In 1991, the notorious Pablo Escobar, fled from Colombia to Bolivia in an attempt to evade capture. He went into hiding, but his whereabouts were eventually discovered by a team of Bolivian Leopardos, who were working alongside American advisors from the DEA and Navy SEALs. The raid on the ranch house was carried out at the request of the CIA. When the team made entry, they found cups of coffee on the table that were still warm, indicating that they had just missed capturing Escobar.
The United States government was under increasing pressure to capture Pablo Escobar, a man who has since become a legend. This was a significant foreign policy issue, and Special Operations Command-South was tasked with planning several capture/kill missions targeting Escobar, following his return to Colombia after the failed Bolivia raid. Despite launching personnel, logistics, and assets into Colombia on multiple occasions, JSOC was unsuccessful in capturing Escobar, leading to mission failure.
In his memoir, Delta Force commander Jerry Boykin recounts the intense hunt for Pablo Escobar, codenamed Operation Heavy Shadow. The mission was approved by the White House, and General Bill Garrison personally contacted Boykin at Delta. "I want you to go down there," Garrison said. "Select a few folks to take with you. Keep it small," (Boykin, 229). Boykin handpicked Squadron Leader LTC Gary Harrell, along with operators SFC Joe Vega and SFC Tony Mafnas to join him. Harrell also chose Sergeant Major Jack Alvarez to round out the team.
Upon arriving in Colombia, Harrell and Alvarez were tasked with establishing liaisons with the local police, particularly the "Search Bloc," which was leading the hunt for Escobar. Delta's role was to remain discreet and operate behind the scenes, with the operation primarily led by Colombian authorities. Meanwhile, Mafnas and Vega set up a sniper observation post that overlooked the Medellin valley, where Escobar was suspected to be hiding. Using their advanced observation equipment, they were able to visually confirm reports received by SIGINT platforms flying overhead.
Colombia's Search Bloc police unit, equipped with SIGINT gear provided by the United States, received a positive hit on Escobar's location, which was traced to his mother's house. A Search Bloc member visually confirmed seeing Escobar in the second-story window of the house, talking on the phone. Upon receiving this information, a Delta operator at Tola Maida swiftly assisted in preparing the assault team and getting them ready to hit the target.
Music by Karl Casey: @WhiteBatAudio
Song 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcoswAVef0E
Song 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb3oHNAHZ3c
Song 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsahgJvMnjo
Song 4: Original Song (Unreleased)
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