Pablo Escobar the Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana of Medellín. Escobar studied at the University for a short period, but left without obtaining a degree. Escobar eventually became involved in many criminal activities with Oscar Benel Aguirre, with the duo running petty street scams, selling contraband cigarettes, fake lottery tickets, and stealing cars. In the early 1970s, prior to entering the drug trade, Escobar acted as a thief and bodyguard, allegedly earning US $100,000 by kidnapping and holding a Medellín executive for ransom. Escobar began working for Alvaro Prieto, a contraband smuggler who operated around Medellín, aiming to fulfill a childhood ambition to have
Pablo Escobar of Córdoba and Urabá. "Los Pepes" carried out a bloody campaign, fueled by vengeance, in which more than 300 of Escobar's associates, his lawyer and relatives were slain, and a large amount of the Medellín cartel's property was destroyed. Members of the Search Bloc, and Colombian and United States intelligence agencies, in their efforts to find Escobar, either colluded with "Los Pepes" or moonlighted as both Search Bloc and "Los Pepes" simultaneously. This coordination was allegedly conducted mainly through the sharing of intelligence to allow "Los Pepes" to bring down Escobar and his few remaining allies, but there are reports