Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria ( , ; 1 December 19492 December 1993 ) was the best known Colombian drug lord by the time of his death . The magnitude of Escobar 's wealth is a matter of dispute , with his family scoffing at the idea he was a billionaire ; however , his financial resources enabled him to buy popularity and even local political office . Escobar was targeted by American and Colombian governments and surrendered to authorities in 1991 . He escaped the next year and as a special police unit , Search Bloc , hunted him he was suspected of ordering many killings , the DAS Building bombing and the destruction of Avianca Flight 203 in retaliation . A shadowy death squad , Los Pepes linked with both the government and his Medellín Cartel rivals , assassinated anyone associated with Escobar , thereby isolating him from his support network . In 1993 , Escobar was killed in his hometown by Colombian National Police , a day after his 44th birthday . With Escobar having provided many amenities to the region 's poor , his funeral was attended by over 25,000 people
DAS Building bombing
DAS Building bombing
Pablo Escobar