ports.
1184
00:46:17,569 --> 00:46:20,447
It said "happy time
party supply" on the side.
1185
00:46:20,447 --> 00:46:22,449
Inside we found
14 different weapons.
1186
00:46:22,449 --> 00:46:25,202
These killers were like
the dixie cup generation,
1187
00:46:25,202 --> 00:46:26,662
The throwaway generation.
1188
00:46:26,662 --> 00:46:29,164
They would shoot a gun
until it was empty,
1189
00:46:29,164 --> 00:46:30,791
Throw it down
and pick up another one.
1190
00:46:30,791 --> 00:46:34,628
You name it, Shotguns,
Carbines, Mac-10, an Uzi,
1191
00:46:34,628 --> 00:46:37,297
Assorted handguns,
ammunition for all of them.
1192
00:46:37,297 --> 00:46:41,176
The war wagon was really i think
the big turning point
1193
00:46:41,176 --> 00:46:45,347
Where the police realized
what they were up against
1194
00:46:45,347 --> 00:46:46,598
And how out-gunned they were.
1195
00:46:46,598 --> 00:46:48,475
What would the amount
of weaponry in that van
1196
00:46:48,475 --> 00:46:49,977
Indicate to you?
1197
00:46:49,977 --> 00:46:52,187
Well...they were well armed,
we can say that
1198
00:46:52,187 --> 00:46:56,066
And they...they came
prepared to do battle.
1199
00:46:56,066 --> 00:46:57,651
Wobullets
were flying everywhere.
1200
00:46:57,651 --> 00:46:59,611
The final tally
were that 86 rounds
1201
00:46:59,611 --> 00:47:01,155
Had been fired
by all the weapons.
1202
00:47:01,155 --> 00:47:02,823
God knows, i don't know
how many...
1203
00:47:02,823 --> 00:47:04,408
How many times
these people were shot.
1204
00:47:04,408 --> 00:47:06,577
There were just so many
bullet wounds over these victims
1205
00:47:06,577 --> 00:47:08,829
That it just made it
impossible for me
1206
00:47:08,829 --> 00:47:11,665
To determine
the exact number of shots.
1207
00:47:11,665 --> 00:47:13,417
We did
the standard follow-up leads,
1208
00:47:13,417 --> 00:47:15,460
The truck had been
falsely registered.
1209
00:47:15,460 --> 00:47:17,880
The firearms had been bought
under false names.
1210
00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:19,506
We went to the addresses--
The ones that were good
1211
00:47:19,506 --> 00:47:20,716
The people had fled.
1212
00:47:20,716 --> 00:47:21,925
So it was your typical
Colombian case,
1213
00:47:21,925 --> 00:47:23,135
You know, went nowhere fast.
1214
00:47:23,135 --> 00:47:24,887
Officers searched
the surrounding neighborhood
1215
00:47:24,887 --> 00:47:27,556
For more than an hour
but turned up no suspects.
1216
00:47:27,556 --> 00:47:29,183
I said, "another open pending,"
1217
00:47:29,183 --> 00:47:31,810
Open pending means
an unsolved case,
1218
00:47:31,810 --> 00:47:35,689
Because we had
no success whatsoever to date
1219
00:47:35,689 --> 00:47:37,065
Closing the Colombian murder.
1220
00:47:37,065 --> 00:47:39,109
We had a brand-new
phenomenon here
1221
00:47:39,109 --> 00:47:41,195
The level of violence
was unprecedented.
1222
00:47:41,195 --> 00:47:43,113
The sophistication
was unprecedented.
1223
00:47:45,324 --> 00:47:47,618
I think this was the first case
1224
00:47:47,618 --> 00:47:49,161
Where we had actually
a machine-gunning
1225
00:47:49,161 --> 00:47:51,663
In a public place
in the middle of daylight,
1226
00:47:51,663 --> 00:47:53,415
Shoppers and passers-by around.
1227
00:47:53,415 --> 00:47:56,126
Of course after that,
that happened frequently.
1228
00:47:56,126 --> 00:47:59,171
It was the beginning of a war,
the cocaine wars down here.
1229
00:47:59,171 --> 00:48:00,631
Local homicide
detectives
1230
00:48:00,631 --> 00:48:03,175
Say Miami is in the middle
of a narcotics war
1231
00:48:03,175 --> 00:48:05,636
Between Colombian
and Cuban drug dealers.
1232
00:48:05,636 --> 00:48:06,762
Miami was changing.
1233
00:48:06,762 --> 00:48:09,014
The Colombians were
pushing the Cubans out.
1234
00:48:09,014 --> 00:48:12,017
There was a mad scramble
for market share.
1235
00:48:12,017 --> 00:48:13,644
One of the reasons
for the violence
1236
00:48:13,644 --> 00:48:15,938
Was because of
the competing factions.
1237
00:48:15,938 --> 00:48:21,527
And the violence is what turned
Miami into the cocaine cowboys.
1238
00:48:21,527 --> 00:48:22,903
As they call them,
the cocaine cowboys.
1239
00:48:22,903 --> 00:48:24,863
They call them
the cocaine cowboys.
1240
00:48:24,863 --> 00:48:29,409
This cocaine cowboy thing,
it was all people from Medellin.
1241
00:48:29,409 --> 00:48:31,787
Woestimates are
that as many as 100,000
1242
00:48:31,787 --> 00:48:33,121
Illegal Colombian aliens
1243
00:48:33,121 --> 00:48:36,166
Are living and working
the drug trade in South Florida.
1244
00:48:36,166 --> 00:48:38,085
They would go
after their target,
1245
00:48:38,085 --> 00:48:39,962
They'd kill the wife,
they'd kill the maid.
1246
00:48:39,962 --> 00:48:41,296
"If there's a dog there,
i'll kill the dog,
1247
00:48:41,296 --> 00:48:42,714
"If there's a bird there,
i'll kill the bird,
1248
00:48:42,714 --> 00:48:44,049
"Goldfish there,
i'll kill the goldfish."
1249
00:48:44,049 --> 00:48:46,760
If a girl scout
rang the bell to sell cookies,
1250
00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:48,345
They'd kill the girl scout too.
1251
00:48:48,345 --> 00:48:50,305
Poor people that were
standing there and kids,
1252
00:48:50,305 --> 00:48:52,015
Anybody would just
get shot dead.
1253
00:48:52,015 --> 00:48:54,184
They just would kill
everybody in sight.
1254
00:48:54,184 --> 00:48:56,436
JesÚs hernandez,
a submachine barrage
1255
00:48:56,436 --> 00:48:57,938
Tore him apart in his car
1256
00:48:57,938 --> 00:48:59,940
On a busy
southwest street at noon.
1257
00:48:59,940 --> 00:49:01,191
Numerous machine-gunnings.
1258
00:49:01,191 --> 00:49:02,609
Rat-A-Tat! Tra! Tra!
1259
00:49:02,609 --> 00:49:03,819
Bra! And then i heard the...
1260
00:49:03,819 --> 00:49:06,113
Ba-Boom! Ba-Boom! Pa! Pa! Pa!
1261
00:49:06,113 --> 00:49:08,532
And the apartment
was sprayed by machine-gun fire,
1262
00:49:08,532 --> 00:49:12,286
A trademark according to police
of the cocaine cowboys.
1263
00:49:12,286 --> 00:49:14,830
On the highways,
the turnpike, us 1,
1264
00:49:14,830 --> 00:49:16,748
In some cases
residential streets.
1265
00:49:16,748 --> 00:49:18,458
The red mustang
was heading north
1266
00:49:18,458 --> 00:49:20,419
On southwest 107th avenue.
1267
00:49:20,419 --> 00:49:24,047
The green sedan pulled alongside
the driver, opening fire.
1268
00:49:24,047 --> 00:49:27,301
The tools of death,
automatic weapons and shotguns.
1269
00:49:27,301 --> 00:49:29,386
That's the kind of stuff
you see on television,
1270
00:49:29,386 --> 00:49:31,013
You don't see it
in real life.
1271
00:49:31,013 --> 00:49:33,473
Witnesses described
the scene as a war zone,
1272
00:49:33,473 --> 00:49:35,350
Miami vice
without the cameras.
1273
00:49:35,350 --> 00:49:38,145
But this was real life,
it was really going on.
1274
00:49:38,145 --> 00:49:39,521
You have five people
killed here,
1275
00:49:39,521 --> 00:49:41,064
You have three people
killed here.
1276
00:49:41,064 --> 00:49:43,275
A quiet residential
area in kendall tonight
1277
00:49:43,275 --> 00:49:45,569
Became the scene
of a grizzly mass murder.
1278
00:49:45,569 --> 00:49:48,113
Six bodies were found
in a posh townhouse.
1279
00:49:48,113 --> 00:49:49,865
Miami police say
this is the worst
1280
00:49:49,865 --> 00:49:52,326
Multiple homicide
in the city's history.
1281
00:49:52,326 --> 00:49:54,828
Police believe
the massacre was drug related.
1282
00:49:54,828 --> 00:49:59,416
We're talking about mass murders
that in this day and age
1283
00:49:59,416 --> 00:50:02,085
Would get
breaking news coverage
1284
00:50:02,085 --> 00:50:04,213
From all the cable tv stations.
1285
00:50:04,213 --> 00:50:07,758
We had that level of violence
happening daily
1286
00:50:07,758 --> 00:50:11,720
And the local media, because of
us just being saturated by it,
1287
00:50:11,720 --> 00:50:13,889
Saying, "oh, it's just
a double homicide.
1288
00:50:13,889 --> 00:50:15,557
"Oh, it's just
a triple homicide."
1289
00:50:15,557 --> 00:50:17,434
It just became commonplace
that we were going to be
1290
00:50:17,434 --> 00:50:19,520
Jumping from crime scene
to crime scene.
1291
00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:21,146
We have to have more than
four or five people dead
1292
00:50:21,146 --> 00:50:22,815
To make a big deal out of it.
1293
00:50:22,815 --> 00:50:26,860
I mean, i can recall getting
five murders in one night.
1294
00:50:26,860 --> 00:50:30,364
There have been eight murders in
dade in just the past 48 hours.
1295
00:50:30,364 --> 00:50:31,698
You never knew when
you were going to stumble over
1296
00:50:31,698 --> 00:50:32,658
Another body.
1297
00:50:32,658 --> 00:50:34,159
Miami kind of resembled
1298
00:50:34,159 --> 00:50:38,247
The st. Valentine's day massacre
in chicago in the '20s.
1299
00:50:38,247 --> 00:50:40,999
Gangsters driving through
the streets
1300
00:50:40,999 --> 00:50:42,960
Standing on their floorboards
1301
00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:45,796
With their
thompson .45 machine guns
1302
00:50:45,796 --> 00:50:49,007
Having gunfights
in chicago in the '30s.
1303
00:50:49,007 --> 00:50:51,051
What i see going on here
1304
00:50:51,051 --> 00:50:53,762
Would make chicago
in the days of prohibition
1305
00:50:53,762 --> 00:50:56,139
Look like a baptist
sunday school picnic.
1306
00:50:56,139 --> 00:50:59,059
And one of the cops then even
said, "it's like dodge city."
1307
00:50:59,059 --> 00:51:01,186
And it was like the wild
wild west back then.
1308
00:51:01,186 --> 00:51:03,438
But of course he was wrong,
because dodge city
1309
00:51:03,438 --> 00:51:05,732
Was never as violent
as Miami was then.
1310
00:51:05,732 --> 00:51:09,111
Miami in the early '80s
was considered
1311
00:51:09,111 --> 00:51:12,072
The most dangerous place
on earth.
1312
00:51:12,072 --> 00:51:15,159
First detroit was murder city,
then atlanta, now Miami.
1313
00:51:15,159 --> 00:51:18,453
In 1976
we investigated 104 murders.
1314
00:51:18,453 --> 00:51:20,497
The first seven months
of 1979
1315
00:51:20,497 --> 00:51:23,208
Have been called the bloodiest
in South Florida's history.
1316
00:51:23,208 --> 00:51:26,795
There were 573
total homicides in 1980.
1317
00:51:26,795 --> 00:51:29,506
1981 will go down
as another record year
1318
00:51:29,506 --> 00:51:31,341
For killings
around greater Miami.
1319
00:51:31,341 --> 00:51:33,886
I think we're probably gonna see
in excess of 600 homicides
1320
00:51:33,886 --> 00:51:35,304
By the end of the year.
1321
00:51:35,304 --> 00:51:37,806
As South Florida's
drug trade prospers,
1322
00:51:37,806 --> 00:51:40,934
Dade's homicide rate
will continue to climb.
1323
00:51:40,934 --> 00:51:43,270
Crime in Miami is up
and tourism is down.
1324
00:51:43,270 --> 00:51:46,398
Despite the gloom and doom
that people keep forecasting,
1325
00:51:46,398 --> 00:51:48,317
We are predicting
that we will have
1326
00:51:48,317 --> 00:51:50,736
More foreign arrivals here
in the greater Miami area
1327
00:51:50,736 --> 00:51:52,696
By the end of the summer
than we did last year,
1328
00:51:52,696 --> 00:51:53,655
Which was our banner year.
1329
00:51:57,034 --> 00:51:59,453
For fidel Castro
it was tantamount
1330
00:51:59,453 --> 00:52:01,163
To an act of genocide.
1331
00:52:01,163 --> 00:52:02,998
With one fell swoop,
he rid Cuba
1332
00:52:02,998 --> 00:52:05,417
Of thousands and thousands
of undesirables.
1333
00:52:05,417 --> 00:52:07,461
He emptied his prisons,
he cleared the bums
1334
00:52:07,461 --> 00:52:10,631
Off the streets of Havana.
Murderers, thieves, perverts,
1335
00:52:10,631 --> 00:52:13,342
Prostitutes, the retarded,
crippled, the winos,
1336
00:52:13,342 --> 00:52:16,345
All were rounded up,
sent to mariel harbor
1337
00:52:16,345 --> 00:52:18,680
And put aboard boats
bound for Miami.
1338
00:52:18,680 --> 00:52:21,183
Fidel Castro himself
publicly stated
1339
00:52:21,183 --> 00:52:23,936
"I have flushed the toilets of
Cuba on the United States."
1340
00:52:23,936 --> 00:52:25,229
And bragged about it.
1341
00:52:25,229 --> 00:52:28,982
One boat left mariel
for the us every 5 minutes,
1342
00:52:28,982 --> 00:52:31,401
They came unhindered
night and day.
1343
00:52:33,320 --> 00:52:35,656
It became commonplace
in South Florida.
1344
00:52:35,656 --> 00:52:37,533
Shots were fired,
people were killed,
1345
00:52:37,533 --> 00:52:39,785
And much of the time
the killers are people
1346
00:52:39,785 --> 00:52:42,788
Who came over from Cuba
in the boatlift of 1980.
1347
00:52:42,788 --> 00:52:44,873
Consequently our homicide rate
doubled that year.
1348
00:52:44,873 --> 00:52:47,334
It would be like if an invading
army was dropped in here
1349
00:52:47,334 --> 00:52:50,337
To rape, pillage
and burn in our town.
1350
00:52:50,337 --> 00:52:52,464
And that's exactly
what they are doing.
1351
00:52:52,464 --> 00:52:55,926
Aggravated assaults,
rapes, robberies.
1352
00:52:55,926 --> 00:52:58,554
In no time at all,
we had bodies on the floor.
1353
00:52:58,554 --> 00:53:01,682
We had them stacked up.
It was a disgrace.
1354
00:53:01,682 --> 00:53:03,016
There have been
so many murders
1355
00:53:03,016 --> 00:53:04,518
Throughout greater Miami lately
1356
00:53:04,518 --> 00:53:06,937
That a special refrigerated
truck is now being used
1357
00:53:06,937 --> 00:53:08,981
By the dade medical
examiner's office
1358
00:53:08,981 --> 00:53:10,899
To store all the bodies.
1359
00:53:10,899 --> 00:53:12,693
They had arranged
to rent or borrow it
1360
00:53:12,693 --> 00:53:16,071
From burger king whose
headquarters is down here.
1361
00:53:16,071 --> 00:53:17,489
And i was very upset.
1362
00:53:17,489 --> 00:53:20,325
We have been invaded by aliens
from outer space.
1363
00:53:20,325 --> 00:53:22,327
These guys are spaced out.
1364
00:53:22,327 --> 00:53:24,830
Nobody seemed to be concerned
about what was happening
1365
00:53:24,830 --> 00:53:26,832
In the streets of Miami.
So i opened my mouth.
1366
00:53:26,832 --> 00:53:30,169
They are psychologically
totally not even human.
1367
00:53:30,169 --> 00:53:31,628
They're animals--
Not even animals,
1368
00:53:31,628 --> 00:53:33,297
That's an insult
to the animal kingdom.
1369
00:53:33,297 --> 00:53:35,632
There was no law and order
whatsoever.
1370
00:53:35,632 --> 00:53:37,593
We all carrying guns.
My wife carry guns,
1371
00:53:37,593 --> 00:53:39,469
My two sons they carrying guns.
1372
00:53:39,469 --> 00:53:41,597
And you see i have
a shotgun loaded in my house
1373
00:53:41,597 --> 00:53:43,599
And we're gonna
shoot someone.
1374
00:53:43,599 --> 00:53:44,641
I certainly never traveled
1375
00:53:44,641 --> 00:53:46,393
Anywhere in dade county
without being armed.
1376
00:53:46,393 --> 00:53:48,270
There's...there's
no question about that.
1377
00:53:48,270 --> 00:53:52,316
I always had a gun, i
wouldn't sleep well without one,
1378
00:53:52,316 --> 00:53:53,901
Especially in the Miami
of that time.
1379
00:53:53,901 --> 00:53:55,903
Edna buchanan
on national television,
1380
00:53:55,903 --> 00:53:57,237
Saying she wears two guns
1381
00:53:57,237 --> 00:53:58,572
And everybody has to wear a gun.
1382
00:53:58,572 --> 00:54:00,908
Merrett steirheim,
who was then county manager,
1383
00:54:00,908 --> 00:54:02,367
And all the commissioners
were furious
1384
00:54:02,367 --> 00:54:04,244
So i was persona non grata
for a while.
1385
00:54:04,244 --> 00:54:06,914
Miami was literally being
torn apart at the seams.
1386
00:54:06,914 --> 00:54:08,707
But police help
won't come soon
1387
00:54:08,707 --> 00:54:11,168
Because of a manpower shortage
in the department.
1388
00:54:11,168 --> 00:54:13,754
Federal agencies readily admit
they are crippled
1389
00:54:13,754 --> 00:54:16,507
By a lack of manpower,
money and resources.
1390
00:54:16,507 --> 00:54:18,634
The city of Miami
police department
1391
00:54:18,634 --> 00:54:22,679
Went on a blind hiring frenzy.
1392
00:54:22,679 --> 00:54:24,640
It's hoped
more police on the street
1393
00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:27,100
Will help to reverse
this record-setting trend.
1394
00:54:27,100 --> 00:54:28,519
And they used to have
standards.
1395
00:54:28,519 --> 00:54:30,103
You couldn't ever
have used drugs
1396
00:54:30,103 --> 00:54:31,522
If you wanted to be a policeman.
1397
00:54:31,522 --> 00:54:32,689
So they reduced it to
you couldn't have
1398
00:54:32,689 --> 00:54:34,775
Used drugs in the last
ten years,
1399
00:54:34,775 --> 00:54:36,235
And that didn't work.
So they said,
1400
00:54:36,235 --> 00:54:38,111
"Well, you couldn't have used
drugs in the last 5 years."
1401
00:54:38,111 --> 00:54:39,780
They still couldn't
recruit enough.
1402
00:54:39,780 --> 00:54:42,199
So they said you couldn't have
used drugs in the last 2 years.
1403
00:54:42,199 --> 00:54:43,826
And finally it got
to a point where, if you're not
1404
00:54:43,826 --> 00:54:46,245
Under the influence of drugs
at the moment you're hired.
1405
00:54:46,245 --> 00:54:50,249
That resulted in the largest
police corruption crisis
1406
00:54:50,249 --> 00:54:53,085
Since the serpico days
up in New York.
1407
00:54:53,085 --> 00:54:55,963
And the entire
academy class from that year
1408
00:54:55,963 --> 00:54:57,923
Later on went to jail or died.
1409
00:54:57,923 --> 00:55:00,092
This makes a total
of three Miami officers
1410
00:55:00,092 --> 00:55:01,426
Arrested over the weekend.
1411
00:55:01,426 --> 00:55:03,679
Today's arrest came
as seven other Miami officers
1412
00:55:03,679 --> 00:55:06,974
Went on trial accused of ripping
off other cocaine dealers
1413
00:55:06,974 --> 00:55:08,767
And for dealing drugs
themselves.
1414
00:55:08,767 --> 00:55:11,937
The so-called cocaine cops have
been charged with conspiracy,
1415
00:55:11,937 --> 00:55:13,814
Drug trafficking
and racketeering.
1416
00:55:13,814 --> 00:55:17,943
The tally, shocking-- 40 current
or former Miami police officers
1417
00:55:17,943 --> 00:55:20,404
Arrested or suspended
in the last 2 years.
1418
00:55:20,404 --> 00:55:23,240
16 suspended
in just the last 2 weeks.
1419
00:55:23,240 --> 00:55:24,575
And it is not over.
1420
00:55:24,575 --> 00:55:27,286
At least 30 more Miami cops
will be suspended.
1421
00:55:27,286 --> 00:55:31,748
The rule of law completely
broke down in South Florida.
1422
00:55:31,748 --> 00:55:33,292
We might as well just not
even come into work
1423
00:55:33,292 --> 00:55:34,710
And just give the streets up.
1424
00:55:34,710 --> 00:55:37,171
We truly are committed,
and we are going to gain control
1425
00:55:37,171 --> 00:55:38,589
Of these streets
once again.
1426
00:55:38,589 --> 00:55:41,383
The criminal justice system
is not working here.
1427
00:55:41,383 --> 00:55:45,053
And i suggest a revisit
of the whole idea.
1428
00:55:45,053 --> 00:55:49,099
Centac 26 went fully operational
in december of '81.
1429
00:55:49,099 --> 00:55:51,727
There were 25 previous
centac organizations
1430
00:55:51,727 --> 00:55:53,270
In different cities
in the United States.
1431
00:55:53,270 --> 00:55:55,689
Centac stands for
central tactical unit.
1432
00:55:55,689 --> 00:55:58,942
Our primary goal was to couple
the homicide investigations
1433
00:55:58,942 --> 00:56:00,444
With drug investigations.
1434
00:56:00,444 --> 00:56:04,573
They had good connections
with the D.E.A., with the F.B.I.
1435
00:56:04,573 --> 00:56:06,033
We were dealing with
a kind of criminal
1436
00:56:06,033 --> 00:56:07,659
With whom we had not
dealt before.
1437
00:56:07,659 --> 00:56:11,497
And so my mandate to my people
was very simple.
1438
00:56:11,497 --> 00:56:14,917
Extraordinary times called for
extraordinary measures.
1439
00:56:14,917 --> 00:56:17,127
You would use
whatever method you could
1440
00:56:17,127 --> 00:56:19,713
To take someone out of
the picture or off the street.
1441
00:56:19,713 --> 00:56:22,549
We're gonna get rid of them
either by putting them in jail
1442
00:56:22,549 --> 00:56:24,593
Or we were going to kill them.
1443
00:56:24,593 --> 00:56:25,886
It was a unit
that was meant to be
1444
00:56:25,886 --> 00:56:27,304
More proactive than reactive.
1445
00:56:27,304 --> 00:56:29,598
It was just a different way
of doing police work
1446
00:56:29,598 --> 00:56:31,058
And it was called for
at the time
1447
00:56:31,058 --> 00:56:32,768
Because of the nature
of the criminal
1448
00:56:32,768 --> 00:56:34,895
With both the Colombians
and the Cuban criminals
1449
00:56:34,895 --> 00:56:36,230
Who came from mariel.
1450
00:56:36,230 --> 00:56:38,857
Miami seems to have become
paradise lost.
1451
00:56:38,857 --> 00:56:41,568
In the fall-winter of 1981,
1452
00:56:41,568 --> 00:56:45,906
The article paradise lost?
Came out in time magazine.
1453
00:56:45,906 --> 00:56:48,867
Time magazine crushed Miami.
1454
00:56:48,867 --> 00:56:50,536
The 9-page article inside
1455
00:56:50,536 --> 00:56:52,037
Focused primarily
on Miami
1456
00:56:52,037 --> 00:56:55,457
As the troubled center of drugs,
crime and refugees.
1457
00:56:55,457 --> 00:56:57,709
The politicians in Miami,
dade county, Miami,
1458
00:56:57,709 --> 00:56:59,795
Went crazy when they saw that.
1459
00:56:59,795 --> 00:57:01,171
That's the number one
question that's asked,
1460
00:57:01,171 --> 00:57:02,965
"Is it safe
to come to Miami beach?"
1461
00:57:02,965 --> 00:57:04,842
And what do you tell them?
And again i'm saying to them,
1462
00:57:04,842 --> 00:57:07,052
Unless you're coming down here
to traffic in drugs,
1463
00:57:07,052 --> 00:57:09,388
We are as safe here
as you would be
1464
00:57:09,388 --> 00:57:11,723
Anywhere else in the world
including your own home town.
1465
00:57:11,723 --> 00:57:13,809
We were torn between
two worlds.
1466
00:57:13,809 --> 00:57:16,937
Fun and sun capital...
1467
00:57:16,937 --> 00:57:17,938
Murder capital.
1468
00:57:17,938 --> 00:57:19,731
That was the gist
of that article--
1469
00:57:19,731 --> 00:57:21,400
The criminals were winning
1470
00:57:21,400 --> 00:57:23,110
And we were losing.
1471
00:57:28,657 --> 00:57:30,367
I was born in cali,
Colombia.
1472
00:57:30,367 --> 00:57:33,245
Arrived in the United States,
1969.
1473
00:57:33,245 --> 00:57:35,747
I grew up in chicago,
i was a mechanic with my dad.
1474
00:57:35,747 --> 00:57:37,708
I worked for general motors,
that's where i learned
1475
00:57:37,708 --> 00:57:39,209
How to break into cars.
1476
00:57:39,209 --> 00:57:41,211
Well, when i was growing up
i was known as a car thief,
1477
00:57:41,211 --> 00:57:42,546
One of the biggest
car thieves in chicago,
1478
00:57:42,546 --> 00:57:44,548
And then after the '80s i was...
1479
00:57:44,548 --> 00:57:47,092
I was known to be an assassin
for the cartel.
1480
00:58:06,445 --> 00:58:07,821
I just got
with a group of guys
1481
00:58:07,821 --> 00:58:10,157
And we started stealing cars
to sell them to the chop shops,
1482
00:58:10,157 --> 00:58:12,034
Between $200 and $500 a car.
1483
00:58:12,034 --> 00:58:14,786
We used to steal 5, 6 a night,
there was three of us.
1484
00:58:14,786 --> 00:58:17,539
So we were making good money.
Better than working for my dad.
1485
00:58:17,539 --> 00:58:19,666
I come from a good family,
i had everything i needed.
1486
00:58:19,666 --> 00:58:21,418
You know, i didn't need
to go steal cars,
1487
00:58:21,418 --> 00:58:23,587
But it was just the money
and the excitement
1488
00:58:23,587 --> 00:58:25,255
Of going and breaking
into somebody's car
1489
00:58:25,255 --> 00:58:27,841
And selling it, you know.
1490
00:58:32,221 --> 00:58:34,097
Tropicana restaurant.
We used to
1491
00:58:34,097 --> 00:58:35,849
Hang out there
because of the pay phone.
1492
00:58:35,849 --> 00:58:37,184
That's where the junkers
used to call us.
1493
00:58:37,184 --> 00:58:38,727
We used it as our office.
1494
00:58:38,727 --> 00:58:41,021
And i had a specific spot
where i used to park my car
1495
00:58:41,021 --> 00:58:42,564
And no one would park there.
1496
00:58:42,564 --> 00:58:45,818
One morning i got there,
there was a car parked in front,
1497
00:58:45,818 --> 00:58:47,194
So i asked the owner
of the restaurant,
1498
00:58:47,194 --> 00:58:48,987
"Whose car is that?"
He said, "it belongs to
1499
00:58:48,987 --> 00:58:51,073
"Some big shot from Miami."
1500
00:58:51,073 --> 00:58:53,492
So i told him i didn't
give a fuck who it belonged to.
1501
00:58:53,492 --> 00:58:56,662
And i wanted the car moved
so i took it.
1502
00:58:56,662 --> 00:58:59,164
The next morning,
we were in the restaurant and...
1503
00:58:59,164 --> 00:59:01,792
Three Colombians came in
and he asked who was riverita.
1504
00:59:01,792 --> 00:59:03,669
He said, "i'm looking for him
'cause he stole my car."
1505
00:59:03,669 --> 00:59:05,587
So i said, "i'm the guy
you're looking for, i'm Rivi."
1506
00:59:05,587 --> 00:59:07,923
He says, "you stole my car
and i want my car back."
1507
00:59:07,923 --> 00:59:09,216
I say, "you can't have it back
unless you give me
1508
00:59:09,216 --> 00:59:10,759
"$500 for it
because it belongs to me now
1509
00:59:10,759 --> 00:59:13,053
"Because you parked where
you're not supposed to park."
1510
00:59:13,053 --> 00:59:14,596
He started laughing and he said,
1511
00:59:14,596 --> 00:59:16,557
"You've got some balls,
you know that?"
1512
00:59:16,557 --> 00:59:18,642
I said, "i've heard that
before."
1513
00:59:18,642 --> 00:59:19,977
And he says,
"so what are we gonna do?"
1514
00:59:19,977 --> 00:59:23,021
I say "simple, $500,
you get your car back."
1515
00:59:23,021 --> 00:59:26,358
He paid me, got his keys out
and opened the trunk.
1516
00:59:29,778 --> 00:59:31,405
It was full of guns,
used guns,
1517
00:59:31,405 --> 00:59:33,657
Revolvers, automatic pistols,
1518
00:59:33,657 --> 00:59:35,534
And he asked me
if i've ever been to Florida.
1519
00:59:35,534 --> 00:59:37,870
And i said "yeah, with my dad."
"Got any family in Florida?"
1520
00:59:37,870 --> 00:59:40,414
I said, "yeah, i got
about six of 'em."
1521
00:59:40,414 --> 00:59:42,040
He asked me if i could
drive him to Miami.
1522
00:59:42,040 --> 00:59:44,376
I said, "sure. Will you pay?"
He said, yeah,
1523
00:59:44,376 --> 00:59:46,170
That he would pay me $5,000.
1524
00:59:46,170 --> 00:59:47,713
I told him, "yeah, no problem."
1525
00:59:49,298 --> 00:59:52,176
When i got to Miami, he said,
"look i got some things going,
1526
00:59:52,176 --> 00:59:54,052
"Maybe you guys
could work for me
1527
00:59:54,052 --> 00:59:56,597
"And make some more money in
Miami, if you stay in Miami."
1528
00:59:56,597 --> 00:59:58,140
I told him, "what?"
He said, "just delivering dope
1529
00:59:58,140 --> 00:59:59,516
"And picking up money...
1530
00:59:59,516 --> 01:00:01,518
"Maybe once in a while
pushing marijuana."
1531
01:00:01,518 --> 01:00:04,188
The money was good,
he was paying me $1,000 a day.
1532
01:00:04,188 --> 01:00:06,482
That was the first time
that we were working
1533
01:00:06,482 --> 01:00:09,276
With the people
that were in the drug business.
1534
01:00:09,276 --> 01:00:11,612
But i had no plans
to start killing people.
1535
01:00:11,612 --> 01:00:14,490
It turned out
that way later but...
1536
01:00:14,490 --> 01:00:16,283
A couple of weeks went by
and we were at jacaranda,
1537
01:00:16,283 --> 01:00:20,412
A Colombian nightclub
in Miami.
1538
01:00:20,412 --> 01:00:23,665
You know, flaco came in,
"are you our drug carrier?"
1539
01:00:23,665 --> 01:00:25,125
He said, "look,
you need to get out of here,
1540
01:00:25,125 --> 01:00:26,418
"Because we're fixed
to do a hit here."
1541
01:00:26,418 --> 01:00:28,170
"Those people
on your right of the table,
1542
01:00:28,170 --> 01:00:31,798
"Those six Colombians laughing
and drinking fire water,
1543
01:00:31,798 --> 01:00:34,009
"We're gonna spray that table,
the whole table."
1544
01:00:34,009 --> 01:00:35,969
And i said, "all right.
Appreciate it, you know."
1545
01:00:35,969 --> 01:00:37,679
I said, "let me get my guys."
And i told everyone
1546
01:00:37,679 --> 01:00:40,849
Except Vanegas, Negro, he was
in the bathroom snorting coke.
1547
01:00:40,849 --> 01:00:42,976
We called him Negro
'cause he was real dark.
1548
01:00:42,976 --> 01:00:44,812
He was not black,
he was just a dark Colombian.
1549
01:00:44,812 --> 01:00:46,605
So i went back to the bathroom
and i told him.
1550
01:00:46,605 --> 01:00:48,315
I said, "we gotta go, there's
gonna be a shootout here."
1551
01:00:48,315 --> 01:00:50,692
But i didn't tell him who.
1552
01:00:50,692 --> 01:00:53,612
He says, "just give me
a minute." I walked out.
1553
01:00:53,612 --> 01:00:55,948
Well, during that time, Vanegas
had stopped at the same table
1554
01:00:55,948 --> 01:00:57,366
And told the guys to leave
1555
01:00:57,366 --> 01:00:59,117
Because there was going to be
a shootout.
1556
01:00:59,117 --> 01:01:01,620
So he screwed up the hit.
It was just an accident.
1557
01:01:01,620 --> 01:01:02,913
He knew one of the guys
at the table
1558
01:01:02,913 --> 01:01:04,456
So he was just looking out
for his friend.
1559
01:01:04,456 --> 01:01:06,166
I was outside, Vanegas came out.
1560
01:01:06,166 --> 01:01:09,503
And behind Vanegas everybody
started pushing and shoving out.
1561
01:01:09,503 --> 01:01:11,672
Flaco came in his motorcycle,
he was pretty pissed off.
1562
01:01:11,672 --> 01:01:13,090
He said, "you guys
fucked everything up
1563
01:01:13,090 --> 01:01:14,216
"And i should have
never have told you."
1564
01:01:14,216 --> 01:01:15,592
I said,
"what are you talking about?"
1565
01:01:15,592 --> 01:01:17,719
"One of you guys tipped them off
'cause they didn't know
1566
01:01:17,719 --> 01:01:19,054
"And the only person that knew
we were gonna do the hit
1567
01:01:19,054 --> 01:01:21,473
"Was you guys. You."
1568
01:01:21,473 --> 01:01:24,017
I said, "yeah, man,
i just told my guys to leave."
1569
01:01:24,017 --> 01:01:26,019
I said, "hold up,
let me talk to Negro."
1570
01:01:26,019 --> 01:01:27,396
I said, "did you tell
them people?" And he said,
1571
01:01:27,396 --> 01:01:29,398
"I told one of the guys
there was gonna be a shooting
1572
01:01:29,398 --> 01:01:32,151
"Like you told me but i didn't
know it was their table."
1573
01:01:32,151 --> 01:01:34,069
I said, "we in deep shit,
you know."
1574
01:01:34,069 --> 01:01:35,737
I went back and i said,
"yeah, we did it, man,
1575
01:01:35,737 --> 01:01:37,114
"But, you know,
it was an accident."
1576
01:01:37,114 --> 01:01:38,615
He says,
"well, you're in trouble, man,
1577
01:01:38,615 --> 01:01:41,160
"You're in trouble with my boss.
And the boss wants to meet you."
1578
01:01:41,160 --> 01:01:43,495
"Tell your boss
that it was an accident."
1579
01:01:43,495 --> 01:01:45,038
He said, "they don't wanna
hear it, man,
1580
01:01:45,038 --> 01:01:46,957
"Just you," he said.
1581
01:01:46,957 --> 01:01:48,292
"The boss wants to meet
just you.
1582
01:01:48,292 --> 01:01:52,254
"Either that or you're in
trouble."
1583
01:01:52,254 --> 01:01:54,548
So we get in the car,
on the way i'm telling him,
1584
01:01:54,548 --> 01:01:56,216
I said, "these people
aren't gonna kill me, are they?"
1585
01:01:56,216 --> 01:01:58,802
He says, "i don't know, i don't
make no guarantees, man."
1586
01:02:00,929 --> 01:02:02,264
We had fucked something up,
i know,
1587
01:02:02,264 --> 01:02:04,308
I mean, they're talking about
killing six people.
1588
01:02:04,308 --> 01:02:06,727
So you know they ain't no...
no pussies here.
1589
01:02:08,270 --> 01:02:10,481
He asked me if i had a gun. I
said, "yeah, man. I got a gun."
1590
01:02:10,481 --> 01:02:11,899
But i had two.
1591
01:02:11,899 --> 01:02:14,985
I had a backup gun
in my left leg.
1592
01:02:14,985 --> 01:02:17,404
So we drove to a holiday inn
on i95.
1593
01:02:17,404 --> 01:02:20,616
I looked and four guys
got out of the car.
1594
01:02:20,616 --> 01:02:22,034
I said, "is that them?"
He said, "that's them,
1595
01:02:22,034 --> 01:02:23,535
"That's part of them,
there are more to your left."
1596
01:02:23,535 --> 01:02:25,245
And i looked and there was four
other guys on the other side.
1597
01:02:25,245 --> 01:02:28,081
I approached the older guy
and he said,
1598
01:02:28,081 --> 01:02:30,167
"Are you Rivi?"
I said, "yes, i am."
1599
01:02:30,167 --> 01:02:32,878
"Come with me."
Got into the back of a car
1600
01:02:32,878 --> 01:02:36,632
And in the back seat was a lady.
1601
01:02:36,632 --> 01:02:38,383
She was calling the shots.
1602
01:02:38,383 --> 01:02:40,385
Whatever she'd say
everybody would just keep quiet,
1603
01:02:40,385 --> 01:02:41,637
Nobody gave an opinion,
1604
01:02:41,637 --> 01:02:42,971
They were just,
whatever she was saying.
1605
01:02:42,971 --> 01:02:44,681
And her husband
was in the front seat.
1606
01:02:44,681 --> 01:02:46,850
He didn't open his mouth. He's
not asking me any questions,
1607
01:02:46,850 --> 01:02:48,936
Just her, telling me
what to do.
1608
01:02:48,936 --> 01:02:50,521
She's the one
with the power there.
1609
01:02:50,521 --> 01:02:53,106
I'm getting this lip
from a woman, you know,
1610
01:02:53,106 --> 01:02:56,944
And i don't--I oughta had like,
like say you go fuck yourself,
1611
01:02:56,944 --> 01:02:58,362
And i thought, "no, no."
1612
01:02:58,362 --> 01:02:59,822
And she asked me, she said,
"you the one that fucked up
1613
01:02:59,822 --> 01:03:03,200
"The hit last night?"
And i said, "in a way i did."
1614
01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:06,495
She told me, "i've been
after these people for months
1615
01:03:06,495 --> 01:03:09,248
"And this is the first time
that we got sight of them."
1616
01:03:09,248 --> 01:03:11,083
And i...i had fucked it up.
1617
01:03:11,083 --> 01:03:16,046
She says, "well, i'll
tell you what, you find them,
1618
01:03:16,046 --> 01:03:19,383
"And you kill them for me,
then we call it even."
1619
01:03:19,383 --> 01:03:21,343
"I'm interested
in the two brothers."
1620
01:03:21,343 --> 01:03:22,636
The other four
we were just gonna hit
1621
01:03:22,636 --> 01:03:24,304
Because they were sitting
on the table.
1622
01:03:24,304 --> 01:03:26,473
I said, "you were gonna kill
4 other people just to kill 2?"
1623
01:03:26,473 --> 01:03:28,016
She said, "that's
the way i do my things,
1624
01:03:28,016 --> 01:03:31,812
"Spray the whole table.
Get everybody out of the way."
1625
01:03:33,814 --> 01:03:35,482
That surprised me, you know.
1626
01:03:35,482 --> 01:03:38,694
I mean, she was
talking to murder like...
1627
01:03:38,694 --> 01:03:40,362
So i told her, i said,
"just give me a week,
1628
01:03:40,362 --> 01:03:41,780
"I find these people."
1629
01:03:41,780 --> 01:03:43,949
And she says, "when
you do, you call me.
1630
01:03:43,949 --> 01:03:46,994
"I'll give you $50,000
for each."
1631
01:03:46,994 --> 01:03:48,787
So on my way back i started
asking flaco questions.
1632
01:03:48,787 --> 01:03:50,831
I asked him, "what's up
with this lady, man?"
1633
01:03:50,831 --> 01:03:53,417
He says, "she's the godmother."
1634
01:03:53,417 --> 01:03:55,752
I say, "you wanna fill me out
a little about the godmother?"
1635
01:03:55,752 --> 01:03:58,380
And he says, "i've known her
since Colombia...
1636
01:03:58,380 --> 01:04:00,132
"And she's deadly.
1637
01:04:00,132 --> 01:04:03,010
"If you don't deliver,
she's gonna put a hit on you."
1638
01:04:03,010 --> 01:04:06,138
She was the biggest
back then.
1639
01:04:06,138 --> 01:04:09,141
She was the godmother
of the cocaine trade.
1640
01:04:09,141 --> 01:04:10,559
So when we got back
to the hotel,
1641
01:04:10,559 --> 01:04:11,977
I told the guys
what happened
1642
01:04:11,977 --> 01:04:13,645
And Vanegas was there
and i said,
1643
01:04:13,645 --> 01:04:15,355
"Look, we in deep shit
with this lady.
1644
01:04:15,355 --> 01:04:18,525
"If we don't find these people,
we're gonna have to haul ass
1645
01:04:18,525 --> 01:04:19,568
"'Cause they're gonna
come after--
1646
01:04:19,568 --> 01:04:21,361
"They told me in so many words."
Vanegas...
1647
01:04:21,361 --> 01:04:24,031
He says, "yeah, i could get
hold of one, the older one."
1648
01:04:24,031 --> 01:04:25,866
I said,
"that's all we need, one."
1649
01:04:25,866 --> 01:04:27,201
Through him
we get the other one.
1650
01:04:27,201 --> 01:04:30,412
I said, "do this,
just go to a payphone and beep
1651
01:04:30,412 --> 01:04:32,164
"And set up a meeting
for tonight.
1652
01:04:32,164 --> 01:04:33,499
"And we're gonna kidnap his ass
1653
01:04:33,499 --> 01:04:35,626
"And we're gonna turn him over
to these other people."
1654
01:04:35,626 --> 01:04:40,214
We beeped, no answer.
Second day we beeped, no answer.
1655
01:04:40,214 --> 01:04:44,801
Third day, i was losing
my hopes, no answer.
1656
01:04:44,801 --> 01:04:47,012
Fourth day, he beeped
and the guy answered.
1657
01:04:47,012 --> 01:04:49,264
He set up a meeting
at the ramada inn
1658
01:04:49,264 --> 01:04:50,849
We told him that
we had some guns
1659
01:04:50,849 --> 01:04:52,351
And explosives to sell.
1660
01:04:52,351 --> 01:04:54,144
But the problem was,
when he arrived at the hotel,
1661
01:04:54,144 --> 01:04:56,647
He arrived with his kid,
it was a 15-year-old boy.
1662
01:04:56,647 --> 01:04:58,857
We weren't counting on no kid.
1663
01:04:58,857 --> 01:05:02,277
So Vanegas, he made a smart move
and took the kid to the car.
1664
01:05:02,277 --> 01:05:04,238
Otherwise we had to take
the kid with us too.
1665
01:05:04,238 --> 01:05:05,781
He's talking,
laughing with Vanegas,
1666
01:05:05,781 --> 01:05:08,408
I'm behind a tree, and when
Vanegas opened the trunk,
1667
01:05:08,408 --> 01:05:10,536
I came out from behind the tree,
i put a gun in his ribs
1668
01:05:10,536 --> 01:05:12,371
And i said,
"i've been looking for you."
1669
01:05:12,371 --> 01:05:13,872
So the guy says,
"i owe you nothing."
1670
01:05:13,872 --> 01:05:15,707
I say, "no, you don't.
Someone else needs you.
1671
01:05:15,707 --> 01:05:17,876
"There's a lady
looking for you.
1672
01:05:17,876 --> 01:05:19,586
"Her name is Griselda Blanco."
1673
01:05:19,586 --> 01:05:23,006
And he said, "that fat bitch,
i don't owe her nothing."
1674
01:05:23,006 --> 01:05:26,343
So Cumbamba kicked him in the
face and knocked his teeth out.
1675
01:05:26,343 --> 01:05:28,345
He said, "more respect
for the lady.
1676
01:05:28,345 --> 01:05:31,265
"You tell her when
you see her, we work for her."
1677
01:05:31,265 --> 01:05:33,392
He turned white. He said,
"you're gonna meet her
1678
01:05:33,392 --> 01:05:36,603
"In a couple of hours."
He started shaking.
1679
01:05:36,603 --> 01:05:40,065
So an hour later
they arrived, they took him.
1680
01:05:40,065 --> 01:05:43,485
The next day i'm at home,
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
1681
01:05:43,485 --> 01:05:45,028
She comes to my house,
1682
01:05:45,028 --> 01:05:47,281
She just comes in
like she owned the house.
1683
01:05:47,281 --> 01:05:48,740
And my wife was frying fish.
1684
01:05:48,740 --> 01:05:50,576
She said, "oh, i love fish."
1685
01:05:50,576 --> 01:05:53,787
She's just eating, telling me
how they killed this guy--
1686
01:05:53,787 --> 01:05:55,330
They chopped him up
into little pieces--
1687
01:05:55,330 --> 01:05:56,748
While we were having dinner.
1688
01:05:56,748 --> 01:05:58,250
I said, "what are you talking
about? You shot this guy?"
1689
01:05:58,250 --> 01:05:59,543
She said, "yeah, i shot him...
1690
01:05:59,543 --> 01:06:01,712
"And Cumbamba cut him up
1691
01:06:01,712 --> 01:06:05,549
"And put him in a small box
and wrapped him up like a gift
1692
01:06:05,549 --> 01:06:07,301
"With a little bow and tag
and we left it
1693
01:06:07,301 --> 01:06:09,845
"A couple of blocks from here
on the turnpike."
1694
01:06:09,845 --> 01:06:11,555
I said, "in my neighborhood?"
She said "yeah,
1695
01:06:11,555 --> 01:06:14,349
"We were heading south
to come and visit you
1696
01:06:14,349 --> 01:06:16,477
"So we figured it was
a good spot to drop him off."
1697
01:06:19,396 --> 01:06:21,023
I just looked at her and said,
"you're joking, right?"
1698
01:06:21,023 --> 01:06:22,524
She says, "no, for real."
1699
01:06:22,524 --> 01:06:23,984
I said, "you guys
usually do this?"
1700
01:06:23,984 --> 01:06:25,486
She said yeah, she likes it.
1701
01:06:25,486 --> 01:06:28,697
She likes us to cut people up
and just throw them like that.
1702
01:06:32,159 --> 01:06:34,786
Griselda Blanco,
she grew up with her mother
1703
01:06:34,786 --> 01:06:38,290
In Medellin, very poor.
She was a prostitute.
1704
01:06:38,290 --> 01:06:40,626
She started her criminal life
as a pickpocket,
1705
01:06:40,626 --> 01:06:42,169
Then they moved to New York.
1706
01:06:42,169 --> 01:06:44,129
That's when they got into
the drug business.
1707
01:06:44,129 --> 01:06:49,551
The first time i heard her name
was the latter part of 1973.
1708
01:06:49,551 --> 01:06:51,512
From the intelligence
that we were given,
1709
01:06:51,512 --> 01:06:53,764
She did figure
as an emerging threat
1710
01:06:53,764 --> 01:06:54,890
To the United States.
1711
01:06:54,890 --> 01:06:56,183
Her business grew.
1712
01:06:56,183 --> 01:06:58,477
She was a significant Colombian
and cocaine trafficker.
1713
01:06:58,477 --> 01:07:01,271
Rafa and Griselda,
they were childhood friends.
1714
01:07:01,271 --> 01:07:03,190
So Rafa
gave everything to her.
1715
01:07:03,190 --> 01:07:05,609
In the mid-'70s
Griselda got charged
1716
01:07:05,609 --> 01:07:08,320
On a very large cocaine case
in New York,
1717
01:07:08,320 --> 01:07:09,738
Probably the largest
at the time,
1718
01:07:09,738 --> 01:07:11,907
And she fled after that
and she took off.
1719
01:07:11,907 --> 01:07:14,785
There was a fugitive warrant
issued for her.
1720
01:07:14,785 --> 01:07:18,121
I lost track of her from
the time of the indictment
1721
01:07:18,121 --> 01:07:21,500
Up until i was
transferred to Miami.
1722
01:07:23,335 --> 01:07:25,671
Well, we can't say for sure
exactly when she was in Miami,
1723
01:07:25,671 --> 01:07:27,965
Probably in '78, and we didn't
know where, obviously,
1724
01:07:27,965 --> 01:07:29,466
'Cause she was a fugitive.
1725
01:07:29,466 --> 01:07:31,134
But we knew
she was a multi-kilo dealer.
1726
01:07:31,134 --> 01:07:35,430
In the very, very
latino culture it's not usual
1727
01:07:35,430 --> 01:07:38,892
That a woman would be the head
of her own organization,
1728
01:07:38,892 --> 01:07:43,689
So i figured that she had
to have been one mean lady.
1729
01:07:43,689 --> 01:07:46,108
Griselda had to prove
to all the other Colombians
1730
01:07:46,108 --> 01:07:47,734
That she was worthy to keep
1731
01:07:47,734 --> 01:07:49,194
The trade that they gave her.
1732
01:07:49,194 --> 01:07:52,447
And she liked people
to fear her, and they did.
1733
01:07:52,447 --> 01:07:54,032
People were
so afraid of her,
1734
01:07:54,032 --> 01:07:56,743
Her reputation preceded her
wherever she went.
1735
01:07:56,743 --> 01:08:00,205
I made a mistake of not knowing
exactly who she was at first.
1736
01:08:00,205 --> 01:08:03,667
I met her at Rafa's apartment,
and i loved latin women,
1737
01:08:03,667 --> 01:08:05,210
So i went to Rafa and i said,
"what's her story?"
1738
01:08:05,210 --> 01:08:06,587
And Rafa said, "oh, no.
1739
01:08:06,587 --> 01:08:08,005
"You're not
getting involved with her."
1740
01:08:08,005 --> 01:08:09,506
And i said, "why not?"
And he says,
1741
01:08:09,506 --> 01:08:11,967
"If you fuck this woman,
i'm gonna have to kill her."
1742
01:08:11,967 --> 01:08:13,302
So i went to Max
and i said to Max,
1743
01:08:13,302 --> 01:08:14,636
"What's the woman's story?"
1744
01:08:14,636 --> 01:08:16,472
And Max started telling me
these stories.
1745
01:08:16,472 --> 01:08:17,848
She was a hypochondriac.
1746
01:08:17,848 --> 01:08:19,308
She was pretty decadent.
1747
01:08:19,308 --> 01:08:20,601
She'd get
a brand-new Ferrari
1748
01:08:20,601 --> 01:08:22,269
For christmas, it was $80,000.
1749
01:08:22,269 --> 01:08:24,062
She collected wealth.
1750
01:08:24,062 --> 01:08:26,398
Her christmas presents
were always like expensive.
1751
01:08:26,398 --> 01:08:28,150
Eva perÓn's ring...
1752
01:08:28,150 --> 01:08:29,443
And jewelry and stuff.
1753
01:08:29,443 --> 01:08:31,778
A bad freebase cocaine user
and abuser.
1754
01:08:31,778 --> 01:08:32,946
2nd a lesbian as well.
1755
01:08:32,946 --> 01:08:33,739
Paranoid.
1756
01:08:33,739 --> 01:08:34,781
2nd beyond the movies.
1757
01:08:34,781 --> 01:08:36,450
I mean, i don't even
think Miami vice
1758
01:08:36,450 --> 01:08:37,993
Would be this flamboyant.
1759
01:08:37,993 --> 01:08:40,204
Of course she had
the three older sons.
1760
01:08:48,879 --> 01:08:52,925
Her last son, they named him
Michael Corleone Sepulveda,
1761
01:08:52,925 --> 01:08:55,719
Which is fucking incredible.
1762
01:08:55,719 --> 01:08:57,137
As far as her murders go,
my god!
1763
01:08:57,137 --> 01:08:59,473
They called her the black widow
because she had killed
1764
01:08:59,473 --> 01:09:01,517
A couple of her husbands,
or had them killed.
1765
01:09:01,517 --> 01:09:03,185
This woman literally
slits men's throats
1766
01:09:03,185 --> 01:09:04,436
After she sleeps with them.
1767
01:09:04,436 --> 01:09:06,104
I don't know how many times
she did that.
1768
01:09:06,104 --> 01:09:08,148
"She's not gonna do that
'cause Rafa's gonna tell her
1769
01:09:08,148 --> 01:09:09,691
"That, you know--"
And Max was like,
1770
01:09:09,691 --> 01:09:10,984
"It don't make a difference."
1771
01:09:10,984 --> 01:09:13,487
She could be bugged out one
night and you sleep with her
1772
01:09:13,487 --> 01:09:15,322
And she'll slit your throat
and what's gonna happen here?
1773
01:09:15,322 --> 01:09:16,865
There's gonna be a war.
1774
01:09:16,865 --> 01:09:18,450
Griselda was worse
than any of the men
1775
01:09:18,450 --> 01:09:19,910
That were involved
in this.
1776
01:09:19,910 --> 01:09:22,329
The first homicide of note
1777
01:09:22,329 --> 01:09:24,248
That she's involved with
is dadeland.
1778
01:09:24,248 --> 01:09:25,791
That's when
Griselda's crew
1779
01:09:25,791 --> 01:09:28,085
Walked into the liquor store
and blew his head off.
1780
01:09:28,085 --> 01:09:29,586
Well, half his head off.
1781
01:09:29,586 --> 01:09:32,673
Which of course
is july 1979.
1782
01:09:32,673 --> 01:09:34,591
I guess
he was dying for a drink.
1783
01:09:34,591 --> 01:09:36,218
And that's what
established her as one of
1784
01:09:36,218 --> 01:09:39,054
The most violent
traffickers known.
1785
01:09:39,054 --> 01:09:42,015
That's what really started
right there, the cocaine wars.
1786
01:09:42,015 --> 01:09:45,185
As we started
seeing more homicides,
1787
01:09:45,185 --> 01:09:49,064
The role of Griselda Blanco
became very, very prominent
1788
01:09:49,064 --> 01:09:51,358
In what we were calling
the cocaine wars.
1789
01:09:51,358 --> 01:09:53,944
She killed a lot of
Colombians and a lot of Cubans
1790
01:09:53,944 --> 01:09:56,029
To get her position in life.
1791
01:09:56,029 --> 01:09:57,281
Wherever they go
1792
01:09:57,281 --> 01:10:00,242
They take their special
brand of viciousness with them.
1793
01:10:00,242 --> 01:10:03,162
This woman known
as la madrina, the godmother.
1794
01:10:03,162 --> 01:10:06,874
She was responsible for
the majority of the homicides
1795
01:10:06,874 --> 01:10:10,043
That occurred in South Florida
during those days.
1796
01:10:10,043 --> 01:10:14,423
1979, 1980, 1981, 1982,
those were the years
1797
01:10:14,423 --> 01:10:17,217
Where she did her killing
in dade county.
1798
01:10:20,929 --> 01:10:27,561
Griselda Blanco, she was
really, uh...an angel of death.
1799
01:10:27,561 --> 01:10:29,605
I don't know that
any other organization
1800
01:10:29,605 --> 01:10:31,773
Can be attributed to
the number of homicides
1801
01:10:31,773 --> 01:10:35,027
That go back to Griselda,
i just don't.
1802
01:10:35,027 --> 01:10:36,862
And it could be
over something as simple as...
1803
01:10:36,862 --> 01:10:38,572
If she was in a restaurant
the night before.
1804
01:10:38,572 --> 01:10:40,574
Like when we went to
the peroz on the beach.
1805
01:10:40,574 --> 01:10:42,034
She could be eating at a table
1806
01:10:42,034 --> 01:10:43,535
And the owner gave her
a problem or something.
1807
01:10:43,535 --> 01:10:45,662
There was this big guy there,
started running his mouth.
1808
01:10:45,662 --> 01:10:47,039
And he got smart with her too.
1809
01:10:47,039 --> 01:10:48,499
She decided, you know,
"fuck this owner,
1810
01:10:48,499 --> 01:10:49,833
"I'm going to
destroy his business."
1811
01:10:49,833 --> 01:10:52,336
And so we left.
1812
01:10:52,336 --> 01:10:53,837
And these guys
would come on motorcycles,
1813
01:10:53,837 --> 01:10:55,631
Then they'd turn around
on the back of the motorcycle,
1814
01:10:55,631 --> 01:10:58,175
And just spray everybody
waiting on line
1815
01:10:58,175 --> 01:10:59,593
To get into the place
and everything.
1816
01:10:59,593 --> 01:11:01,178
And then machine-gun
his ass down
1817
01:11:01,178 --> 01:11:02,554
Right in front
of the door.
1818
01:11:02,554 --> 01:11:03,597
Yeah, they were trying
to pin it on me...
1819
01:11:03,597 --> 01:11:05,390
But i was out of town.
1820
01:11:05,390 --> 01:11:09,478
So he must have messed
with the wrong people.
1821
01:11:09,478 --> 01:11:11,939
Riverita became
Griselda's main enforcer.
1822
01:11:11,939 --> 01:11:13,732
She was always with me,
and three or four guys.
1823
01:11:13,732 --> 01:11:16,360
She had an army with her.
A rogue cast of characters.
1824
01:11:16,360 --> 01:11:20,739
Her crew was...almost like
you would see in the movies.
1825
01:11:20,739 --> 01:11:22,533
She had Paco.
Paco Sepulveda.
1826
01:11:22,533 --> 01:11:26,119
Diego Sepulveda. Toto.
Carlos Vanegas. Alonso Ayala.
1827
01:11:26,119 --> 01:11:27,955
Just ragtag guys, you know,
1828
01:11:27,955 --> 01:11:29,373
Like the gang
that couldn't shoot straight.
1829
01:11:29,373 --> 01:11:31,583
Uber, Guillermo, Velasquez,
1830
01:11:31,583 --> 01:11:33,418
Only they actually
could hit people.
1831
01:11:33,418 --> 01:11:34,419
Cumbamba.
1832
01:11:34,419 --> 01:11:36,213
Monteco, Diego Escobar.
1833
01:11:36,213 --> 01:11:37,214
Oscar Mario.
1834
01:11:37,214 --> 01:11:38,882
Jaime Bravo.
1835
01:11:38,882 --> 01:11:40,968
They were mainly enforcers-
slash-hit men.
1836
01:11:40,968 --> 01:11:42,344
This is how they made a living.
1837
01:11:42,344 --> 01:11:43,846
Some people are pharmacists,
1838
01:11:43,846 --> 01:11:46,140
And others are garbage men
and these are killers.
1839
01:11:46,140 --> 01:11:47,683
And that's all that they did.
1840
01:11:47,683 --> 01:11:50,602
And Chucho Castro
was her chief enforcer.
1841
01:11:50,602 --> 01:11:52,437
To me he was one of
the best enforcers
1842
01:11:52,437 --> 01:11:53,647
That Griselda ever had.
1843
01:11:53,647 --> 01:11:55,983
I mean, he's a legend.
He always got his man.
1844
01:11:55,983 --> 01:11:59,069
Osvaldo, Griselda's son.
Back then he was 15.
1845
01:11:59,069 --> 01:12:00,112
He wanted to live fast.
1846
01:12:00,112 --> 01:12:01,780
I mean, he was carrying guns
and stuff,
1847
01:12:01,780 --> 01:12:04,324
He was dealing 300 and 400 kilos
of cocaine a month.
1848
01:12:04,324 --> 01:12:06,118
This was all
orchestrated by the mother.
1849
01:12:06,118 --> 01:12:08,787
He wanted to look like
Don Corleone, you know,
1850
01:12:08,787 --> 01:12:11,456
And act like him,
and he did.
1851
01:12:11,456 --> 01:12:15,419
Cocky attitude, because of
his mom. He was a smart ass.
1852
01:12:15,419 --> 01:12:17,588
He was in the faces nightclub
in coconut grove
1853
01:12:17,588 --> 01:12:19,631
With his buddies
and his girlfriend and all.
1854
01:12:19,631 --> 01:12:21,133
Chucho lived near there.
1855
01:12:21,133 --> 01:12:23,886
So Osvaldo, he figured,
"well, i'll go camp over here
1856
01:12:23,886 --> 01:12:25,220
"At Chucho's house."
1857
01:12:25,220 --> 01:12:26,763
He drove his car
right to the front lawn,
1858
01:12:26,763 --> 01:12:29,725
Almost to the front door,
skidding the tires and...
1859
01:12:29,725 --> 01:12:31,185
Making a whole bunch of noise.
So Chucho came out.
1860
01:12:31,185 --> 01:12:33,145
So he told him, you know, to
get the hell out of his house.
1861
01:12:33,145 --> 01:12:34,521
So he said, "well, if you
don't let me spend the night,
1862
01:12:34,521 --> 01:12:36,023
"I'll tell my mom."
So Chucho said,
1863
01:12:36,023 --> 01:12:37,191
"I don't give a fuck
who you tell,
1864
01:12:37,191 --> 01:12:38,400
"I don't give a
fuck about your mom,
1865
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:40,110
"Tell your mom that i said
to fuck herself."
1866
01:12:40,110 --> 01:12:41,862
Chucho kicked him
in the ass and told him,
1867
01:12:41,862 --> 01:12:43,572
"Get back in the car,
get the hell out of here.
1868
01:12:43,572 --> 01:12:45,574
"Tell your mom
that i kicked your ass."
1869
01:12:45,574 --> 01:12:47,910
So the kid went back home
and told his mom.
1870
01:12:47,910 --> 01:12:49,661
And that's one thing
about her,
1871
01:12:49,661 --> 01:12:51,038
You couldn't
touch her kids.
1872
01:12:51,038 --> 01:12:53,665
It didn't matter who it was,
that person would die.
1873
01:12:53,665 --> 01:12:56,126
There was always somebody
that did something wrong.
1874
01:12:56,126 --> 01:12:58,337
Whether they did or not,
there was a reason for her
1875
01:12:58,337 --> 01:13:00,339
To have a problem with them.
1876
01:13:00,339 --> 01:13:02,007
I was called
that afternoon to her house.
1877
01:13:02,007 --> 01:13:03,926
She said, "i notify him
that we at war,
1878
01:13:03,926 --> 01:13:06,345
"That he's no longer my friend,
he's my enemy.
1879
01:13:06,345 --> 01:13:09,097
"So from this point on
if you see him, shoot him."
1880
01:13:09,097 --> 01:13:11,225
Rivi and his people
were deployed in this area.
1881
01:13:11,225 --> 01:13:13,143
Well, it wasn't gonna be easy,
'cause he's good.
1882
01:13:13,143 --> 01:13:14,520
We make a mistake,
we won't get him
1883
01:13:14,520 --> 01:13:16,355
Or we were gonna get killed
by this guy.
1884
01:13:16,355 --> 01:13:20,818
Rivi, a driver, and a second
gunman with a white van.
1885
01:13:20,818 --> 01:13:23,695
I was gonna be the shooter,
so i got an M16,
1886
01:13:23,695 --> 01:13:25,906
And i just told the driver,
"when you get near him,
1887
01:13:25,906 --> 01:13:27,324
"You know, window to window,
let me know
1888
01:13:27,324 --> 01:13:28,700
"And i'll fire
through the door."
1889
01:13:28,700 --> 01:13:30,661
'Cause i knew
if i opened the door
1890
01:13:30,661 --> 01:13:32,746
While we were moving,
he was gonna know.
1891
01:13:32,746 --> 01:13:34,164
He knew all the tricks.
1892
01:13:34,164 --> 01:13:36,416
Chucho opened up
the garage door,
1893
01:13:36,416 --> 01:13:38,335
Drove out of his garage
onto 168 street
1894
01:13:38,335 --> 01:13:40,921
And then drove
west towards us 1.
1895
01:13:40,921 --> 01:13:42,339
Us 1, where the light was,
1896
01:13:42,339 --> 01:13:44,466
It was about
half a mile away.
1897
01:13:44,466 --> 01:13:45,801
So we had
plenty of time.
1898
01:13:45,801 --> 01:13:48,262
Somewhere in this area would
have been where they would have,
1899
01:13:48,262 --> 01:13:51,431
You know, caught up with Chucho,
gone parallel with him,
1900
01:13:51,431 --> 01:13:54,768
Both westbound, Van to the left,
Chucho to the right.
1901
01:13:54,768 --> 01:13:56,478
And i grabbed the machine gun
and i started shooting his tires
1902
01:13:56,478 --> 01:13:59,022
Trying to blow his tires off.
He lost control of the car
1903
01:13:59,022 --> 01:14:01,650
And he almost hit a wall
but he took control.
1904
01:14:01,650 --> 01:14:02,943
He came back on the road
this time.
1905
01:14:02,943 --> 01:14:05,112
It was about the time
they were approaching us 1.
1906
01:14:05,112 --> 01:14:07,322
By that time we were real close
to the red light.
1907
01:14:07,322 --> 01:14:08,949
There was a gas station
on the right-hand side.
1908
01:14:08,949 --> 01:14:10,701
As they approach us 1,
1909
01:14:10,701 --> 01:14:12,911
Chucho then cuts through
this gas station parking lot,
1910
01:14:12,911 --> 01:14:16,623
They are at real high rate of
speed, goes north on us 1,
1911
01:14:16,623 --> 01:14:19,418
And that's where he loses
the guy shooting at him.
1912
01:14:19,418 --> 01:14:21,879
We looked everywhere,
we didn't see him.
1913
01:14:21,879 --> 01:14:23,881
So we just left,
and said, you know,
1914
01:14:23,881 --> 01:14:26,049
"We fucked it up."
1915
01:14:26,049 --> 01:14:28,343
Well, the next day
Griselda called me
1916
01:14:28,343 --> 01:14:30,137
And she says, "his
son got killed,
1917
01:14:30,137 --> 01:14:33,307
"His son was in
the back of the car sleeping
1918
01:14:33,307 --> 01:14:35,642
"And the bullets went right
through the trunk of the car
1919
01:14:35,642 --> 01:14:38,770
"And hit him in the head."
1920
01:14:38,770 --> 01:14:40,814
I said, "we never saw him,"
'cause if i would have seen him,
1921
01:14:40,814 --> 01:14:42,733
We would never
have touched that car.
1922
01:14:42,733 --> 01:14:45,986
She says, "he told me
to tell you
1923
01:14:45,986 --> 01:14:50,240
"That he's gonna get
you cause he saw you."
1924
01:14:50,240 --> 01:14:51,658
I said, "that's fine."
1925
01:14:51,658 --> 01:14:53,494
Chucho was actually
a fugitive, federal fugitive,
1926
01:14:53,494 --> 01:14:54,620
He was involved
in trafficking,
1927
01:14:54,620 --> 01:14:56,830
There was a warrant
for his arrest from D.E.A.
1928
01:14:56,830 --> 01:14:59,124
And that was the primary reason
he was not going to get involved
1929
01:14:59,124 --> 01:15:01,084
With reporting this thing
to the police.
1930
01:15:01,084 --> 01:15:05,255
He returned back home,
put the baby in a bathtub,
1931
01:15:05,255 --> 01:15:06,340
Put ice around the baby
1932
01:15:06,340 --> 01:15:08,217
So the baby would be
preserved all evening.
1933
01:15:08,217 --> 01:15:10,052
He and his wife spent
the entire evening crying
1934
01:15:10,052 --> 01:15:12,429
With his baby in the bathtub.
1935
01:15:12,429 --> 01:15:14,515
The following day
they called the police
1936
01:15:14,515 --> 01:15:18,352
To let us know
where to find the body.
1937
01:15:18,352 --> 01:15:21,355
This is the phone calls
that jesus made
1938
01:15:21,355 --> 01:15:22,439
To the complaint room.
1939
01:15:22,439 --> 01:15:25,108
"Please, i just left the body
without life
1940
01:15:25,108 --> 01:15:26,860
"Of a baby
they killed yesterday.
1941
01:15:26,860 --> 01:15:28,362
"Excuse me, yesterday
some banditos
1942
01:15:28,362 --> 01:15:30,030
"That were
in a white van
1943
01:15:30,030 --> 01:15:31,782
"Shoot me
with a machine gun
1944
01:15:31,782 --> 01:15:33,742
"And the boy was sitting
and they killed him
1945
01:15:33,742 --> 01:15:36,119
"At 7th avenue
and 53rd street.
1946
01:15:36,119 --> 01:15:37,830
"The body of the boy
they killed yesterday,
1947
01:15:37,830 --> 01:15:39,039
"The banditos."
1948
01:15:39,039 --> 01:15:40,290
This is the mosque
1949
01:15:40,290 --> 01:15:43,043
Where the body
of Johnnie Castro was placed.
1950
01:15:43,043 --> 01:15:44,711
Chucho was looking
for the church
1951
01:15:44,711 --> 01:15:47,756
Where Johnnie Castro had been
confirmed months earlier.
1952
01:15:47,756 --> 01:15:49,091
He was unable to find the church
1953
01:15:49,091 --> 01:15:50,342
And this was the best
he could do,
1954
01:15:50,342 --> 01:15:52,636
He found this mosque which was
in the same neighborhood.
1955
01:15:52,636 --> 01:15:57,266
The child
was wrapped in a sheet.
1956
01:15:57,266 --> 01:16:00,269
In his hands
was three roses.
1957
01:16:00,269 --> 01:16:03,355
A rose for each year
of the child's age,
1958
01:16:03,355 --> 01:16:06,358
And i think a passport...
1959
01:16:06,358 --> 01:16:08,152
Here it is.
1960
01:16:08,152 --> 01:16:11,405
He knew they needed a passport
to show who he was.
1961
01:16:11,405 --> 01:16:14,533
He was born march 10th 1979
1962
01:16:14,533 --> 01:16:18,912
So he was almost 3 years old...
1963
01:16:18,912 --> 01:16:20,789
Almost 3 years old.
1964
01:16:20,789 --> 01:16:23,000
We realized that
it was a Colombian child
1965
01:16:23,000 --> 01:16:24,585
Because of the passport
and so forth.
1966
01:16:24,585 --> 01:16:26,295
We made contact with
sergeant singleton,
1967
01:16:26,295 --> 01:16:27,838
Centac, and his people.
1968
01:16:27,838 --> 01:16:29,965
We knew it was Griselda Blanco
and her group.
1969
01:16:29,965 --> 01:16:32,176
We had gotten the name
of riverita,
1970
01:16:32,176 --> 01:16:34,219
But nothing concrete,
you know, no picture to say
1971
01:16:34,219 --> 01:16:36,221
"Okay, this is who
you're looking for."
1972
01:16:36,221 --> 01:16:38,140
Nothing like that.
1973
01:16:38,140 --> 01:16:41,351
I can't think of any other case
where there was a child killed.
1974
01:16:41,351 --> 01:16:43,604
Little Johnnie Castro
1975
01:16:43,604 --> 01:16:45,522
Shot just because
he happened to be sitting
1976
01:16:45,522 --> 01:16:49,109
Next to his father
who was Colombian and a target
1977
01:16:49,109 --> 01:16:51,695
Of some of
the cocaine cowboys.
1978
01:16:51,695 --> 01:16:53,447
I was a rookie
homicide detective,
1979
01:16:53,447 --> 01:16:55,991
Only been up there
less than a year,
1980
01:16:55,991 --> 01:16:59,495
And my son was about
the same age at that time.
1981
01:16:59,495 --> 01:17:01,079
Uh... people always asked me,
you know,
1982
01:17:01,079 --> 01:17:02,664
"Have bodies ever bothered you?"
1983
01:17:02,664 --> 01:17:05,709
And never,
other than this one case.
1984
01:17:05,709 --> 01:17:09,254
I mean that really hit me,
you know, real hard,
1985
01:17:09,254 --> 01:17:11,882
'Cause i had...
i had kids that age.
1986
01:17:11,882 --> 01:17:14,009
Innocent, innocent baby,
you know.
1987
01:17:14,009 --> 01:17:15,677
Griselda, she said,
"well, fuck it, you know,
1988
01:17:15,677 --> 01:17:17,471
"At least we got him."
1989
01:17:17,471 --> 01:17:19,056
I mean,
she wasn't sorry about it,
1990
01:17:19,056 --> 01:17:20,891
And she was like...
like, she didn't give shit.
1991
01:17:20,891 --> 01:17:22,476
Even though
the Colombians were wild
1992
01:17:22,476 --> 01:17:23,852
In the way they did things,
1993
01:17:23,852 --> 01:17:26,396
She would just do it
even in a stupid way.
1994
01:17:26,396 --> 01:17:27,606
But it bothered
a lot of people,
1995
01:17:27,606 --> 01:17:29,024
Not just here
in the United States
1996
01:17:29,024 --> 01:17:30,484
It bothered
people in Colombia.
1997
01:17:30,484 --> 01:17:32,486
Everybody would tell them
this woman's out of control
1998
01:17:32,486 --> 01:17:34,446
And she's gonna ruin
everybody's business.
1999
01:17:34,446 --> 01:17:37,324
It came back from the Ochoas,
word to her,
2000
01:17:37,324 --> 01:17:38,742
That let's just get
whoever's involved
2001
01:17:38,742 --> 01:17:40,994
And let's try to avoid
killing innocent people.
2002
01:17:40,994 --> 01:17:42,454
And the only thing that
i remember
2003
01:17:42,454 --> 01:17:43,831
The Colombians wanted of her
2004
01:17:43,831 --> 01:17:46,542
Was really to stay out of Miami
as much as possible.
2005
01:17:46,542 --> 01:17:48,168
So she got a lot of heat
from the others but she says,
2006
01:17:48,168 --> 01:17:49,294
"You know what? Fuck them all.
2007
01:17:49,294 --> 01:17:51,088
"I do what i want up here."
2008
01:17:51,088 --> 01:17:53,507
"If they don't like it
they can come after me too."
2009
01:17:53,507 --> 01:17:55,467
Just like that.
2010
01:17:55,467 --> 01:17:57,886
I would hear conversations
in spanish with Rafa
2011
01:17:57,886 --> 01:17:59,263
'Cause i was sitting
in his house,
2012
01:17:59,263 --> 01:18:00,889
"That motherfucking girl!
2013
01:18:00,889 --> 01:18:04,017
"Again she did this to me!
Now what am i gonna do?"
2014
01:18:04,017 --> 01:18:05,686
And i know he'd call down there
2015
01:18:05,686 --> 01:18:07,020
And he'd ask the guys
down there,
2016
01:18:07,020 --> 01:18:08,647
"What do you want me to do?"
And somehow this girl
2017
01:18:08,647 --> 01:18:10,816
Got a pass every time
because she should have
2018
01:18:10,816 --> 01:18:14,778
Been dead a long time
before her time, a long time.
2019
01:18:14,778 --> 01:18:16,196
Back to work.
2020
01:18:18,198 --> 01:18:19,783
Riverita...
2021
01:18:19,783 --> 01:18:21,994
He became Griselda's
most favored enforcer.
2022
01:18:21,994 --> 01:18:23,787
Sort of like security.
2023
01:18:23,787 --> 01:18:25,330
Like i was like
the head of security,
2024
01:18:25,330 --> 01:18:26,874
Nobody knew where she lived
but me.
2025
01:18:26,874 --> 01:18:30,586
Most of the meetings took place
in Rafa's house, in Max's house.
2026
01:18:30,586 --> 01:18:32,796
I met Max the first time
at his home as matter of fact.
2027
01:18:32,796 --> 01:18:34,256
I went there with Griselda.
2028
01:18:34,256 --> 01:18:36,383
From that point on,
i never liked him.
2029
01:18:36,383 --> 01:18:38,635
I used to tell Griselda, i said,
"don't trust this motherfucker,
2030
01:18:38,635 --> 01:18:40,095
I don't trust him."
And i said, "listen,
2031
01:18:40,095 --> 01:18:41,430
"If you don't stay away
from this guy, he's gonna
2032
01:18:41,430 --> 01:18:42,931
"Put you in prison.
2033
01:18:42,931 --> 01:18:45,017
"The next time i run into him
i'm gonna shoot him."
2034
01:18:45,017 --> 01:18:46,560
But he would run and tell Rafa
2035
01:18:46,560 --> 01:18:48,103
And they would come back
with the men and make sure
2036
01:18:48,103 --> 01:18:49,563
Nothing happens to Max,
you know,
2037
01:18:49,563 --> 01:18:51,315
"Take care of Max,
Max is my compadre."
2038
01:18:51,315 --> 01:18:54,026
I said, "fuck Max, i'm gonna
shoot that motherfucker."
2039
01:18:54,026 --> 01:18:55,486
And he said,
"you're gonna kill me?"
2040
01:18:55,486 --> 01:18:58,405
I said, "not right now,
but i will later."
2041
01:18:58,405 --> 01:19:01,783
I mean, you had to respect him
because the guy came in
2042
01:19:01,783 --> 01:19:05,496
With like tough talk, guns,
and all these people with him.
2043
01:19:05,496 --> 01:19:06,997
You're talking about a guy,
2044
01:19:06,997 --> 01:19:09,875
Anybody coming in anywhere
with an entourage,
2045
01:19:09,875 --> 01:19:11,376
You go, "this guy is somebody."
2046
01:19:11,376 --> 01:19:13,420
I didn't roll all flashy
and stuff like that, you know,
2047
01:19:13,420 --> 01:19:15,506
I had my house in Miami
at palm beach,
2048
01:19:15,506 --> 01:19:17,674
I had a house in san agustÍn
and two houses in chicago.
2049
01:19:17,674 --> 01:19:19,551
My cars, i had plenty of cars.
2050
01:19:19,551 --> 01:19:21,470
I'd buy them
for my girlfriends too.
2051
01:19:21,470 --> 01:19:23,180
My wife,
a couple of girlfriends.
2052
01:19:23,180 --> 01:19:26,350
The life, you gotta have...
you gotta keep a couple.
2053
01:19:26,350 --> 01:19:28,185
You know, it was what i wanted,
what i like,
2054
01:19:28,185 --> 01:19:29,478
I saw on the street
i bought it.
2055
01:19:29,478 --> 01:19:31,563
You know, i didn't have to
worry about the price.
2056
01:19:31,563 --> 01:19:34,024
I don't know,
show business kind of...
2057
01:19:34,024 --> 01:19:35,567
That type of thing.
2058
01:19:35,567 --> 01:19:37,319
A handsome guy,
he spoke english,
2059
01:19:37,319 --> 01:19:38,987
Had a lot charisma.
2060
01:19:38,987 --> 01:19:41,782
That's one of the reasons
that she liked me so much.
2061
01:19:41,782 --> 01:19:43,075
I grew up in this country.
2062
01:19:43,075 --> 01:19:44,660
I just didn't
come across the water
2063
01:19:44,660 --> 01:19:46,578
And i started...
and put me on the street.
2064
01:19:46,578 --> 01:19:49,331
Although he was as bad
and probably killed more than...
2065
01:19:49,331 --> 01:19:50,749
Than any of the other ones.
2066
01:19:50,749 --> 01:19:52,167
I came from a good family
but i grew up on the streets,
2067
01:19:52,167 --> 01:19:53,627
In chicago.
2068
01:19:53,627 --> 01:19:55,587
I was a bad boy
from the very beginning.
2069
01:19:55,587 --> 01:19:57,714
A stone-cold killer.
2070
01:19:57,714 --> 01:20:00,342
To tell you the truth,
i didn't like the guy very much
2071
01:20:00,342 --> 01:20:03,846
Because he used to
brag to me about--
2072
01:20:03,846 --> 01:20:06,890
Like people that he had killed
and that sort of thing.
2073
01:20:06,890 --> 01:20:09,476
One time i rolled my window down
and i shot him with a mac-11
2074
01:20:09,476 --> 01:20:10,769
On the face.
2075
01:20:10,769 --> 01:20:12,729
I don't wanna hear
"oh, he killed this guy
2076
01:20:12,729 --> 01:20:13,939
"Here, there," it was like...
2077
01:20:13,939 --> 01:20:15,315
And i'll kill anyone in
the United States,
2078
01:20:15,315 --> 01:20:17,651
Or anywhere in Europe, anywhere
they send me, i'll do it.
2079
01:20:17,651 --> 01:20:20,779
I don't wanna hear about it.
Bragging about stuff.
2080
01:20:20,779 --> 01:20:23,407
As far as working on us soil,
i was the best.
2081
01:20:23,407 --> 01:20:26,201
It was unnerving in a way,
you know,
2082
01:20:26,201 --> 01:20:28,787
Because he was kinda
an enforcer for this woman
2083
01:20:28,787 --> 01:20:31,248
Or whatever,
you know, whatever he was.
2084
01:20:31,248 --> 01:20:32,666
And he was the guy
during the years
2085
01:20:32,666 --> 01:20:35,335
Of '82 to '84 that she used
2086
01:20:35,335 --> 01:20:38,922
Basically exclusively
to do her killings.
2087
01:20:38,922 --> 01:20:40,090
My reputation was
2088
01:20:40,090 --> 01:20:43,385
That once i went after you,
i will get you.
2089
01:20:43,385 --> 01:20:45,387
If you run,
i'm gonna catch you.
2090
01:20:45,387 --> 01:20:46,722
If there was a drug debt
to be collected,
2091
01:20:46,722 --> 01:20:48,474
He was sent to collect it.
2092
01:20:48,474 --> 01:20:51,268
A lot of her customers
said that they were late,
2093
01:20:51,268 --> 01:20:52,519
And she said, "well, if you're
not here tomorrow,
2094
01:20:52,519 --> 01:20:53,604
"I'll send Rivi after you."
2095
01:20:53,604 --> 01:20:54,855
"Oh, no, no, don't send him."
2096
01:20:57,649 --> 01:21:00,569
Alfredo Lorenzo was a drug
customer of Griselda Blanco.
2097
01:21:00,569 --> 01:21:02,154
Griselda ordered me
to deliver
2098
01:21:02,154 --> 01:21:03,530
5 kilos
of cocaine to them.
2099
01:21:03,530 --> 01:21:06,575
Back then it was $50,000 each,
it was $250 an ounce.
2100
01:21:06,575 --> 01:21:08,744
He had been given cocaine
on consignment.
2101
01:21:08,744 --> 01:21:10,245
That was the way
Griselda did it,
2102
01:21:10,245 --> 01:21:11,997
She said, "how many days
do you need to pay me back?"
2103
01:21:11,997 --> 01:21:15,292
"One week." "Okay, i'm gonna
give you two weeks."
2104
01:21:15,292 --> 01:21:18,962
"When those two weeks were up,
she didn't want the money,
2105
01:21:18,962 --> 01:21:20,631
"She wanted the person's life."
2106
01:21:20,631 --> 01:21:22,466
Rivi was sent
to collect the debt.
2107
01:21:22,466 --> 01:21:24,593
I went to his house, you know,
to pick up the money,
2108
01:21:24,593 --> 01:21:26,762
Ah, you know,
excuses, excuses, excuses,
2109
01:21:26,762 --> 01:21:29,139
And he says, "tell her
to give me more credit
2110
01:21:29,139 --> 01:21:30,891
"And i'll come up
with the money."
2111
01:21:30,891 --> 01:21:34,728
I didn't say nothing to him.
I just felt sorry for him.
2112
01:21:34,728 --> 01:21:36,522
Rivi realized that Lorenzo
was giving him
2113
01:21:36,522 --> 01:21:39,149
A lot of bullshit,
basically.
2114
01:21:39,149 --> 01:21:40,859
And he reported that
back to Griselda.
2115
01:21:40,859 --> 01:21:43,987
She says,
"well, you know what to do."
2116
01:21:43,987 --> 01:21:46,907
Well, then his fate was sealed.
2117
01:21:46,907 --> 01:21:50,285
With Griselda,
you didn't pay, you die.
2118
01:21:50,285 --> 01:21:54,122
Even the mafia would have
some kind of code of honor.
2119
01:21:54,122 --> 01:21:56,792
The Italians would think
and try to figure out
2120
01:21:56,792 --> 01:21:58,794
How am i gonna
get my money back?
2121
01:21:58,794 --> 01:22:01,630
And maybe after i got my money
they would beat him to a pulp
2122
01:22:01,630 --> 01:22:04,216
But he was fine,
three weeks later he'd heal.
2123
01:22:04,216 --> 01:22:07,302
As the Colombians came in,
there was no beating people up.
2124
01:22:07,302 --> 01:22:09,805
You know,
the hot-blooded latins,
2125
01:22:09,805 --> 01:22:10,889
They don't think first.
2126
01:22:10,889 --> 01:22:12,975
They act first
and then they think afterwards.
2127
01:22:12,975 --> 01:22:14,852
Even though they might kill
the whole family,
2128
01:22:14,852 --> 01:22:16,353
Then they'd
think to themselves
2129
01:22:16,353 --> 01:22:17,980
"Oh, my god, i screwed myself
out of my...
2130
01:22:17,980 --> 01:22:19,523
"How am i gonna get my money?"
2131
01:22:19,523 --> 01:22:21,275
When it's too late
to actually get the money.
2132
01:22:21,275 --> 01:22:23,277
It's not about the money,
just to prove a point,
2133
01:22:23,277 --> 01:22:25,279
"Don't rip me off,
don't fuck with me,
2134
01:22:25,279 --> 01:22:27,281
"'Cause i'll kill you
or send somebody after you."
2135
01:22:27,281 --> 01:22:30,284
She said, "kill them."
And he did.
2136
01:22:34,079 --> 01:22:37,416
Miguel got on my right,
and Oscar Murillo,
2137
01:22:37,416 --> 01:22:39,334
He gets on the left,
and i knock on the door.
2138
01:22:39,334 --> 01:22:40,544
Alfredo opened the door,
2139
01:22:40,544 --> 01:22:42,504
As soon as he opened the door,
i put a gun to his ribs,
2140
01:22:42,504 --> 01:22:44,464
I signal him to be quiet.
2141
01:22:44,464 --> 01:22:45,549
I asked him where his wife at.
2142
01:22:45,549 --> 01:22:47,134
He said,
"she's in the kitchen cooking."
2143
01:22:47,134 --> 01:22:48,677
So i went and got her
and she says,
2144
01:22:48,677 --> 01:22:50,596
"I don't know
what's gonna go on,
2145
01:22:50,596 --> 01:22:52,681
"The only thing i'm asking
from you is don't hurt my kids."
2146
01:22:52,681 --> 01:22:55,350
Three children,
two daughters, one son.
2147
01:22:55,350 --> 01:22:58,187
The daughters' ages i believe
are 6 and 4.
2148
01:22:58,187 --> 01:23:00,647
And i think the son
was like a baby.
2149
01:23:00,647 --> 01:23:02,983
I said "no,
i'm not gonna hurt your kids."
2150
01:23:02,983 --> 01:23:05,652
Griselda, she gave me
the orders to kill them.
2151
01:23:05,652 --> 01:23:08,197
I figured
i was just gonna do him.
2152
01:23:08,197 --> 01:23:09,865
I was talking to her,
i heard two shots,
2153
01:23:09,865 --> 01:23:12,117
A couple-
I knew what was up.
2154
01:23:12,117 --> 01:23:14,119
Miguel had shot Alfredo.
2155
01:23:20,626 --> 01:23:23,462
So i told Oscar, i said,
"watch her, i'll be right back."
2156
01:23:23,462 --> 01:23:24,922
I went to the next room.
2157
01:23:24,922 --> 01:23:27,925
And i talked to Miguel,
i said, "done?"
2158
01:23:27,925 --> 01:23:29,968
And he says, "done."
2159
01:23:29,968 --> 01:23:33,055
While we were talking,
i heard this scream
2160
01:23:33,055 --> 01:23:34,515
And then i hear
a machine gun go off.
2161
01:23:35,808 --> 01:23:37,059
So i went back to the room
2162
01:23:37,059 --> 01:23:39,436
And he said,
"she tried to jump me."
2163
01:23:39,436 --> 01:23:42,689
So Oscar fired, she was shot
about 10, 15 times in the chest,
2164
01:23:42,689 --> 01:23:45,025
And she was still alive,
she was making these...
2165
01:23:45,025 --> 01:23:47,694
Weird noises, and blood's
coming out of her mouth,
2166
01:23:47,694 --> 01:23:50,489
She's dying.
So i grabbed Miguel's gun.
2167
01:23:50,489 --> 01:23:53,534
It was a .380 with a silencer
and i shot her...
2168
01:23:53,534 --> 01:23:57,538
Twice behind the head,
put her out of her misery.
2169
01:23:59,373 --> 01:24:01,291
I thought, "let's get, you know,
let's get out of here."
2170
01:24:01,291 --> 01:24:03,210
But Miguel tells me,
"no, Griselda told me
2171
01:24:03,210 --> 01:24:05,629
"To kill everybody
in the house."
2172
01:24:05,629 --> 01:24:06,839
I said, "what are you
talking about?
2173
01:24:06,839 --> 01:24:10,843
"It's only the kids left."
2174
01:24:10,843 --> 01:24:12,427
He says, "no,
i'm gonna kill the kids."
2175
01:24:12,427 --> 01:24:13,971
I said, "no, you're not."
2176
01:24:13,971 --> 01:24:15,055
He's telling me, "she told me
2177
01:24:15,055 --> 01:24:16,056
That she would
pay me extra for them,
2178
01:24:16,056 --> 01:24:17,307
"So i'm gonna make the money."
2179
01:24:17,307 --> 01:24:19,268
I said, "you're not gonna kill
those kids."
2180
01:24:19,268 --> 01:24:22,563
Well, he's walking
towards the kids.
2181
01:24:22,563 --> 01:24:23,730
So i pulled my gun out,
and i told him
2182
01:24:23,730 --> 01:24:25,232
To leave the goddamn house.
2183
01:24:25,232 --> 01:24:27,276
So Miguel got real mad,
"we gotta get that little girl."
2184
01:24:27,276 --> 01:24:30,154
I said, "no, no. This is it.
2185
01:24:30,154 --> 01:24:32,239
"It's time to go,
get out of here."
2186
01:24:32,239 --> 01:24:36,076
I had to get them
out of there at gunpoint.
2187
01:24:36,076 --> 01:24:38,162
Alfredo and Griselda
Lorenzo
2188
01:24:38,162 --> 01:24:39,288
Were found shot and killed
2189
01:24:39,288 --> 01:24:41,748
In june of 1982
in their home.
2190
01:24:41,748 --> 01:24:44,459
It was a modest home
in the rhodes section of Miami.
2191
01:24:44,459 --> 01:24:48,589
Back in 1982 i had just recently
gone to the centac squad,
2192
01:24:48,589 --> 01:24:51,633
Received a call
from Nelson Andrew,
2193
01:24:51,633 --> 01:24:54,428
Who was a detective..,
homicide detective in the city of Miami.
2194
01:24:54,428 --> 01:24:56,096
The bodies were
in separate rooms of the house
2195
01:24:56,096 --> 01:24:57,639
And whoever
committed the homicide
2196
01:24:57,639 --> 01:24:59,683
Left the children
right inside the house
2197
01:24:59,683 --> 01:25:01,185
With the dead parents.
They actually found
2198
01:25:01,185 --> 01:25:03,103
The two daughters and the son
2199
01:25:03,103 --> 01:25:06,815
Playing with the bloody,
dead body of their mother
2200
01:25:06,815 --> 01:25:09,318
Inside the house.
2201
01:25:09,318 --> 01:25:12,279
We got paid,
so i explained to her,
2202
01:25:12,279 --> 01:25:14,573
I told her, i said,
"we didn't do the kids."
2203
01:25:14,573 --> 01:25:17,159
She got pissed, she says, "the
order was to kill everybody."
2204
01:25:17,159 --> 01:25:18,911
I mean, when she said everybody
it means everybody.
2205
01:25:18,911 --> 01:25:20,913
I said, "you know,
i made the decision
2206
01:25:20,913 --> 01:25:23,332
"To leave the kids alone."
"Why?"
2207
01:25:23,332 --> 01:25:26,585
I said, "they just babies."
2208
01:25:26,585 --> 01:25:27,961
But after Johnnie Castro,
you know,
2209
01:25:27,961 --> 01:25:29,254
When the baby got killed,
2210
01:25:29,254 --> 01:25:31,215
I guess she got
used to it after that.
2211
01:25:31,215 --> 01:25:33,675
You know, killing kids.
2212
01:25:33,675 --> 01:25:35,219
She liked to be at war.
2213
01:25:35,219 --> 01:25:36,804
Every day she was
talking about it,
2214
01:25:36,804 --> 01:25:38,555
We gotta get so and so,
we gotta get so and so,
2215
01:25:38,555 --> 01:25:40,349
We gotta get rid of him.
2216
01:25:40,349 --> 01:25:43,435
It was just...it was
something that she enjoyed.
2217
01:25:43,435 --> 01:25:45,312
She went to war with
Paco Mejia, he used to be
2218
01:25:45,312 --> 01:25:47,189
An enforcer for Griselda
years back.
2219
01:25:47,189 --> 01:25:49,525
Apparently, he ripped her off
and he went on his own.
2220
01:25:49,525 --> 01:25:51,527
And he declared war
on Griselda.
2221
01:25:51,527 --> 01:25:53,987
Homicide investigators
learned several weeks ago
2222
01:25:53,987 --> 01:25:57,199
That a big shipment of cocaine
worth several million dollars
2223
01:25:57,199 --> 01:25:59,785
From Colombia
never arrived here.
2224
01:25:59,785 --> 01:26:02,204
Police say it was headed
to New York city.
2225
01:26:02,204 --> 01:26:05,666
And that's one thing that she
didn't forget or forgive.
2226
01:26:07,459 --> 01:26:09,461
So i go to New York
to kill everybody
2227
01:26:09,461 --> 01:26:12,214
That was working for
Paco Mejia, all his crew.
2228
01:26:13,966 --> 01:26:15,384
Broke all their rules there too.
2229
01:26:15,384 --> 01:26:17,636
The words that the person
that i spoke to was
2230
01:26:17,636 --> 01:26:19,054
"There is
gonna be a bloodbath."
2231
01:26:19,054 --> 01:26:24,685
From the stashers to the hitmen,
11 people, they all got killed.
2232
01:26:24,685 --> 01:26:29,523
11 people. Hmph.
In less than 24 hours.
2233
01:26:29,523 --> 01:26:33,110
It was supposed to be 12,
but i let one go.
2234
01:26:33,110 --> 01:26:35,946
Homicide detectives are
now contacting New York police
2235
01:26:35,946 --> 01:26:38,949
To investigate any similarities
between any drug hits
2236
01:26:38,949 --> 01:26:42,202
In the New York area and the
recent drug assassinations
2237
01:26:42,202 --> 01:26:44,037
Here in South Florida.
2238
01:26:44,037 --> 01:26:45,789
They went to war.
2239
01:26:47,374 --> 01:26:48,876
Well, Griselda
took the first step.
2240
01:26:48,876 --> 01:26:51,044
We are now
at the mall of the Americas
2241
01:26:51,044 --> 01:26:53,755
Which back in 1981 was called
the pan-American mall.
2242
01:26:53,755 --> 01:26:55,466
So when we get to the mall,
i set up all the cars
2243
01:26:55,466 --> 01:26:56,633
Where we wanted them at.
2244
01:26:56,633 --> 01:26:59,428
This is the scene of the
octavio Mejia homicide,
2245
01:26:59,428 --> 01:27:00,762
He was Paco's father.
2246
01:27:00,762 --> 01:27:04,516
Basically, when Mejia
left the shopping mall...
2247
01:27:04,516 --> 01:27:06,435
They ambushed him.
2248
01:27:06,435 --> 01:27:09,605
And he was shot numerous times
by several different gunmen.
2249
01:27:09,605 --> 01:27:11,398
A lot of people was pissed
because they claimed that
2250
01:27:11,398 --> 01:27:14,151
He wasn't a part of the war
between Paco and Griselda.
2251
01:27:14,151 --> 01:27:16,069
So most people
flipped on Griselda.
2252
01:27:16,069 --> 01:27:18,322
She created more enemies,
but she didn't give a shit.
2253
01:27:18,322 --> 01:27:19,656
She liked that.
2254
01:27:19,656 --> 01:27:22,659
What i didn't know,
his son was there, Paco.
2255
01:27:22,659 --> 01:27:25,537
He was in the car when
his father went in the mall.
2256
01:27:25,537 --> 01:27:27,456
I was pissed off
'cause i missed him.
2257
01:27:27,456 --> 01:27:28,874
I'm gonna get him
a different way.
2258
01:27:28,874 --> 01:27:30,709
Somebody had tipped us off
he had a new house
2259
01:27:30,709 --> 01:27:32,961
In killian parkway.
So Griselda says,
2260
01:27:32,961 --> 01:27:34,546
"You're not gonna miss
this time, are you?"
2261
01:27:34,546 --> 01:27:36,173
And i said, "no, i'm gonna blow
the whole house up."
2262
01:27:36,173 --> 01:27:37,508
She said,
"what are you talking about?"
2263
01:27:37,508 --> 01:27:39,968
I said, "i'm gonna put a bomb,
kill everybody."
2264
01:27:39,968 --> 01:27:42,638
And i got about
200 sticks of dynamite.
2265
01:27:42,638 --> 01:27:44,306
That goddamn explosion
was so loud.
2266
01:27:46,475 --> 01:27:49,311
That first thing that went was
the roof come out of the house.
2267
01:27:49,311 --> 01:27:51,271
The house came apart.
2268
01:27:54,441 --> 01:27:55,734
The neighbors always wondered
2269
01:27:55,734 --> 01:27:58,278
What busted the cars
around the neighborhood.
2270
01:27:58,278 --> 01:28:01,740
All the windows were busted.
2271
01:28:01,740 --> 01:28:03,200
I just want to get
to the good news
2272
01:28:03,200 --> 01:28:04,952
That they found somebody
in there.
2273
01:28:04,952 --> 01:28:08,831
Turns out, i missed again.
The house was empty.
2274
01:28:12,334 --> 01:28:14,545
This is just one more,
you know, skirmish
2275
01:28:14,545 --> 01:28:18,215
In the Griselda Blanco-Mejia,
you know, conflict.
2276
01:28:18,215 --> 01:28:20,092
Two weeks later,
they had just gotten word
2277
01:28:20,092 --> 01:28:22,386
That Paco Mejia was on
the next flight to Miami
2278
01:28:22,386 --> 01:28:25,681
And he was by himself.
Griselda, she says,
2279
01:28:25,681 --> 01:28:27,307
"Well, we're gonna get him
at the airport.
2280
01:28:27,307 --> 01:28:30,144
"You are." She reached under
one of the tables and stuff
2281
01:28:30,144 --> 01:28:33,021
And hands me a bayonet,
16-Inch bayonet.
2282
01:28:33,021 --> 01:28:34,439
She said, "i want you
to kill him with this."
2283
01:28:34,439 --> 01:28:36,024
She wanted him
stabbed to death.
2284
01:28:36,024 --> 01:28:39,278
I said, "what's this?
We changed styles or something?"
2285
01:28:39,278 --> 01:28:43,073
They called him the pig and she
wanted him killed like a pig.
2286
01:28:43,073 --> 01:28:45,784
She offered me
a half a million dollars,
2287
01:28:45,784 --> 01:28:47,786
She says, "yeah, but you
have to get him inside."
2288
01:28:47,786 --> 01:28:50,080
I said, "no, i won't go
inside the airport."
2289
01:28:50,080 --> 01:28:51,748
She says, "why not?" I said,
"no, that's a suicide mission,
2290
01:28:51,748 --> 01:28:53,167
"I don't do
suicide missions."
2291
01:28:53,167 --> 01:28:55,252
Max Mermelstein and Riverita
2292
01:28:55,252 --> 01:28:58,005
Both strongly advised
against this bizarre hit.
2293
01:28:58,005 --> 01:28:59,756
I'm not going
into the airport
2294
01:28:59,756 --> 01:29:02,259
To stab this guy to death
'cause i don't wanna go to jail.
2295
01:29:02,259 --> 01:29:04,219
Gotta get someone else, and she
says, "oh, i got somebody else."
2296
01:29:04,219 --> 01:29:06,013
I said "who?"
And she says, "Miguel."
2297
01:29:06,013 --> 01:29:07,431
Miguel perez, Miguelito.
2298
01:29:07,431 --> 01:29:09,975
Miguelito was kind of like
Rivi with no class.
2299
01:29:09,975 --> 01:29:12,436
I mean, Miguel told me
one day if the money was right
2300
01:29:12,436 --> 01:29:13,770
He would walk
up to the white house
2301
01:29:13,770 --> 01:29:14,771
And kill the president.
2302
01:29:14,771 --> 01:29:16,648
This is a picture
that was taken of him
2303
01:29:16,648 --> 01:29:18,192
Shortly after he arrived here
2304
01:29:18,192 --> 01:29:20,527
In 1982 on the mariel boatlift.
2305
01:29:20,527 --> 01:29:21,862
He was one of
the scariest guys i've ever
2306
01:29:21,862 --> 01:29:23,864
Really encountered
in my career.
2307
01:29:23,864 --> 01:29:25,949
That's when they got
the reputation of marielitos,
2308
01:29:25,949 --> 01:29:27,242
Fearless marielitos.
2309
01:29:27,242 --> 01:29:28,619
He was
more physically intimidating,
2310
01:29:28,619 --> 01:29:31,705
He was bigger than Rivi,
stronger physically than Rivi.
2311
01:29:31,705 --> 01:29:32,956
He's the kind of guy
that you'd look at
2312
01:29:32,956 --> 01:29:34,124
And you'd think to yourself,
2313
01:29:34,124 --> 01:29:36,502
"This guy could snap
at any moment and go off
2314
01:29:36,502 --> 01:29:38,420
"And probably
just snap your neck."
2315
01:29:38,420 --> 01:29:40,047
I talked to Miguel
and he was all for it,
2316
01:29:40,047 --> 01:29:41,715
He said "yeah, i'm gonna do it,
they're gonna give me
2317
01:29:41,715 --> 01:29:44,718
"$250,000 plus a house
to get him inside the airport."
2318
01:29:44,718 --> 01:29:46,512
I told him,
"Miguel, if you go in there
2319
01:29:46,512 --> 01:29:47,888
"I will back you up."
2320
01:29:47,888 --> 01:29:50,849
But Miguelito just says "screw
it" and he went and did it.
2321
01:29:50,849 --> 01:29:52,309
"The only thing
i'm gonna do for you,
2322
01:29:52,309 --> 01:29:54,144
"I'm gonna show you Paco
when i'm up here."
2323
01:29:54,144 --> 01:29:56,146
They knew what flight
he was on, when he was arriving,
2324
01:29:56,146 --> 01:29:58,398
And they were
here waiting for him.
2325
01:29:58,398 --> 01:30:00,567
So sure enough,
here comes Paco,
2326
01:30:00,567 --> 01:30:02,319
The last thing
he expected was a...
2327
01:30:02,319 --> 01:30:03,529
A nigger to hit him.
2328
01:30:03,529 --> 01:30:06,073
And as he walked out
from customs
2329
01:30:06,073 --> 01:30:07,950
A man came up with a bayonet.
2330
01:30:07,950 --> 01:30:09,910
Miguel's coming from behind him,
2331
01:30:09,910 --> 01:30:11,370
Puts him, choke hold,
and picks him up
2332
01:30:11,370 --> 01:30:12,538
And starts stabbing him.
2333
01:30:12,538 --> 01:30:14,957
With a bayonet.
Several times.
2334
01:30:14,957 --> 01:30:16,375
I counted 6 or 7.
2335
01:30:16,375 --> 01:30:18,043
I mean everybody
in the airport was like,
2336
01:30:18,043 --> 01:30:19,878
With their mouths open,
like this.
2337
01:30:19,878 --> 01:30:22,297
Everybody was in shock,
nobody was saying nothing.
2338
01:30:22,297 --> 01:30:24,758
Drops it on the floor
and he takes off running.
2339
01:30:24,758 --> 01:30:26,426
That's when everybody
started screaming.
2340
01:30:26,426 --> 01:30:29,221
Police of course ran to the area
where this person was stabbed,
2341
01:30:29,221 --> 01:30:31,807
They pointed out the direction
that Miguel had fled in
2342
01:30:31,807 --> 01:30:34,434
And within moments, you know,
caught up with him.
2343
01:30:34,434 --> 01:30:36,228
One of the officers
tackles Miguel,
2344
01:30:36,228 --> 01:30:38,147
He lands about 3 feet
away from me
2345
01:30:38,147 --> 01:30:40,274
And Miguel's looking at me
like saying, help me,
2346
01:30:40,274 --> 01:30:41,567
You know, with his eyes.
2347
01:30:41,567 --> 01:30:43,527
Then i just shook my head
and i said, "Uh-Uh."
2348
01:30:43,527 --> 01:30:44,903
There was nothing
i could do.
2349
01:30:44,903 --> 01:30:47,489
There was police officers
coming from every direction.
2350
01:30:47,489 --> 01:30:50,492
They took him into custody
and we just left.
2351
01:30:50,492 --> 01:30:52,411
This was really over
the top because this place
2352
01:30:52,411 --> 01:30:54,830
Even back then pretty much
crawls with police.
2353
01:30:54,830 --> 01:30:56,456
There are police
on every concourse.
2354
01:30:56,456 --> 01:30:59,710
And to attempt
something like that,
2355
01:30:59,710 --> 01:31:01,879
It's insane really,
and obviously
2356
01:31:01,879 --> 01:31:03,464
It turned out that way
because he was caught.
2357
01:31:03,464 --> 01:31:05,549
But that's the kind of person
that Miguelito was,
2358
01:31:05,549 --> 01:31:07,468
He didn't care.
He had a job to do,
2359
01:31:07,468 --> 01:31:09,094
Whatever it takes--
You gave him a guy to kill
2360
01:31:09,094 --> 01:31:10,971
And that's what he did.
2361
01:31:10,971 --> 01:31:12,973
But Paco survived the stabbings
2362
01:31:12,973 --> 01:31:16,643
And Miguel, he was eventually
convicted of attempted murder,
2363
01:31:16,643 --> 01:31:18,604
Sentenced to i believe 15 years.
2364
01:31:18,604 --> 01:31:21,315
That's the last time
i saw Miguel.
2365
01:31:21,315 --> 01:31:24,193
That was the last
overt act i know of
2366
01:31:24,193 --> 01:31:27,488
As far as the
Mejia-Griselda Blanco war.
2367
01:31:32,159 --> 01:31:37,039
Griselda Blanco was the catalyst
for the recognition
2368
01:31:37,039 --> 01:31:38,916
By the United States
government
2369
01:31:38,916 --> 01:31:41,126
That Miami
had a serious problem,
2370
01:31:41,126 --> 01:31:43,378
That we were really
a dodge city.
2371
01:31:43,378 --> 01:31:44,880
It was out of fucking control.
2372
01:31:44,880 --> 01:31:47,591
Believe it or not,
when people start getting shot
2373
01:31:47,591 --> 01:31:49,635
Or getting killed,
a lot of heat comes from it.
2374
01:31:49,635 --> 01:31:51,386
You have this goose
that kept laying golden eggs.
2375
01:31:51,386 --> 01:31:52,930
Why mess it up?
2376
01:31:52,930 --> 01:31:54,431
And it was all
because of the violence.
2377
01:31:54,431 --> 01:31:56,433
It wasn't because, you know,
there were so many drugs coming,
2378
01:31:56,433 --> 01:31:58,644
They didn't have a clue as to
how many drugs were coming.
2379
01:31:58,644 --> 01:32:00,312
They started forming
special groups.
2380
01:32:00,312 --> 01:32:03,023
A special
anti-narcotics detective squad
2381
01:32:03,023 --> 01:32:04,817
Known as centac 26.
2382
01:32:04,817 --> 01:32:06,485
I mean, i had guys
chasing me i never--
2383
01:32:06,485 --> 01:32:09,321
You know, who the hell are you?
What are you? I didn't even know
2384
01:32:09,321 --> 01:32:10,906
Who these people were, you know?
Where did they come from?
2385
01:32:10,906 --> 01:32:12,199
Prosecutors expect
2386
01:32:12,199 --> 01:32:15,452
More arrests of drug dealers
in the near future.
2387
01:32:15,452 --> 01:32:16,662
Reagan had been elected.
2388
01:32:16,662 --> 01:32:19,414
We need to get the president
to come to dade county
2389
01:32:19,414 --> 01:32:21,708
To talk to the widow
of a taxicab driver
2390
01:32:21,708 --> 01:32:23,085
Whose head has been blown away.
2391
01:32:23,085 --> 01:32:24,962
The cocaine wars,
the level of violence,
2392
01:32:24,962 --> 01:32:28,590
The homicide rate, the cover
of time, paradise lost?,
2393
01:32:28,590 --> 01:32:29,633
Led to action.
2394
01:32:29,633 --> 01:32:31,593
Vice president bush's taskforce
2395
01:32:31,593 --> 01:32:33,387
On violent crime
in South Florida,
2396
01:32:33,387 --> 01:32:35,389
Flooding Miami
with federal agents.
2397
01:32:35,389 --> 01:32:38,392
It is a joint operation
with the state people,
2398
01:32:38,392 --> 01:32:41,228
Local police officials,
coastguard, customs.
2399
01:32:41,228 --> 01:32:44,940
South Florida cannot be
a haven for criminals,
2400
01:32:44,940 --> 01:32:48,402
For sophisticated
and organized drug traffickers,
2401
01:32:48,402 --> 01:32:50,737
For hired assassins.
2402
01:32:50,737 --> 01:32:52,239
Finally the rest of
the United States
2403
01:32:52,239 --> 01:32:55,450
Was waking up to it, that
it was not a Miami problem,
2404
01:32:55,450 --> 01:32:57,202
It was a national problem.
2405
01:32:57,202 --> 01:33:00,330
This initiative will bring
together all our resources
2406
01:33:00,330 --> 01:33:05,335
To combat the major drug traffic
and the crime problems in Miami.
2407
01:33:05,335 --> 01:33:07,838
I have today sent a telegram
to the president imploring him
2408
01:33:07,838 --> 01:33:09,506
To put homestead air force base
2409
01:33:09,506 --> 01:33:12,593
On a war footing
to intercept, stop
2410
01:33:12,593 --> 01:33:15,012
And shoot down, if necessary,
2411
01:33:15,012 --> 01:33:17,723
Drug-laden clandestine aircraft
and vessels
2412
01:33:17,723 --> 01:33:19,892
Which are trying to smuggle
narcotics into Florida.
2413
01:33:19,892 --> 01:33:21,310
We have
an unidentified vessel
2414
01:33:21,310 --> 01:33:24,021
Just west
of west end, grand bahama.
2415
01:33:24,021 --> 01:33:27,024
Can you send an aircraft out
to visually id him?
2416
01:33:27,024 --> 01:33:29,818
I have received
authorization
2417
01:33:29,818 --> 01:33:32,446
From the government of Colombia
2418
01:33:32,446 --> 01:33:35,616
To fire into your vessel.
2419
01:33:35,616 --> 01:33:37,576
Roger, 1-6-0, all right.
2420
01:33:41,872 --> 01:33:43,540
2nd please, please,
stop, stop.
2421
01:33:43,540 --> 01:33:45,959
Tell him to stop
and i will stop.
2422
01:33:45,959 --> 01:33:48,337
3rd been hit.
Got smoke, got smoke!
2423
01:33:48,337 --> 01:33:50,839
And the agents say
their dockside tests confirm
2424
01:33:50,839 --> 01:33:54,301
They got a tonne of cocaine
worth $31 million wholesale,
2425
01:33:54,301 --> 01:33:55,886
A cool billion on the street.
2426
01:33:55,886 --> 01:33:58,639
The amount of drugs
that was seized in this area
2427
01:33:58,639 --> 01:34:01,099
Has gone up 2500%.
2428
01:34:01,099 --> 01:34:02,309
2nd the net weight
appears to be
2429
01:34:02,309 --> 01:34:04,853
Somewhere around 3700 pounds.
2430
01:34:04,853 --> 01:34:06,063
It's by far
the largest seizure
2431
01:34:06,063 --> 01:34:07,773
Ever made
by the federal government.
2432
01:34:07,773 --> 01:34:11,068
In fact i would say it's 4 times
the largest we've ever made.
2433
01:34:11,068 --> 01:34:12,778
Are you saying
it will no longer be possible
2434
01:34:12,778 --> 01:34:14,196
To smuggle drugs
into the United States?
2435
01:34:14,196 --> 01:34:16,323
No, we haven't said that.
2436
01:34:16,323 --> 01:34:17,407
What
are you saying?
2437
01:34:17,407 --> 01:34:18,617
What claims
do you make?
2438
01:34:18,617 --> 01:34:20,828
It's becoming
progressively more difficult.
2439
01:34:20,828 --> 01:34:23,455
The good news is that
Miami's runaway crime rate
2440
01:34:23,455 --> 01:34:25,499
Has been brought under control,
2441
01:34:25,499 --> 01:34:27,835
But there is now
a full-scale commitment
2442
01:34:27,835 --> 01:34:29,586
On the part of citizens,
government,
2443
01:34:29,586 --> 01:34:31,088
Police and our courts
2444
01:34:31,088 --> 01:34:34,007
To wage a battle
against the criminal enemy.
2445
01:34:36,510 --> 01:34:38,220
Shut up! Shut up!
2446
01:34:38,220 --> 01:34:40,055
And it really was
the beginning of the end
2447
01:34:40,055 --> 01:34:42,349
Of the cocaine cowboys era.
2448
01:34:42,349 --> 01:34:44,518
The murder rate has
certainly come down since 1980.
2449
01:34:44,518 --> 01:34:47,354
There's been like a 50% decrease
in the inner city
2450
01:34:47,354 --> 01:34:50,941
And about a 30% decrease
in the suburbs.
2451
01:34:50,941 --> 01:34:52,651
So there was just
too much police
2452
01:34:52,651 --> 01:34:54,361
And a lot of heat on tv,
2453
01:34:54,361 --> 01:34:55,529
So i told Griselda
i said, "you know,
2454
01:34:55,529 --> 01:34:57,239
"It's getting real hot here,
2455
01:34:57,239 --> 01:34:58,657
"Let's take a vacation
somewhere."
2456
01:34:58,657 --> 01:35:00,534
She said, "yeah, you know,
we're thinking about moving
2457
01:35:00,534 --> 01:35:03,745
"The operation to California.
Rivi, are you going with me?"
2458
01:35:03,745 --> 01:35:05,873
I'm done with the killing,
i got enough money,
2459
01:35:05,873 --> 01:35:07,541
I'm going back to chicago.
2460
01:35:07,541 --> 01:35:09,960
Now that we know, you know,
in hindsight,
2461
01:35:09,960 --> 01:35:12,880
That she left the area
back in around 1984,
2462
01:35:12,880 --> 01:35:16,008
Clearly the homicide rate
went down in that time period.
2463
01:35:16,008 --> 01:35:17,509
I was happy to leave Miami
2464
01:35:17,509 --> 01:35:20,804
'Cause i knew all this heat
that was around me, you know,
2465
01:35:20,804 --> 01:35:22,764
And she didn't wanna
understand this.
2466
01:35:22,764 --> 01:35:24,433
Faced with the fact
that the whole organization
2467
01:35:24,433 --> 01:35:27,394
Had relocated to California,
2468
01:35:27,394 --> 01:35:28,896
And i'm a Miami agent,
2469
01:35:28,896 --> 01:35:32,524
I had to convince my superiors
that it was worthwhile
2470
01:35:32,524 --> 01:35:34,943
For me to investigate
a case in California.
2471
01:35:34,943 --> 01:35:36,570
I knew it was just
a matter of time
2472
01:35:36,570 --> 01:35:37,738
Before they came after us.
2473
01:35:37,738 --> 01:35:39,406
You know, i said,
"if i ever get her,
2474
01:35:39,406 --> 01:35:41,992
"I'm gonna give her a kiss
on the cheek."
2475
01:35:41,992 --> 01:35:43,702
So she went to California
and started
2476
01:35:43,702 --> 01:35:45,204
Her business out there.
2477
01:35:45,204 --> 01:35:48,207
Rafa didn't wanna really send
product out there
2478
01:35:48,207 --> 01:35:50,542
So she decided to become
friendly with Marta
2479
01:35:50,542 --> 01:35:52,044
To get the cocaine.
2480
01:35:52,044 --> 01:35:53,754
She was a relative
of the Ochoas.
2481
01:35:53,754 --> 01:35:55,798
"Well, i don't need Rafa,
i can get everything i want
2482
01:35:55,798 --> 01:35:58,217
"This way," and she did.
2483
01:35:58,217 --> 01:36:00,469
And Max says to me
"there isn't gonna be
2484
01:36:00,469 --> 01:36:03,388
"Any coke for a while because
there's a big problem here.
2485
01:36:03,388 --> 01:36:05,349
"Griselda's decided
she doesn't wanna pay
2486
01:36:05,349 --> 01:36:08,143
"For like 1500 kilos
or something."
2487
01:36:08,143 --> 01:36:10,687
And i say, "well, what does
that have to do with us?"
2488
01:36:10,687 --> 01:36:13,315
"Well, the Ochoas
don't wanna send anything
2489
01:36:13,315 --> 01:36:15,484
"Until everything
is straightened out."
2490
01:36:15,484 --> 01:36:18,278
So Griselda says,
"i wanna kill this bitch."
2491
01:36:18,278 --> 01:36:20,781
I said, "who would that be?"
She says, "this bitch."
2492
01:36:20,781 --> 01:36:22,783
Griselda's answer was
if she killed Marta
2493
01:36:22,783 --> 01:36:24,117
There would never be
any proof
2494
01:36:24,117 --> 01:36:26,078
Whether she gave
the money to Marta
2495
01:36:26,078 --> 01:36:28,413
And Marta didn't send
the money to her family.
2496
01:36:28,413 --> 01:36:29,832
I start telling Griselda,
2497
01:36:29,832 --> 01:36:33,210
I said "this is done, your
business goes down the drain.
2498
01:36:33,210 --> 01:36:35,212
"Ain't no place for us to
hide, nowhere in the world,
2499
01:36:35,212 --> 01:36:36,505
"They are going to chase you
for the rest of your life."
2500
01:36:36,505 --> 01:36:37,881
"No, it needs to be done."
And i said,
2501
01:36:37,881 --> 01:36:39,424
"This don't need to be done."
2502
01:36:39,424 --> 01:36:41,885
That was her out--
"I'm just gonna kill Marta
2503
01:36:41,885 --> 01:36:43,971
"And then i'm gonna say
i gave her the money
2504
01:36:43,971 --> 01:36:45,556
"And this way
they can come to me,
2505
01:36:45,556 --> 01:36:47,683
"'I don't know where the
money is, i gave it to her.'"
2506
01:36:47,683 --> 01:36:49,685
I told her, "Griselda," i said,
"what are you gonna do?"
2507
01:36:49,685 --> 01:36:51,395
She said, "just kill her."
2508
01:36:51,395 --> 01:36:52,771
As soon as she walked in
and she saw Griselda,
2509
01:36:52,771 --> 01:36:54,314
She shit on herself.
2510
01:36:54,314 --> 01:36:57,317
She said, "madrina, godmother,
what have i done to you?"
2511
01:36:57,317 --> 01:36:58,986
Griselda says, "nothing."
2512
01:36:58,986 --> 01:37:01,029
She was kidnapped
and then murdered and found...
2513
01:37:01,029 --> 01:37:02,447
On the side of the road.
2514
01:37:08,579 --> 01:37:11,915
Obviously she was blood marked,
you couldn't kill Marta.
2515
01:37:11,915 --> 01:37:13,876
That's when
another war started.
2516
01:37:13,876 --> 01:37:15,878
And this is what
all blew up in her face.
2517
01:37:15,878 --> 01:37:17,254
Everybody turned on her.
2518
01:37:17,254 --> 01:37:19,006
Rafa, who was her best friend,
flipped on her.
2519
01:37:19,006 --> 01:37:20,591
And i remember
Rafa and everybody...
2520
01:37:20,591 --> 01:37:22,050
Everybody from the cartel,
2521
01:37:22,050 --> 01:37:24,052
Deciding, "well, i think we're
gonna have to kill this woman."
2522
01:37:24,052 --> 01:37:26,638
There was a price
on Griselda's head.
2523
01:37:26,638 --> 01:37:28,223
They told her,
"whenever we see you,
2524
01:37:28,223 --> 01:37:30,100
"We're going after you."
2525
01:37:32,686 --> 01:37:34,188
Max getting in trouble,
2526
01:37:34,188 --> 01:37:35,814
That was the beginning
of the end.
2527
01:37:35,814 --> 01:37:37,774
He knew he a had a problem.
2528
01:37:37,774 --> 01:37:40,652
He shouldn't have smoked it,
but he did.
2529
01:37:40,652 --> 01:37:42,362
He didn't think
it was coming to him.
2530
01:37:42,362 --> 01:37:45,407
Max calls me up, he says,
"i think i got some heat,
2531
01:37:45,407 --> 01:37:48,577
"I'm getting in my car
and i'm going for a ride,
2532
01:37:48,577 --> 01:37:51,121
"You stay
on the cell phone with me."
2533
01:37:51,121 --> 01:37:53,665
"Okay, Max, i'll stay
on the phone with you."
2534
01:37:53,665 --> 01:37:55,501
So Max gets in his car
and drives out.
2535
01:37:55,501 --> 01:37:56,835
He gets out of his driveway,
he says,
2536
01:37:56,835 --> 01:37:59,671
"Uh-Oh, they're coming
from every direction."
2537
01:37:59,671 --> 01:38:01,256
I knew
i was under surveillance.
2538
01:38:01,256 --> 01:38:03,467
The marked cars
blocked off my path
2539
01:38:03,467 --> 01:38:06,261
And the next thing i know,
i had 40 guns pointing at me.
2540
01:38:06,261 --> 01:38:07,679
End of the conversation.
2541
01:38:07,679 --> 01:38:10,516
And they arrested him,
that was the last we saw of Max.
2542
01:38:10,516 --> 01:38:11,975
I got like millions
of dollars
2543
01:38:11,975 --> 01:38:13,894
Buried in garbage bags
in my lawn.
2544
01:38:13,894 --> 01:38:15,562
That night, i'm out there
with a flashlight
2545
01:38:15,562 --> 01:38:18,398
Digging up bags of money 'cause
i'm afraid they're coming.
2546
01:38:18,398 --> 01:38:19,983
And i lived on the everglades--
2547
01:38:19,983 --> 01:38:22,069
I jumped into a canoe
i had with like--
2548
01:38:22,069 --> 01:38:23,821
I'm not exactly--
$6 million to $8 million,
2549
01:38:23,821 --> 01:38:25,405
Threw it in the canoe,
paddled to the other side
2550
01:38:25,405 --> 01:38:27,407
And buried
in the everglades
2551
01:38:27,407 --> 01:38:28,992
Thinking they're coming
to my house.
2552
01:38:28,992 --> 01:38:30,911
Nobody came, nothing happened.
2553
01:38:30,911 --> 01:38:32,704
Nobody thought there was
gonna be any problem.
2554
01:38:32,704 --> 01:38:34,122
Mickey and everybody said,
2555
01:38:34,122 --> 01:38:35,666
"Well, i haven't seen
any problems with
2556
01:38:35,666 --> 01:38:37,042
"The last plane that landed,
2557
01:38:37,042 --> 01:38:38,418
"You know, everything
seemed to be fine."
2558
01:38:38,418 --> 01:38:40,337
I said, "okay, well,
then let's just keep going
2559
01:38:40,337 --> 01:38:42,422
"Until we find out."
2560
01:38:42,422 --> 01:38:45,509
Jon said there was
no reason to be worried.
2561
01:38:45,509 --> 01:38:47,427
We thought Jon was so smart.
2562
01:38:53,684 --> 01:38:55,394
I remember september 20th,
2563
01:38:55,394 --> 01:38:57,604
For the simple reason
that i couldn't sleep.
2564
01:38:57,604 --> 01:38:59,314
At that particular night
i was working
2565
01:38:59,314 --> 01:39:01,150
With mickey and his crew.
2566
01:39:01,150 --> 01:39:03,944
And because i couldn't sleep,
i decided that i would go
2567
01:39:03,944 --> 01:39:06,321
To a radio room
that we had set up
2568
01:39:06,321 --> 01:39:09,116
Here in Miami to monitor
the incoming planes.
2569
01:39:09,116 --> 01:39:11,577
It was the regular trips,
the only thing that was unusual,
2570
01:39:11,577 --> 01:39:12,995
And it should have
given it away,
2571
01:39:12,995 --> 01:39:14,413
It was real quiet on the radio,
2572
01:39:14,413 --> 01:39:16,957
'Cause they know that
we listened to everything.
2573
01:39:16,957 --> 01:39:18,917
To tell you the truth,
i looked around when i drove off
2574
01:39:18,917 --> 01:39:20,794
Because i was still paranoid
from Max
2575
01:39:20,794 --> 01:39:23,714
And i saw nothing,
nothing at all.
2576
01:39:23,714 --> 01:39:26,717
Um...everything went as usual.
2577
01:39:26,717 --> 01:39:29,303
The plane landed, i said,
"oh, man, another good trip.
2578
01:39:29,303 --> 01:39:31,263
"I'm going home, i feel great."
2579
01:39:31,263 --> 01:39:32,514
And as soon as the
airplane landed
2580
01:39:32,514 --> 01:39:34,016
And went in the barn,
2581
01:39:34,016 --> 01:39:36,310
They showed up in helicopters
and all kinds of people
2582
01:39:36,310 --> 01:39:38,145
Jumped out
with guns everywhere.
2583
01:39:38,145 --> 01:39:40,147
Step down slowly,
keep your hands in the air!
2584
01:39:40,147 --> 01:39:41,356
Hands where i can see them!
2585
01:39:41,356 --> 01:39:42,816
I heard a noise,
2586
01:39:42,816 --> 01:39:46,111
It was like the place was hit
with lightning or thunder.
2587
01:39:46,111 --> 01:39:49,364
And the guys that were
in the airplane, they all ran.
2588
01:39:49,364 --> 01:39:51,116
And they just
drove this truck
2589
01:39:51,116 --> 01:39:53,410
Probably 60 miles an hour
through the front door.
2590
01:39:53,410 --> 01:39:56,538
It was a simultaneous bust,
tampa with Miami.
2591
01:39:56,538 --> 01:39:58,290
They came in there all in black
2592
01:39:58,290 --> 01:40:00,626
And with these
night goggles and masks
2593
01:40:00,626 --> 01:40:02,961
And it was like, i said,
"what am i, back in vietnam?
2594
01:40:02,961 --> 01:40:04,588
"You know, this is nuts."
2595
01:40:04,588 --> 01:40:05,923
I went out the back door.
2596
01:40:05,923 --> 01:40:07,800
"What, am i gonna
shoot it out with you guys?"
2597
01:40:07,800 --> 01:40:09,843
Had a small confrontation
with one of the guys...
2598
01:40:09,843 --> 01:40:12,012
"Get on the floor and shut up!"
"Yeah, all right."
2599
01:40:12,012 --> 01:40:13,388
And they looked at me at first,
2600
01:40:13,388 --> 01:40:17,893
And i'll never forget, "Roberts!
What are you doing here?"
2601
01:40:17,893 --> 01:40:19,686
And i said "i guess
i fucked up, huh?"
2602
01:40:19,686 --> 01:40:21,188
And he said,
"you fucked up, man.
2603
01:40:21,188 --> 01:40:22,606
"We would have come
to your house later,
2604
01:40:22,606 --> 01:40:24,733
"But what you're doing
you made it easy for us."
2605
01:40:24,733 --> 01:40:29,279
"I couldn't sleep, man."
He said, "well, it's too bad."
2606
01:40:29,279 --> 01:40:32,157
And when i got downtown,
i heard on the radio,
2607
01:40:32,157 --> 01:40:34,243
"There's shooting!
There's gunfire! Bang!
2608
01:40:34,243 --> 01:40:35,953
"There's all kinds of war!"
I said,
2609
01:40:35,953 --> 01:40:38,163
"What's going on here?
Is this involving me?"
2610
01:40:38,163 --> 01:40:40,123
"That's your plane,
that's your farm up there."
2611
01:40:40,123 --> 01:40:42,167
There's gunfire,
there's shooting.
2612
01:40:42,167 --> 01:40:44,294
They were running all over,
they were shooting guns.
2613
01:40:44,294 --> 01:40:47,881
"Your friend is shooting at us."
My friend, mickey.
2614
01:40:47,881 --> 01:40:50,425
I tried to run
in the airplane.
2615
01:40:50,425 --> 01:40:53,053
Mickey had a flare gun,
and around the plane
2616
01:40:53,053 --> 01:40:54,972
There were gasoline
tanks which were used
2617
01:40:54,972 --> 01:40:57,099
To refuel the plane
to get out of there.
2618
01:40:57,099 --> 01:40:58,100
I pushed one over.
2619
01:40:58,100 --> 01:40:59,476
Mickey wanted to escape,
2620
01:40:59,476 --> 01:41:00,936
So he shot the flare gun...
2621
01:41:03,730 --> 01:41:08,652
So i hit the swamp.
I watched the show all day long.
2622
01:41:08,652 --> 01:41:10,237
They couldn't find him,
and they were chasing him
2623
01:41:10,237 --> 01:41:11,989
Through the woods all night.
2624
01:41:11,989 --> 01:41:13,740
These people went nuts.
2625
01:41:13,740 --> 01:41:15,909
Early this morning,
customs and F.B.I. agents
2626
01:41:15,909 --> 01:41:18,370
Began a round-up of 12 people
authorities say
2627
01:41:18,370 --> 01:41:21,456
Helped transport nearly
20,000 pounds of cocaine
2628
01:41:21,456 --> 01:41:24,793
Into this country
by sea and by air from Colombia.
2629
01:41:24,793 --> 01:41:28,130
One of the men behind the scheme
was fugitive Michael Munday.
2630
01:41:28,130 --> 01:41:30,090
The Munday organization
transported cocaine
2631
01:41:30,090 --> 01:41:31,467
From Colombia
2632
01:41:31,467 --> 01:41:33,469
Using aircraft
making direct flights.
2633
01:41:33,469 --> 01:41:35,804
An aircraft in combination
with small boats.
2634
01:41:35,804 --> 01:41:39,600
The aircraft
dropped loads in the bahamas.
2635
01:41:39,600 --> 01:41:41,310
It wasn't their cocaine
and they didn't sell
2636
01:41:41,310 --> 01:41:43,979
Cocaine on the streets,
all they did was transport
2637
01:41:43,979 --> 01:41:47,399
For other people and charge
a fee for the transportation.
2638
01:41:47,399 --> 01:41:48,901
Basically, a contract service.
2639
01:41:48,901 --> 01:41:51,028
Many of those shipments
were attached to a highly
2640
01:41:51,028 --> 01:41:52,237
Sophisticated homing beacon
2641
01:41:52,237 --> 01:41:54,907
That allowed
the bad guys to find their drugs
2642
01:41:54,907 --> 01:41:56,867
When authorities
were not around.
2643
01:41:56,867 --> 01:42:00,078
This transmits a radio signal
2644
01:42:00,078 --> 01:42:01,747
As well as having infrared light
2645
01:42:01,747 --> 01:42:05,334
So they can see it at night
with goggles.
2646
01:42:05,334 --> 01:42:08,295
So this just shows
how sophisticated they were.
2647
01:42:08,295 --> 01:42:10,339
Max Mermelstein
became the witness
2648
01:42:10,339 --> 01:42:12,049
Who wants to talk about,
among other things,
2649
01:42:12,049 --> 01:42:13,175
Murders in Miami.
2650
01:42:13,175 --> 01:42:15,052
We're going
to debrief this guy...
2651
01:42:15,052 --> 01:42:18,347
And quite frankly,
at first i didn't believe
2652
01:42:18,347 --> 01:42:22,684
75% of what he said,
it was just too outlandish.
2653
01:42:22,684 --> 01:42:23,685
Max rolled.
2654
01:42:23,685 --> 01:42:26,021
He rolled over on all of us.
2655
01:42:26,021 --> 01:42:27,940
And started cooperating
with them in jail.
2656
01:42:27,940 --> 01:42:30,609
I told Jon, he didn't believe,
he didn't listen to me.
2657
01:42:30,609 --> 01:42:32,820
I told them from day one
that Max was weak
2658
01:42:32,820 --> 01:42:35,239
That he would snitch on us
later down the road
2659
01:42:35,239 --> 01:42:36,824
And you know, that's why
i wanna kill him so bad
2660
01:42:36,824 --> 01:42:37,950
But they wouldn't let me,
you know.
2661
01:42:37,950 --> 01:42:39,409
The government had no idea,
2662
01:42:39,409 --> 01:42:42,371
And, honest to god, if it wasn't
for Max Mermelstein...
2663
01:42:42,371 --> 01:42:44,498
I don't think they would
have ever caught us.
2664
01:42:44,498 --> 01:42:46,583
And filled in the gaps.
2665
01:42:46,583 --> 01:42:49,086
They knew nothing of
where the farm was,
2666
01:42:49,086 --> 01:42:51,421
They knew nothing of our trips,
2667
01:42:51,421 --> 01:42:55,425
They knew nothing. We had been
working for like five years.
2668
01:42:55,425 --> 01:42:57,678
Max was like family.
2669
01:42:57,678 --> 01:43:00,055
I never figured
he'd do what he did.
2670
01:43:00,055 --> 01:43:01,682
They came the next day
2671
01:43:01,682 --> 01:43:04,393
And they busted our gate,
and seized the house.
2672
01:43:04,393 --> 01:43:08,564
We were able to seize property
in the value of $130,000,000
2673
01:43:08,564 --> 01:43:10,274
In the Florida area.
2674
01:43:10,274 --> 01:43:12,776
35 paso fino
breeding horses
2675
01:43:12,776 --> 01:43:15,904
And 35 acres of ranchland
in Marion county, Florida,
2676
01:43:15,904 --> 01:43:17,489
Was also confiscated.
2677
01:43:17,489 --> 01:43:19,491
This is front-page
newspaper the next day,
2678
01:43:19,491 --> 01:43:21,118
And everybody was all over me.
2679
01:43:21,118 --> 01:43:23,036
I mean, people
wanting to kill me
2680
01:43:23,036 --> 01:43:24,997
Because they said
Jon owed them money,
2681
01:43:24,997 --> 01:43:26,707
People that had his money
2682
01:43:26,707 --> 01:43:28,459
Certainly weren't giving it
to me.
2683
01:43:28,459 --> 01:43:32,296
And Max made the indictment
against Mickey and me.
2684
01:43:32,296 --> 01:43:35,883
When i'm reading the indictments
i'm also just like, holy shit.
2685
01:43:35,883 --> 01:43:37,301
I didn't realize that he was
2686
01:43:37,301 --> 01:43:39,678
Actually working
with the cartel.
2687
01:43:39,678 --> 01:43:40,971
I didn't know
Rafa was in the car--
2688
01:43:40,971 --> 01:43:42,431
I didn't know any of this.
I mean, i'm not saying
2689
01:43:42,431 --> 01:43:44,892
I didn't know anything.
I'm just saying nobody realized
2690
01:43:44,892 --> 01:43:48,020
The magnitude of what Jon
was involved in.
2691
01:43:48,020 --> 01:43:50,898
You get on the trip where
you are making so much money
2692
01:43:50,898 --> 01:43:52,107
That you are just so powerful
2693
01:43:52,107 --> 01:43:54,151
That nothing was gonna--
It wasn't gonna happen.
2694
01:43:54,151 --> 01:43:58,405
And i remember the day he was,
you know, sitting in the chair
2695
01:43:58,405 --> 01:43:59,823
Crying like a baby
that he had to leave
2696
01:43:59,823 --> 01:44:01,950
Everything he loved and...
2697
01:44:01,950 --> 01:44:05,829
I...i have nobody to blame
but myself, nobody.
2698
01:44:05,829 --> 01:44:07,539
Time to go, you gotta go.
2699
01:44:09,750 --> 01:44:11,710
Every day i talked to her,
and she said, "no,
2700
01:44:11,710 --> 01:44:13,337
"You know, he's not a rat."
2701
01:44:13,337 --> 01:44:14,880
I said, "he's working
for the police, that's why
2702
01:44:14,880 --> 01:44:16,423
"I'm not near you
'cause you're gonna go to jail
2703
01:44:16,423 --> 01:44:18,258
"But i ain't going with you."
"Oh, come to los angeles."
2704
01:44:18,258 --> 01:44:20,803
I said "no, no,
i am all right over here."
2705
01:44:20,803 --> 01:44:24,848
We located a small house
that they had rented.
2706
01:44:24,848 --> 01:44:27,059
We knew that
she was in the residence
2707
01:44:27,059 --> 01:44:30,229
So we found her,
and in we went.
2708
01:44:30,229 --> 01:44:32,356
I went upstairs and found her
sitting in bed
2709
01:44:32,356 --> 01:44:34,900
Reading the bible,
and i just walked up to her,
2710
01:44:34,900 --> 01:44:36,819
I obviously had my weapon drawn.
2711
01:44:36,819 --> 01:44:38,195
She was pretty startled.
2712
01:44:38,195 --> 01:44:41,907
You would never think that she
was a violent, homicidal maniac.
2713
01:44:41,907 --> 01:44:43,450
They arrested
her at home.
2714
01:44:43,450 --> 01:44:46,078
And then i gave her
a little kiss on her cheek
2715
01:44:46,078 --> 01:44:49,248
As i promised i would
to the agents
2716
01:44:49,248 --> 01:44:51,959
Many, many months earlier.
2717
01:44:51,959 --> 01:44:54,795
Police are saying
she may be responsible
2718
01:44:54,795 --> 01:44:57,673
For as many as 200 murders--
2719
01:44:57,673 --> 01:45:01,176
That over a period of more than
a decade of drug wars.
2720
01:45:01,176 --> 01:45:03,679
Tonight, an arrest
that could bring down
2721
01:45:03,679 --> 01:45:06,515
One of South Florida's
most infamous crime figures.
2722
01:45:06,515 --> 01:45:08,350
Later they arrested
her kids.
2723
01:45:08,350 --> 01:45:10,185
Everything crumbled
for real, you know?
2724
01:45:10,185 --> 01:45:12,271
I'm just looking now for myself.
2725
01:45:12,271 --> 01:45:13,438
Everybody is in prison
except me
2726
01:45:13,438 --> 01:45:15,023
And they're looking for me now.
2727
01:45:15,023 --> 01:45:17,151
About the same time,
he and his brothers
2728
01:45:17,151 --> 01:45:19,820
Are at the airport
in a stolen vehicle.
2729
01:45:19,820 --> 01:45:22,030
And they get stopped
by the sheriff's office,
2730
01:45:22,030 --> 01:45:24,575
Resist arrest,
they got cocaine on them,
2731
01:45:24,575 --> 01:45:27,578
So they are in custody.
2732
01:45:27,578 --> 01:45:29,663
Ever since then
i've been in custody.
2733
01:45:32,499 --> 01:45:35,461
Eventually, the
drug market was seriously
2734
01:45:35,461 --> 01:45:38,130
Dismembered
by law enforcement.
2735
01:45:38,130 --> 01:45:41,133
A lot of that money
kind of disappeared,
2736
01:45:41,133 --> 01:45:44,511
And as drug merchants
were being prosecuted,
2737
01:45:44,511 --> 01:45:48,056
Convicted and imprisoned,
a remarkable thing happened.
2738
01:45:48,056 --> 01:45:51,268
The businesses that
they frequented and supported
2739
01:45:51,268 --> 01:45:53,312
Started drying up
and closing down.
2740
01:45:53,312 --> 01:45:55,522
The sunshine state
bank is out of business.
2741
01:45:55,522 --> 01:45:56,857
Sunshine state allegedly
2742
01:45:56,857 --> 01:45:59,026
Was bought
with laundered drug money.
2743
01:45:59,026 --> 01:46:01,612
All the nightclubs
dried up,
2744
01:46:01,612 --> 01:46:04,490
Car dealerships
started to go broke,
2745
01:46:04,490 --> 01:46:06,116
Uh...jewelry shops.
2746
01:46:06,116 --> 01:46:08,994
The real estate buyers
are deteriorating tremendously.
2747
01:46:08,994 --> 01:46:10,370
Their businesses as such
2748
01:46:10,370 --> 01:46:12,581
Have been suffering
tremendously.
2749
01:46:12,581 --> 01:46:16,502
And that collapse
created new opportunity.
2750
01:46:16,502 --> 01:46:18,587
The economy of Miami
was kept together
2751
01:46:18,587 --> 01:46:23,175
By speculators who had made a
lot of money in the drug trades.
2752
01:46:23,175 --> 01:46:25,677
If you were a car dealer
whose sales went from
2753
01:46:25,677 --> 01:46:27,888
20 million a year
to 60 million a year
2754
01:46:27,888 --> 01:46:30,432
For ten years,
you've got an extra
2755
01:46:30,432 --> 01:46:32,810
Half a billion dollars
kicking around.
2756
01:46:32,810 --> 01:46:35,604
It might not have been there
2757
01:46:35,604 --> 01:46:37,022
If you didn't have the horrors
2758
01:46:37,022 --> 01:46:39,650
Of the cocaine cowboys,
absolutely.
2759
01:46:39,650 --> 01:46:41,401
Drugs destroy a community,
2760
01:46:41,401 --> 01:46:43,570
When you are dealing with
street-level.
2761
01:46:43,570 --> 01:46:46,406
When you're talking about
drug dealing on a level
2762
01:46:46,406 --> 01:46:48,242
Where major drug dealers
2763
01:46:48,242 --> 01:46:51,537
Are living here,
vacationing here, buying homes,
2764
01:46:51,537 --> 01:46:53,288
Laundering their money
and so forth,
2765
01:46:53,288 --> 01:46:56,416
That picks up the economy
of a city or a community.
2766
01:46:56,416 --> 01:47:00,963
And a lot of the money secretly
did go into infrastructure.
2767
01:47:00,963 --> 01:47:03,465
$2.3 billion worth
of construction
2768
01:47:03,465 --> 01:47:05,843
Is currently under way
in downtown Miami.
2769
01:47:05,843 --> 01:47:07,761
The general
construction and everything
2770
01:47:07,761 --> 01:47:09,304
In downtown
and on brickell.
2771
01:47:09,304 --> 01:47:11,140
Downtown
development authority officials
2772
01:47:11,140 --> 01:47:13,725
Say another billion dollars'
worth of construction
2773
01:47:13,725 --> 01:47:16,728
Will be in progress
within the next 6 to 8 months.
2774
01:47:16,728 --> 01:47:19,273
Phew.
It built half the city.
2775
01:47:19,273 --> 01:47:21,525
It built the high-rises,
it built the scrapes.
2776
01:47:21,525 --> 01:47:22,943
This building boom
they say
2777
01:47:22,943 --> 01:47:25,279
Will last
for the next 10 years.
2778
01:47:25,279 --> 01:47:27,447
The drug trade saved Miami
in a lot of ways.
2779
01:47:27,447 --> 01:47:30,242
If you look at this skyline,
a lot of this real estate
2780
01:47:30,242 --> 01:47:33,954
Was built or bought
or paid for with drug money.
2781
01:47:33,954 --> 01:47:35,664
This new construction
means at least
2782
01:47:35,664 --> 01:47:39,835
25,000 additional jobs and an
annual payroll in the millions.
2783
01:47:39,835 --> 01:47:42,212
The new condominiums,
office buildings, and banks,
2784
01:47:42,212 --> 01:47:44,465
Will add an additional
$20 million
2785
01:47:44,465 --> 01:47:46,800
To the city of Miami's
tax base.
2786
01:47:46,800 --> 01:47:50,095
As you had the cocaine
coming into Miami
2787
01:47:50,095 --> 01:47:52,848
And as you had
the millions of dollars
2788
01:47:52,848 --> 01:47:55,601
Going into latin America,
legitimate Miami
2789
01:47:55,601 --> 01:47:58,770
Also realized we're
the gateway to the Americas.
2790
01:47:58,770 --> 01:48:02,441
The drug trade
certainly put Miami on the map.
2791
01:48:02,441 --> 01:48:06,403
Newsweek has called
Miami America's Casablanca.
2792
01:48:06,403 --> 01:48:08,822
What a contrast
from 7 years ago.
2793
01:48:08,822 --> 01:48:10,949
One thing about
the horrible publicity,
2794
01:48:10,949 --> 01:48:13,911
There was a lot of it.
Miami was on everyone's lips.
2795
01:48:13,911 --> 01:48:15,078
Miami.
Miami.
2796
01:48:15,078 --> 01:48:16,622
Miami.
To Miami beach.
2797
01:48:16,622 --> 01:48:17,915
Everyone in the world.
People said,
2798
01:48:17,915 --> 01:48:19,500
"You know, i've always
wanted to go to Miami,
2799
01:48:19,500 --> 01:48:21,460
"Is it really like this?
The beaches i see
2800
01:48:21,460 --> 01:48:23,712
"And the beautiful women
and the nightclubs."
2801
01:48:23,712 --> 01:48:26,799
Woit's called club 1235.
It's the place where
2802
01:48:26,799 --> 01:48:29,468
That big Miami vice bash
was held saturday night.
2803
01:48:29,468 --> 01:48:32,554
We were on tv
every friday night primetime
2804
01:48:32,554 --> 01:48:33,972
With Miami vice.
2805
01:48:33,972 --> 01:48:39,144
The storylines were based
entirely on drug trafficking.
2806
01:48:39,144 --> 01:48:41,688
Miami vice may not
enhance the city's image
2807
01:48:41,688 --> 01:48:44,650
But it's doing great things
for the local economy.
2808
01:48:44,650 --> 01:48:49,571
Don Johnson and Miami vice
and al pacino in Scarface,
2809
01:48:49,571 --> 01:48:51,073
It was alluring.
2810
01:48:51,073 --> 01:48:53,784
This is Miami,
things are more relaxed.
2811
01:48:53,784 --> 01:48:56,203
It was interesting
because when Miami vice came out
2812
01:48:56,203 --> 01:48:59,581
They would find an old
dilapidated or abandoned hotel
2813
01:48:59,581 --> 01:49:01,458
Or a gas station
on Miami beach,
2814
01:49:01,458 --> 01:49:02,918
They'd put in neon,
they'd paint it,
2815
01:49:02,918 --> 01:49:04,461
They'd fix it up,
they'd rehab it,
2816
01:49:04,461 --> 01:49:05,796
And shoot their scenes there
2817
01:49:05,796 --> 01:49:08,882
And leave
a rehabilitated site behind.
2818
01:49:08,882 --> 01:49:10,467
And i think they made
a lot of people
2819
01:49:10,467 --> 01:49:13,387
See what
the possibilities were.
2820
01:49:35,159 --> 01:49:36,910
In the late '80s
and early '90s
2821
01:49:36,910 --> 01:49:42,166
The European modeling
industry discovered South Beach
2822
01:49:42,166 --> 01:49:43,709
And of course
after the models
2823
01:49:43,709 --> 01:49:45,836
Come the wealthy
European visitors
2824
01:49:45,836 --> 01:49:47,421
Who were chasing the models.
2825
01:49:47,421 --> 01:49:50,007
And we ended up getting
the glitterati.
2826
01:49:50,007 --> 01:49:52,718
It reminds me
of greenwich village 1965
2827
01:49:52,718 --> 01:49:55,387
Because it's happening
and it's new.
2828
01:49:55,387 --> 01:49:57,389
Then the paparazzi
took it from there
2829
01:49:57,389 --> 01:49:59,099
And created a phenomenon.
2830
01:49:59,099 --> 01:50:03,145
Took it from the predominantly
sleepy vacation spot
2831
01:50:03,145 --> 01:50:08,442
To a thriving international
capital of the Americas.
2832
01:50:08,442 --> 01:50:13,113
And the world again started to
flock to Miami and we made it.
2833
01:50:13,113 --> 01:50:14,573
I think we could have
had a renaissance
2834
01:50:14,573 --> 01:50:16,575
Without so many people
having to die for it.
2835
01:50:16,575 --> 01:50:18,535
I could have lived without it.
And so could
2836
01:50:18,535 --> 01:50:19,912
A lot of other people
lived without
2837
01:50:19,912 --> 01:50:23,415
The enormous contribution
of money to this community.
2838
01:50:23,415 --> 01:50:25,459
There was too much
collateral damage.
2839
01:50:25,459 --> 01:50:28,378
I don't think
the economic benefits
2840
01:50:28,378 --> 01:50:32,049
Were worth the cost on society.
2841
01:50:32,049 --> 01:50:35,427
I still love Miami,
but i think i love it more
2842
01:50:35,427 --> 01:50:38,180
For what it was
before the cocaine wars,
2843
01:50:38,180 --> 01:50:40,516
I mean, at what price
a skyline?
2844
01:50:40,516 --> 01:50:45,145
How many people have to die
for a shiny skyline?
2845
01:50:45,145 --> 01:50:48,273
It wasn't worth it,
too many people died for it.
2846
01:50:48,273 --> 01:50:52,444
But Miami honestly
couldn't be where it is now
2847
01:50:52,444 --> 01:50:53,821
Without having to go through
the horrors
2848
01:50:53,821 --> 01:50:55,823
And tragedies
of the '70s and '80s.
2849
01:50:55,823 --> 01:50:59,326
Today, people kinda get a kick
out of talking about
2850
01:50:59,326 --> 01:51:03,288
How they survived
the '70s and '80s in Miami.
2851
01:51:05,374 --> 01:51:07,084
I came back here
'cause i had to come back here.
2852
01:51:07,084 --> 01:51:08,710
I had no choice.
2853
01:51:14,842 --> 01:51:16,593
And when i first got out,
i'll never forget,
2854
01:51:16,593 --> 01:51:18,387
I went to the hotel
on South Beach,
2855
01:51:18,387 --> 01:51:20,389
It was called the surfcomber,
and the first morning
2856
01:51:20,389 --> 01:51:22,391
I woke up, i remember
going to the beach.
2857
01:51:22,391 --> 01:51:25,060
I was laying here and here comes
this girl out of the water,
2858
01:51:25,060 --> 01:51:26,186
And as she's walking
out of the water,
2859
01:51:26,186 --> 01:51:27,938
I see she's got no top on.
2860
01:51:27,938 --> 01:51:29,106
And you gotta realize,
2861
01:51:29,106 --> 01:51:30,983
I'm in jail now
11 years or something
2862
01:51:30,983 --> 01:51:32,484
And i'm looking at this girl
with no top on,
2863
01:51:32,484 --> 01:51:34,236
I'm saying, "my god."
I got scared.
2864
01:51:34,236 --> 01:51:36,780
I ran back to the room
and i wouldn't even come out
2865
01:51:36,780 --> 01:51:39,575
Of the room for like a day,
i was so like, "what happened?
2866
01:51:39,575 --> 01:51:41,952
"The world has changed here,
you know."
2867
01:51:41,952 --> 01:51:46,498
This city had grown so much
in the 12 years that i was gone.
2868
01:51:54,798 --> 01:51:56,675
I don't know, you know,
times change.
2869
01:51:56,675 --> 01:51:59,970
Back then,
we just didn't give a shit.
2870
01:51:59,970 --> 01:52:01,305
Miami back then
was an open town,
2871
01:52:01,305 --> 01:52:02,598
It was completely different.
2872
01:52:02,598 --> 01:52:05,601
I mean, if you told me
you wanna kill so and so,
2873
01:52:05,601 --> 01:52:07,519
All i ask you is
just point him out to me
2874
01:52:07,519 --> 01:52:08,854
And i went and shot him.
2875
01:52:08,854 --> 01:52:10,397
Now it's not open anymore,
2876
01:52:10,397 --> 01:52:11,440
You know, it's a different town.
2877
01:52:11,440 --> 01:52:12,900
These days, i wouldn't do it.
2878
01:52:12,900 --> 01:52:15,235
I'd do it differently,
totally different.
2879
01:52:15,235 --> 01:52:17,905
It's a much different city
than i remember it.
2880
01:52:32,669 --> 01:52:34,671
And a lot of people
i know, you know,
2881
01:52:34,671 --> 01:52:35,964
They're not around anymore.
2882
01:52:35,964 --> 01:52:37,508
My friends,
that we grew up together,
2883
01:52:37,508 --> 01:52:39,885
They're all dead.
They got killed.
2884
01:53:13,085 --> 01:53:15,921
I went to Miami, i pleaded
guilty to the two murders.
2885
01:53:15,921 --> 01:53:18,924
A life sentence in his case
to be served concurrently.
2886
01:53:18,924 --> 01:53:21,009
I've been here ever since.
2887
01:53:21,009 --> 01:53:24,429
As a result of the
information given to us by Rivi
2888
01:53:24,429 --> 01:53:25,597
There were 14 different
homicides
2889
01:53:25,597 --> 01:53:27,266
Closed on
Griselda Blanco's organization.
2890
01:53:27,266 --> 01:53:29,560
When he flipped and told us
chapter and verse
2891
01:53:29,560 --> 01:53:31,145
About all these
different homicides
2892
01:53:31,145 --> 01:53:33,647
And how she ordered them,
then she was done.
2893
01:53:33,647 --> 01:53:35,691
She was essentially
our John Gotti
2894
01:53:35,691 --> 01:53:38,986
And Rivi was her
"Sammy the bull Gravano".
2895
01:53:40,988 --> 01:53:43,282
The case against
Griselda Blanco
2896
01:53:43,282 --> 01:53:45,659
Turned out to be
like a total dud.
2897
01:53:45,659 --> 01:53:47,494
Incredibly disappointing
and frustrating.
2898
01:53:47,494 --> 01:53:51,290
She ended up pleading to like
basically a walk in the park.
2899
01:53:51,290 --> 01:53:54,126
Through the cracks, yeah.
I thought we had her.
2900
01:53:54,126 --> 01:53:56,503
I mean it was shameful,
what happened.
2901
01:54:05,637 --> 01:54:07,973
So once we lost Rivi,
we lost the connection
2902
01:54:07,973 --> 01:54:10,392
Between the hit guys
and Griselda.
2903
01:54:10,392 --> 01:54:13,729
Riverita created the case
and destroyed the case.
2904
01:54:13,729 --> 01:54:16,815
Basically torpedoed
one of the most significant
2905
01:54:16,815 --> 01:54:20,360
Homicide investigations that
i can even imagine being done.
2906
01:54:20,360 --> 01:54:22,905
During the course of her
reign of terror, if you will,
2907
01:54:22,905 --> 01:54:27,868
She made a lot of enemies
both here and in Colombia
2908
01:54:27,868 --> 01:54:29,536
And they haven't forgotten,
2909
01:54:29,536 --> 01:54:31,914
And they certainly haven't
forgotten with respect to
2910
01:54:31,914 --> 01:54:34,291
Uber and Osvaldo.
2911
01:54:38,962 --> 01:54:40,297
The saying that
live by the sword
2912
01:54:40,297 --> 01:54:42,424
And die by the sword
is very true
2913
01:54:42,424 --> 01:54:44,510
In the business
they were in.
2914
01:54:44,510 --> 01:54:48,180
And it's likely that if she's
ever returned to Colombia,
2915
01:54:48,180 --> 01:54:50,766
That she'll meet
the same fate.
2916
01:54:50,766 --> 01:54:52,142
There is certainly nobody
more deserving of
2917
01:54:52,142 --> 01:54:53,310
The death penalty than she is.
2918
01:54:53,310 --> 01:54:54,770
She should be on death row.
2919
01:54:54,770 --> 01:54:57,689
But, i take a little bit
of comfort in the fact that
2920
01:54:57,689 --> 01:55:00,776
At least until i retire,
she'll still be in prison.
2921
01:55:00,776 --> 01:55:01,819
I can't say for how much longer,
2922
01:55:01,819 --> 01:55:04,071
But she will be...
still be in prison
2923
01:55:04,071 --> 01:55:05,572
As long as i'm a cop.
2924
01:55:53,996 --> 01:55:56,081
When i moved to Florida
i was in Orlando
2925
01:55:56,081 --> 01:55:57,791
In disney world
with my kids, you know,
2926
01:55:57,791 --> 01:55:59,084
I was talking to
these people from Germany.
2927
01:55:59,084 --> 01:56:01,503
"Oh, you're from Miami,
oh, my god."
2928
01:56:01,503 --> 01:56:02,880
"What's wrong with Miami?"
2929
01:56:02,880 --> 01:56:04,798
"Oh, my god, they kill
people there every day.
2930
01:56:04,798 --> 01:56:06,216
"We're watching
the news in Europe."
2931
01:56:06,216 --> 01:56:08,469
And i said, "yeah, man,
they do, very dangerous town."
2932
01:56:08,469 --> 01:56:10,554
"Oh, i'm not going there
on vacation."
2933
01:56:10,554 --> 01:56:12,306
My wife was just
looking at me like...
2934
01:56:12,306 --> 01:56:14,516
If you only knew.
2935
01:56:14,516 --> 01:56:16,226
But the thing
i wanted to know was
2936
01:56:16,226 --> 01:56:17,936
What happened
to all the money.
2937
01:56:21,648 --> 01:56:23,317
The invasion
came before dawn
2938
01:56:23,317 --> 01:56:24,568
When us fighter jets
2939
01:56:24,568 --> 01:56:26,987
Bombed general noriega's
military headquarters.
2940
01:56:26,987 --> 01:56:28,363
He utilized his position
2941
01:56:28,363 --> 01:56:31,450
To sell the country of Panama
to the traffickers.
2942
01:56:31,450 --> 01:56:32,701
When noriega went down
2943
01:56:32,701 --> 01:56:34,286
Through that bank
in Panama, we lost
2944
01:56:34,286 --> 01:56:37,581
About $140 million
between Max, myself,
2945
01:56:37,581 --> 01:56:41,084
Rafa, Ochoas, Escobar,
everybody took a big chunk.
2946
01:56:41,084 --> 01:56:43,086
That's how come
we lost so much.
2947
01:56:43,086 --> 01:56:44,421
'Cause i was in jail
at the time
2948
01:56:44,421 --> 01:56:46,757
And there was no way
to get your money out.
2949
01:56:46,757 --> 01:56:48,759
And the government seized
all the money in that bank.
2950
01:56:48,759 --> 01:56:50,093
They took all money.
2951
01:56:51,094 --> 01:56:52,471
We went to
a movie theater,
2952
01:56:52,471 --> 01:56:54,223
And got in line for about
two hours to go and see
2953
01:56:54,223 --> 01:56:56,433
Scarface, the famous
movie Scarface,
2954
01:56:56,433 --> 01:57:00,020
Myself and nine other guys,
all ten killers.
2955
01:57:00,020 --> 01:57:01,480
Movie started, you know,
2956
01:57:01,480 --> 01:57:02,856
And all these attempts on him,
2957
01:57:02,856 --> 01:57:04,983
They came, they brought two
Colombians to kill him,
2958
01:57:04,983 --> 01:57:06,819
And we were just laughing.
2959
01:57:06,819 --> 01:57:09,154
We would have had him.
2960
01:57:09,154 --> 01:57:11,782
If it was taking
place in real life,
2961
01:57:11,782 --> 01:57:13,116
We would have got him.
2962
01:57:15,202 --> 01:57:17,329
On february 3rd, 2006,
2963
01:57:17,329 --> 01:57:18,997
Miami attorney
Samuel I. Burstyn
2964
01:57:18,997 --> 01:57:21,166
Pled guilty to obstruction
of justice charges
2965
01:57:21,166 --> 01:57:22,167
After being
arrested at his
2966
01:57:22,167 --> 01:57:24,837
$4.8 million home
on Sunset Island.
2967
01:57:24,837 --> 01:57:26,672
Prosecutors say
he acted as house counsel
2968
01:57:26,672 --> 01:57:27,840
For a criminal organization
2969
01:57:27,840 --> 01:57:29,216
That imported and distributed
2970
01:57:29,216 --> 01:57:30,592
Cocaine and marijuana.
2971
01:57:30,592 --> 01:57:32,469
Burstyn, who is facing
20 years in prison
2972
01:57:32,469 --> 01:57:35,430
If convicted of all charges,
will serve 42 months,
2973
01:57:35,430 --> 01:57:37,141
Forfeit his law license
and give up nearly
2974
01:57:37,141 --> 01:57:40,018
$400,000 in cash and assets.
2975
01:57:40,449 --> 01:57:44,398
Captioning made possible by
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2976
01:57:45,305 --> 01:58:45,490
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