Pablo Escobar’s Most Ruthless Hitman: The Story of Pinina

Pablo Escobar's hitman Pinina was the man the Medellín Cartel called when a job could not fail. Before Popeye became famous, John Jairo Arias Tascón was already running Escobar's army of sicarios, and this is the true story of how a street kid from Medellín became the most feared killer in Colombia. It all started with something as small as a stolen car stereo. According to Popeye's own account, Pinina broke into one of Escobar's cars, and instead of punishing him, the boss saw talent. That moment opened the door to the Medellín Cartel, where Pinina rose fast, ran with the feared Los Priscos gang and took control of the cartel's military wing. Within a few years, he was considered one of the most powerful men in Escobar's organization. In this true crime documentary, we follow the bloodiest chapters of his career. Colombian authorities and the press linked his name to the 1984 assassination of Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, the killing of Antioquia governor Antonio Roldán Betancur and the murder of Attorney General Carlos Mauro Hoyos. He was also tied to car bombings and to the brutal war against the Cali Cartel. Behind every one of those crimes was a network of young sicarios recruited in the poor neighborhoods of Medellín. You will also discover the bond between Pinina and Popeye. John Jairo Velásquez credited him as the man who brought him into the drug trade, and he later claimed that Escobar saw Pinina as the one who would replace him and protect his family if the boss were killed. Few people outside Colombia know how close he came to the top of the cartel. Finally, we reach June 1990, when Pinina was killed in Medellín at just 29 years old. General Miguel Maza Márquez said his death was as significant as taking down Escobar himself, and a bomb in the El Poblado neighborhood was widely seen as the cartel's revenge. This is the full story of Pablo Escobar's hitman Pinina, the sicario history almost forgot. If you enjoy true crime and narco history, subscribe to the channel and turn on the notification bell so you don't miss our next Medellín Cartel story. And tell us in the comments: after hearing the story of Pablo Escobar's hitman Pinina, who do you think was more dangerous, Pinina or Popeye? #PabloEscobar #MedellinCartel #TrueCrime