▁medi ator ▁and ▁deb t ▁collect or ▁in ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁disput es ▁and ▁maintained ▁major ▁connections ▁with ▁the ▁par ac os ▁( Col omb ian ▁par amil itar ies ) ▁and ▁guer illas . ▁ ▁History ▁La ▁Oficina ▁was ▁founded ▁as ▁an ▁enfor cement ▁wing ▁for ▁the ▁Med ell ín ▁Cart el ▁by ▁Diego ▁Mur illo ▁Be jar ano , ▁a ka ▁Don ▁Bern a ▁( a ▁Popular ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁gu err illa ▁deser ter ), ▁however ▁Mur illo ▁fell ▁out ▁with ▁Esc obar ▁and ▁eventually ▁joined ▁forces ▁with ▁Los ▁P ep es ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ou st ▁him . ▁Mur illo ▁then ▁began ▁to ▁affili ate ▁his ▁Oficina ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁Self - Def ense ▁Forces ▁of ▁Colombia ▁(" Aut ode f ens as ▁Un idas ▁de ▁Colombia ", ▁A UC , ▁in ▁Spanish ), ▁organ izing ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁operations ▁on ▁their ▁beh alf . ▁La ▁Terra za , ▁a ▁gang ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁fe ared ▁hit ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁is ▁also ▁under ▁La ▁Oficina ' s ▁control . ▁ ▁La ▁Oficina ▁eventually ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁s izable ▁nar co - tra ff ick ing ▁operation ▁sp anning ▁from ▁Med ell ín ▁to ▁the ▁northern ▁coast ▁of ▁Colombia , ▁including ▁the ▁Pan aman ian ▁border ▁area , ▁drawing ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁leaders ▁from ▁former ▁Colomb ian ▁par amil it ary ▁b loc s . ▁Its ▁lower ▁ranks ▁are ▁filled ▁with ▁te en agers ▁and ▁young ▁men ▁from ▁the ▁poor er ▁neighborhood s