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For decades, one man sat at the head of the most powerful criminal empire in the world. He was richer, more cunning, and more high-profile than most, so many suspected he could never be taken. Stories about him have been dramatized, adapted, and retold for decades, but the truth is even more unbelievable than fiction. Here’s how law enforcement finally took down the man who many considered the smartest criminal of all time: Pablo Escobar.

Escobar was born in Colombia to a farmer and a schoolteacher. He wasn’t used to such luxury from an early age. In fact, when his parents bought a new house in the suburb of Envigado, outside of Medellín, he was still a teenager, and he was already addicted to danger. Escobar first sold fake diplomas, smuggled stereo equipment, and stole tombstones to resell. By the time he started stealing cars, police had a description of him on file, and in 1974, he received his first arrest.

At around the same time in Colombia, another industry was booming. A certain illegal product from nearby Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador was quickly becoming a business to get into. It was fast, it was lucrative, and almost no one was keeping tabs on it. Escobar wanted in.

Growing in Power

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In the mid-1970s, Escobar became one of the founding members of the group that later became the Medellín cartel, alongside the Ochoa brothers, Juan David, Jorge Luis, and Fabio. Escobar soon took control of the group, managing substance production, trafficking, and distribution on a global scale. By the mid-1980s, Escobar and his organization controlled most of the illicit trade. He was worth an estimated $25 billion. Escobar lived lavishly on a scale beyond most heads of state. In his most famous property, Hacienda Nápoles, Escobar built a private zoo, three artificial lakes, a bullfighting arena, a soccer field, an airstrip, and full-sized replicas of three dinosaurs.

He was considered a hero by some poor residents of Medellín, where he built houses and sponsored community programs, and was able to portray himself as a Robin Hood figure. His popularity helped him get elected to Congress in 1982. The public face of Escobar's business and power hid a reality in which violence increased. The Colombian government and the world could no longer turn a blind eye.

The Beginning of the End

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Pressed from all sides, the authorities put out a huge dragnet. The government also opened negotiations with Escobar for his voluntary surrender. In June 1991, on the day the Colombian Congress voted to outlaw extradition, Escobar turned himself in.

Escobar built his own facility, a place called La Catedral, which was a multi-acre luxury compound complete with a nightclub, sauna, waterfall, soccer field, phones, computers, and fax machines. From the confines of La Catedral, Escobar continued to run his organization with ease and comfort.

Things only changed after Escobar ordered the expulsion of two cartel members from the prison grounds. Officials realized they had given him far too much leeway, so they moved to transfer Escobar to a regular facility. But he escaped before they could.

The Final Chase

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July 1992: Escobar disappeared. A monthlong manhunt began, one of the largest coordinated search operations in Colombian history, with help from U.S. agencies. Colombian forces identified his location in Medellín. Officers raided the building, forcing Escobar to flee to the roof with one of his bodyguards. A short chase ensued, one that Escobar did not survive. Months after his passing, the Medellín cartel was disbanded.