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We have all heard of wealthy businessmen like Bill Gates – but there is also an underworld of incredibly rich and powerful men who control much of the international trade in drugs. Their many successes makes one wonder whether there is any point in having a “war” on drugs – it seems to not be helping a great deal. This list looks at ten of the most powerful drug lords in modern history.
Zhenli Ye Gon born January 31, 1963, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China) is a Mexican businessman of Chinese origin accused of trafficking pseudoephedrine into Mexico from Asia. He is the legal representative of Unimed Pharm Chem México. He is claimed to be tied with the Sinaloa Cartel. He became a citizen of Mexico in 2002. Two Mexican Federal agents who were involved in the arrests at the Zhenli Ye Gon mansion were found dead in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, as reported on August 2, 2007. It has since risen to $350 million and a lot of his fortune found its way to Las Vegas. On the Strip, he was known as Mr. Ye, the highest of high rollers. He stayed primarily at the The Venetian (Las Vegas) where he regularly wagered $200,000 per hand in the baccarat salon. He lost big. The original estimate by DEA was $40 million in losses. They now think it was closer to $126 million — an astonishing sum. When authorities raided his home in Mexico they found $200 million in cold hard cash a photo of which can be seen here.
Frank Lucas is a former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who operated in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was particularly known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly from his source in the Golden Triangle. Lucas boasted that he smuggled heroin using the coffins of dead American servicemen, but this claim is denied by his South Asian associate, Leslie “Ike” Atkinson. His career was dramatized in the 2007 feature film American Gangster.
Klaas Bruinsma was a major Dutch drug lord, shot to death by mafia member and former police officer Martin Hoogland. He was known as “De Lange” (“the tall one”) and also as “De Dominee” (“the minister”) because of his black clothing and his habit of lecturing others. On October 2, 2003, a former bodyguard of Bruinsma, Charlie da Silva, declared in the television show of Peter R. de Vries, that Mabel Wisse Smit had been a very close friend of Bruinsma’s, and had been a regular guest on his yacht during the nights. Wisse Smit, who at that point was engaged to Prince Friso, had told prime-minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Queen Beatrix that she had only been vaguely acquainted with Bruinsma. Because of this incident, the Dutch government decided not to request permission of parliament for the marriage, causing Prince Friso to lose his claim to the Dutch throne after his marriage to Wisse Smit.
Zambada is hardly a household name, yet he has become the most wanted drug smuggler in Mexico,and is expected to be added soon to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and DEA most wanted list, U.S. and Mexico drug agents told AP. Mexico’s top anti-drug prosecutor, José Santiago Vasconcelos, called Zambada “drug dealer No. 1″ and said the fugitive has become more powerful as his fellow kingpins have fallen, including one who was allegedly killed on Zambada’s orders.
For more than a decade, Panamanian Manuel Noriega was a highly paid CIA asset and collaborator, despite knowledge by U.S. drug authorities as early as 1971 that the general was heavily involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Noriega facilitated “guns-for-drugs” flights for the contras, providing protection and pilots, as well as safe havens for drug cartel officials, and discreet banking facilities.
The Cali Cartel had been formed in the early 1970s by jonathan almanza-Orejuela and Jose Santacruz-Londono, and rose quietly alongside its violent rival, the Medellín Cartel. But while the Medellín Cartel gained an international reputation for brutality and murder, the Cali traffickers posed as legitimate businessmen. This unique criminal enterprise initially involved itself in counterfeiting and kidnapping, but gradually expanded into smuggling cocaine base from Peru and Bolivia to Colombia for conversion into powder cocaine.
Loera is Mexico’s top Drug Kingpin after the arrest of his rival Osiel Cardenas of the Gulf Cartel. He is well known for his use of sophisticated tunnels — similar to the one located in Douglas, Arizona — to smuggle cocaine from Mexico into the United States in the early 1990s. In 1993 a 7.3 ton shipment of his cocaine, concealed in cans of chili peppers and destined for the United States, was seized in Tecate, Baja California. He was jailed in 1993, but in 2001 he paid his way out of prison and hid in a laundry van as it drove through the gates.
Cárdenas is a Mexican drug lord who is the symbolic leader of the Gulf Cartel. Originally a mechanic in Matamoros, he entered the Gulf Cartel by helping Chava Gómez (the capo at the time) and he later took control by killing Gómez, earning Cárdenas the nickname “el Mata Amigos” (The Friend-Killer). In 1999, in Matamoros, he allegedly threatened to kill two U.S. federal agents (one from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and another from the Drug Enforcement Administration) who were transporting a Gulf Cartel informant through Matamoros. Cardenas and more than a dozen of his men surrounded the agents’ car near downtown. After a tense standoff, the agents were able to talk their way out of being killed by reminding Cárdenas that the U.S. would hunt him for the rest of his life. After the incident, the Federal Bureau of Investigation would offer a $2 million award for Cárdenas’ arrest.
Cárdenas was captured by the Mexican Army in a battle with Gulf Cartel soldiers on March 14, 2003 in Matamoros.Though subsequently incarcerated at Penal del Altiplano (La Palma), Mexico’s top security prison, it was widely believed that he continued to have control over Gulf Cartel business from within prison walls. On January 20, 2007, he was extradited to the United States to stand trial for conspiracy to import multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States, as well as the 1999 incident involving the two U.S. Federal Agents. Jailed or not, on May 1, 2008, Cárdenas threw a Day of the Child party for 2,000 people in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, replete with banners, ponies, clowns, food and music.
As the top drug trafficker in Mexico, Carrillo was transporting four times more cocaine to the U.S. than any other trafficker in the world, building a fortune of over US$25 billion. He was called El Señor de los Cielos (“The Lord of the Skies”) for his pioneering use of over 22 private 727 jet airliners to transport Colombian cocaine to municipal airports, and dirt airstrips around Mexico, including Juárez. In the months before his death, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration described Carrillo as the most powerful drug trafficker of his era, and many analysts claimed profits neared $25 billion, making him one of the world’s wealthiest men.
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was the most notorious and violent drug lord of the Medellín Cartel. Escobar was killed by the Search Bloc, a group of Colombian police devoted to capturing Escobar, on a Colombian rooftop in 1993; by this time, the cartel had already been severely damaged. However, there would be no rest. After Escobar’s death, the Medellín Cartel fragmented and the cocaine market soon became dominated by the rival Cali Cartel, until the mid-1990s when its leaders, too, were either killed or captured by the government.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Text is derived from Wikipedia.
1 ants1
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 am
Happy Rocktober folks, may the controversy surrounding this list begin, for example? How do you know these people are the most powerful drug lords and after readind this should we dear for our lives?
2 ants1
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 am
make that fear for our lives…….
3 dbrownl
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:41 am
hmmm, not much info on the #1 guy, #2 seems to be pretty impessive in his trade $25 bil is a decent amount…what about tony montana??? anyone? anyone? no never mind fictional character
4 Em
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 am
How come the photos for 1 and 2 show the same man?
5 Am
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:01 am
stop assuming Em, just because they look the same and have identical beards doesnt mean theyre the same
6 saber25
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 am
Hmm wow, imagine these guys creep up to you and say
“Hey man, you wanna buy a liquid in plastic and white Nottingham powder?”
Hehe cool list btw.
And remember, if you see this guys, rip em off right away
7 deezer
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 am
wow!! interesting list. I’ve never heard of any of these people… greed is good. D
8 flagfool
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:19 am
Escobar had a private zoo and after he was killed hippos escaped and are still seen around the area. A drug lord’s life seems to be like the product they sell – you’re high for a while than you come crashing down.
9 sacha
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:33 am
yestarday i was looking at a program on my tv in italy, it was about mafia (roberto saviano was the main speaker). i found it really scary and fascinating how if you go to jail you get a pension of 4000 euro if it’s more than 20 years and 2500 if it’s less, if your wife betrays you the man she had sex with would get killed. the mafia does not like to mobilitate the police for murder so the people always dissapeare, moreover the mafia invests in all a sort of legal stuff around the world.
10 muzli
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:36 am
Most of these guys seem to be operating from the South America, mmmm….
11 nuriko
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:05 am
nice…
12 Smeghead
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:31 am
Ive only heard of Frank Lucas and Pablo Escobar.
13 adrii
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 am
what about the arellano family ?
with all the chaos they have caused in tijuana these
past years , i thought they would be on here.
either way , great list .
i love your site .
14 Captain Funtime
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:55 am
hahahaha @ 4
its in the job description to all look the same if you are a south american cocaine dealer.
my mate tiny tim should be on here.
15 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:10 am
No “Boston George”? I’m shocked! Although, I guess he would be considered an extension of Pablo. I wonder what happened to The Tuna.
16 archangel
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:22 am
…………. wow, tough life =]
17 mad88
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:38 am
what about giselda blanco, pablo escobar was HER protege
18 saimpz
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:44 am
no griselda blanco, the godmother ??
19 bucslim
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:46 am
@damien_karras (15):
Last time I saw the Tuna, he was trying to score a nickel bag from two Jesus freak songbirds.
20 bucslim
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:47 am
Fifteen bucks, little man, put that shit in my hand. If you don’t then you owe me owe me owe. Oooh ee oh wee oh.
21 cminus
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:53 am
I was half expecting to see names like William C. Weldon (Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson) and Richard T. Clark (CEO, Merck & Co.) on this list.
Not all drugs are illegal, after all.
22 ziiiiiim
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 am
i saw a documentary on a colombian drug lord,i think it was #1,cant remember his name
23 Skrillah
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 am
Not a well researched list.
Pablo Escobar is said to have told the government that he will settle their( The governments) debts if they leave him alone. People around him recognized him as a family man, unfortunately his love for the Human kind ended there.
As an animal lover he imported hippos from Africa to live in the pond of his Vast estate, Which was completed with its own jurrasic park with life size Dinosaurs.
The infamous ”Escobars treasure” remains a mystery.
His family lives in Argentina under a different surname, since his assassination.
He is currently burning inside the Devils oven with the temperature set to 60 million degrees Celsius.
^ Based on a true story.
24 oouchan
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 am
Not sure about this list. Interesting subject, however. Too much South American….what about Asia? More that are more powerful, like Khun Sa.
25 flamehorse
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 am
I knew #1 would be #1. He’s the only one I’ve ever heard of. Which is saying a lot. Great list! Thanks.
26 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:14 am
@bucslim (20): Noinch, Noinch, Noinch, Schmokin Weed, Schmokin’ Weed, Doin’ Coke, Drinkin’ Beers…
27 sg
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:17 am
oouchan: mexico isnt in south america.
interesting list!
28 MommaDuck
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 am
This list, although interesting, was hard to read. The descriptions seems to jump around and didn’t really seem coherent.
Drugs are bad…mmmmmmkay.
29 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 am
Thatnks for makin the man number 1. I sold coke and meth from about 98 till 05… I still sometims sell pot on the side and i still have a small shrine to the late great Escobar. Love him or hate he was a genius. Hate drugs and dealers? As long as drugs are outlawed the gov will line the pockets of violent guys like Escobar and lesser violent guys like me. God i love this country and its easily paid and corrupted officials. Sweeeeeet List.
30 Chavon
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 am
great list.
i only heard of “9,and number 1
very interesting tho….
i need to get a vice…the economy is tough these days.
31 Chavon
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:43 am
the pic of the money in number 1 wont work 4 me..im gona sit here until i can see it!!
32 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:51 am
@Chavon (30): I don’t trust a person who doesn’t have at least ONE vice.
33 Fher
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:56 am
Hey I am from Mexico and I’m not really proud of this list… interesting fact about Amado Carrillo, it was a long time ago but people say that he died in a OR from getting a face makeover and the Doctor betrayed him and kill him, but others think that it is all a LIE and his alive… KINDA LIKE MEXICO´s ELVIS¡¡¡ seriously not proud…
34 bucslim
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:58 am
@damien_karras (26):
YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE THE BALL LICKERS. . . .
35 Nauplius
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 am
#10 was accused of trafficking Sudafed?
36 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:02 am
(@bucslim (34):
I am the MASTER OF THE C.L.I.T.!
(Buc, this exchange has “marked for deletion” written ALL over it.)
37 bucslim
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 am
@damien_karras (36):
Hate to disagree with you, friend. But we know that Jay and Silent Bob are the most powerful drug dealers ever. Put El Jeffe in front of the Quick Stop or RST Video and he would have failed miserably only to be lost in the annals of obscurity. No way does any of these guys listed would have ever used rolling papers to fix their wiping problem. They would have been beaten to a pulp by Cocknocker. They wouldn’t have had the imagination to fly all over the country to beat the shit out of people who spoke badly of them. They would have never gone to Hollywood to stop a movie that wasn’t really talking about them but character’s based on them and at the same time finding their girlfriend’s, who was killed in a car explosion, monkey.
Bluntman and Chronic rule!
38 Me
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:23 am
http://www.joycedowling.com/Against-Drug-Prohibition.htm
39 Marshall
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 am
@General-Jake (29):
what a poser.
40 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:32 am
@bucslim (37): Nope, sorry brother. Don’t you remember they were arrested with the citation of “intent to cause mischief” because they were driving around with a deployed airbag? Then they found Christ and it was all down hill from there. AND they were friends of Bill W.! Sorry, man, but I need my old Jay and Silent Bob back to have them claim the nefarious title of “most powerful dealers ever”.
41 lrigD
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:42 am
Is it bad that I am Dutch, have been for 16 years (aka am 16 years old) and never knew the deal about ‘de Dominee’? I knew he had something to do with Mabel Wisse Smit, but that was it.
Hmmm…
42 bucslim
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 am
@damien_karras (40):
I don’t think they’re going to abide by the court’s ruling on that, Reynold’s Style.
43 GTT
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:31 am
Wow, I am not proud of my country right now… Even though we dont have these powerful drug lords, we are ones of the biggest producers of raw coca leaves in the world. You want to know the sad part? The “cocaleros” refuse to switch to other crops because coca is so profitable. And coca agriculture cannot be illegal because it is also used for other, legal purposes (for example, coca tea is very good for altitute sickness).
@General-Jake (29): You´re an ass. I cannot believe you would call a vicious, murderous thug like Pablo Escobar “great”. Imbecil, solo nos queda cruzar los dedos para que te espere el mismo destino.
44 Dwarfi
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:39 am
Great list, although the literal translation of “Dominee” is the preacher not the minister.
45 undaunted warrior
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 am
GTT @ (43 ) Wow that last sentence was a mouthful !
46 GTT
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 am
@undaunted warrior (45): Sorry… I wont into the debate about whether drugs are good or bad but to idolize a murderer? So yeah, that was my little Spanish rant…
47 JB
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Its making want to do it for a living.
48 Jasmine
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 am
8/10 latinooo or mexican citizens
49 Happypants
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
There were some badly written descriptions for a couple of those. Nice try though.
50 That Guy From Pennsylvania
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
Most, if not all of these guys, can rightfully boast that they made millions off stupid, weak people who thought nothing of ingesting dangerous drugs which were cut with God only knows what and were packed inside condoms that had travelled through the full length of various smugglers’ digestive tracts on their way to their friendly neighborhood pushers.
51 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am
Pero no es me culpa. I know im kinda scum… but if everyone in the world was sugar and roses itd be a pretty boring world. I gotta exsist so you fucks can have someone to compare good and evil to. There is night just like there is day. ANd i dont idolize murder i idolize those who do what they want when they want and dam the consequences. And call me an idiot if you like i wont talk shit. You can hate. The only one ill talk shit to here is randall. Just know this: Ive never hurt women or children.. only other scum like myself. Does that comfort you?
52 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
“You need people like me so you can point your f****n’ fingers and say, “That’s the bad guy.” So… what that make you? Good? You’re not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don’t have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy!”
53 TequilaSunrise502
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
why does number ten look just like Mr. Chow from the Hangover?
54 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Lolololmalo hey Damien calm down! Im not sayin im good.. in fact the opposite. Yes im a mean cold merciless son of a bitch. Im fated to be this way… i could not choose to be good jus as a dog cant choose be a cat. Whether god or science dictated such its jus the way of things. Good and evil the ying yang man. I guess all i wood ask is a little break cuz yeah ive put a guy or two in the hopital who didnt pay me but ive got several ‘colleagues’ who wouldnt hesitate to put the same guy in the ground. I guess what im tryin to say is im a little better cuz i do have some semblence of morals… i never hurt innocent people. If im knockin on someones door with a bat and a group of homys… believe me they deserve it.
55 damien_karras
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
@General-Jake (54):
Sorry man, I just couldn’t resist.
56 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:40 am
And yeah im like a tatooed long blond haired james bond when it comes to hidin and lying. Again, not somthin im proud of jus a skill ive had since i was young.
57 JessicaKarli
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:46 am
I couldn’t get into this list. It was boring, and hard to read.
58 Aubloom
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 am
it may have already been said in the comments somewhere but in all honesty, the most powerful drug lords in the world are the ones we don’t know about. The ones that get caught/killed aren’t that powerful
Escobar was pretty powerful since he was basically a robin hood and the people would side with him, which is why he was killed execution style on that rooftop.
59 Louis
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:29 am
COCAINE IS A HELL OF DRUG!!!!!!!!!!
60 Chanchita
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
@ GTT, calmate, deja que Dios lo castigue. He shouldn´t say things like that but don´t get worked up!!!
61 Cabc
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
What a jerk this muzil guy. What are you implying??
For your information Mexico is not in Southamerica. So study a little before you start talking giberish. I hope your school had taught you more than prejudices, or maube you failed in the manners class.
62 undaunted warrior
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
@GTT (46 ) No problem pal, we all have to get this off our chests sometime.
63 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Yes Gtt i know ill probably share a similar fate. But its ok its not sad its like you said yourself….destiny. Ive lived harsly and ill die harshly. I dont mean to i offend i jus firmly believe i must be wat iam just as a person afflicted with cancer or somthin like that. All these men listed are terrible hombres but they did something you and very few others have done… they wanted and they took. And everytime a well adjusted normal person sees guys like that they appreciate their own lives even more so. Arent you feeling somwhat superior in the fact your not covered in scars and hate as iam? You dont sell dope to feel at place in this world no! you work pay taxes and enjoy normalcy… i will never know that…ever.
64 jayme
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
@General Jake: yeah your a badass we get it, but badasses still can be educated. Learn to spell then talk crap
65 Jrodickens
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Best List Ever
66 Andres
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Mexican–a person from Mexico.
South American-a person from the continent south of Panama.
Latin American-technically, although the term is disputed, whoever happens to live in the Americas and natively speaks a romance language.
Hispanic American-a person that is from the Americas and speaks Spanish.
Spanish-a citizen of Spain.
So stop calling Mexicans “South Americans” and South Americans “Mexicans” and all of them “Spanish.” Say Hispanic please
67 jes
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
This is the most poorly written list I have read on this site. Can someone ***PLEASE*** review these lists before posting them? A third grader could have done a better job. I couldn’t even finish this list because I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a fork.
Prime example:
#10. “… It has since risen to $350 million and a lot of his fortune found its way to Las Vegas… “
It has since risen to $350 million??????? WHAT has since risen to $350 million??????? WHAT was IT in the first place?
I understand wanting to have your list posted, but PLEASE proof read it before you even submit it. And shame on whoever chooses these lists in allowing this one to get past the drawing room floor. If a list sounds interesting but isn’t quite up to snuff, please ask the submitter to edit it. If that takes too much time, just delete the list. I’d rather come to this website and see a message: “Friday, October 02, 2009, I was going to post a list about the Top 10 Most Powerful Drug Lords but the idiot who submitted the list couldn’t put a complete thought together. Regards.”
This could have been a fantastic list. FAIL.
68 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Look Jayme go piss off you dont know shit. I happen to have a degree in sociology so my education is fine. I choose to spell the way i do cuz its jus a shitty comment site. ANd if u werent such a dumbshit youd realize that my comments were not intended to prove my badassness or to even talk ‘crap’ who have i talked shit to besides you fuckface? Im merely tryin to illustrate that not everyone is perfect. That all those guys listed above and others like them cant help the fate their dealt. Im college educated and in person appear very civil. But regardless of education some people are just evil. So re-read my comments you irrelevant pissant and see i wanst talkin shit or tryin to offend. just being the devils advocate.
69 uninsane
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
just out of curiosity are the drug lords in the middle east still around?Sort of surprised not to see any of them on the list.
70 Maximuz04
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Are any of these the leader of the Farc? The guy had his own country for gods sake
71 whatever
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
This could have been a good list if it weren’t for the devastatingly poor writing. Some of this didn’t ever make sense and a few don’t even metion what drugs they dealt in.
72 Rolo Tomasi
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
nice list. you definitely missed a few afghani drug lords and one notable one from Laos. Frank Lucas does not belong anywhere near this list. All these other guy are distributors Lucas is was a minor figure who was big for a few years around new york city. only famous from a movie
73 Spiff17
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
General-Jake should have been on this list. He deals heavily in cans o’ whoopass!!! Hahahahaha, but seriously. He does. Hes one “tattooed long haired james bond” I wouldn’t mess with.
74 WaeL
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Thing is, all these drug dealers are either mexican of origin, or has something associated with Mexico. Why isn’t there anything about big drug lords else-where in the world? cause there are
75 CARD
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Maximuz04 (70) None of these are or were leaders of the FARC, although some of them should be included in this list due to the fact that the FARC guerrilla nowadays are not a political movement but a drug cartel. They finance their terrorist acts with drug money. In this list should have been included paramilitary druglords in Colombia, at one moment they became much more powerful than Pablo Escobar. It is sad that my country has a lot to do with this list…
76 Federov
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
@General-Jake (68):
Hey Badass *ahem* excuse me, college educated, horribly scarred, dope peddling, poor spelling, whiny Badass wanna-be, it’s a list site, not a ghetto 7-11. Wouldn’t a badass like yourself prefer to hang out at another site like deathheadbikergang.com, crackheadsexyjunky.com, or slashdot.org/~meth?
With your woe-is-me-I’m-such-a-bad-dude attitude, I find it hard to believe you would survive anywhere without getting thumped or hospitalized, let alone survive a week in a real ghetto. I would even go so far as to speculate your dope dealing days wer swiping a few codeine pills from mom’s cabinet and selling them to a friend for milk money.
You came here looking to talk trash with randall, who knows why, and end up ticking half a dozen people off with your stupid comments. Time to shelve fate, take accord of your own actions, and GROW UP! And come on dood, a typos a typo, but I swear, my super-bad-ass-saber-toothed-attack Schipperke types better than you.
BTW: Pretty interesting list.
77 spider g
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
@jes: i understand that there wasnt that much info regarding some dl’s but thats all i was able to find i wasnt even gonna publish it due to that reason but i did n e ways since i was already doin it next time i do another one ill be sure to do more research,but n e ways thankz for the comment!
78 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Thank you federov finally some honesty. At least your blunt. Dam dude thats an education. Look it wasnt supposed t go this far. I just admire the wrong people and am of their ilk so maybe i shouldnt have been said my opinion or least stopped defending myself right? I dont want anybody to feel sorry for me i was jus tryin to explain why said what i said. And no i already loosed my hatred on randall yesterday. I wasnt lookin for him today. Not like i like spellin it out but no i made and sold anhydrous dope. (hence sudafed guy) sudaphed plus anhydrous ammonia equals good dope. And finally im ex a junkie tryin to comment on my mobile phone and its fuking hard to spell correctly ok? Trust im actually an alrite guy and i wouldnt wrong anyone unless they wrong me first. And yeah im probably at the wrong site. But i like listverse (those you mentioned above do sound good if they exsist.) So if people will stop cussin me ill stop commenting in my defense! Damn brother! PS a skipperke? you gay?
79 GTT
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:01 pm
@General-Jake (51):
See, that´s just it. You have absolutely no idea who you hurt with this crap. You think you´re just selling to the junkie? Think of the pain and suffering of that junkie´s family… or the violent lengths that junkie will go to in order to score some of your crap. And no offense, but this “this is all I know so what can I do?” attitude is pathetic. You choose what you are going to be every signle day. You can choose to be a hard-working, decent person or you can choose to be a murderous douche who wants easy money. You do not get to say it was “fate” and “completly out of your hands”.
@Chanchita (60):
80 Spiff17
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:24 pm
General-Jake: that was a legitimately cool statement you just made. Glad to hear you’re getting clean. Good for you man. But if you don’t want to be cussed out you shouldn’t speak positively about drug lords. You need some new people to admire. Thats a choice too.
81 pvvn
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
hey great list!!!! the number one was a bit disappointing though, was hoping for more info but the rest was really good
82 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
GTT: Truly wise words. I have spent my entire life believing in fate and destiny. Ive always believed hitler and stalin and even escobar could have done nothing different. But i swear i will genuinly consider what you said just now. You say we have utter choice? Fine ill try to do something out of character and see if it works. Again i did not mean to offend. Usually im in the company of those that woulda just agreed with me. Clearly im a snake in a room full of hawks. Lol ill piss off now.
Spiff17: Thanks dude and your right
83 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
PS federov: damn you now im paranoid about my spelling.
84 nigeltown
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I could barely finish this list it was so poorly written. Great subject, awful list.
85 archiealt
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
@GTT (79):
You know GTT, I sometimes don’t agree with what you have to say, in fact i’d hazard a guess that most of the time my opinion is the polar opposite to yours, but I always enjoy reading your posts. In my view you are far and away the most eloquent writer on this site and I always find you an enjoyable read.
86 cody
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
They forgot my name… Just Kidding.. Good List!
87 Kennoth
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
List’s ok, but it’s all copy pasta from wikipedia. I don’t see ANY effort put into it or, at least some advanced research
88 Federov
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
@General-Jake (83):
No I do not have a Schipperke. I chose that dog for the very reason it’s kind of a gay dog. I shouldn’t sy that, it’s not a “masculine” dog. I figured a bad-ass-saber-toothed-attack-Schipperke would put the fear of God in you. Lest you attack my home or something.
89 GTT
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
@General-Jake (82):
Look, you can believe in fate if you want but fate is what life throws at you. You get cancer, or you grow up in an abusive home or what have you. Fate is NOT how you react to those things. That´s all you. You grew up in a shitty neighborhood? Well, you can either accept it and become part of it or you can resist it. Sure, sometimes you do right and the results arent exactly what you would have wanted… That doesnt mean you give up. We are all self-made men (and women).
@archiealt (85): Ah, you´re making me blush! Thank you for your kind words…
90 PJMurphy
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
There are those who contend that the urge to become intoxicated is present in us all, to varying degrees. Legality is simply a matter of molecules; some molecules are legal, and some aren’t.
If this list is to be complete, then the “Drug Lords” should include pharmaceutical corporations. Drugs are drugs, legal or not. But let’s hypothesize that the list is limited to ILLEGAL drugs.
If it’s to be historically accurate, it should include those who made their fortunes with bootleg hooch during prohibition. If it’s to be geographically accurate, it should include those who make their money in the milk of the poppy, both in the Middle East, and in Southeast Asia.
This list seems to consist of only those nefarious characters who serve the American market. It is Americentric, and thus is by no means complete.
91 shaymm
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I wish you would have explained No 1 better. From the readings, and not having any prior knowledge, I would assume that No 2 was the most notorious.
92 Adrian
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Mm nice list, but yeah, the Arellanos are missing in here.
93 Casey
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
@28 Agreed, this was a cool list, but poorly written.
94 Casey
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
@GTT (89) If I had to guess, I’d say that you didn’t grow up in either an abusive home or a shitty neighborhood.
95 Ehmmie
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Most of them are Latin American…such a shame.
96 redcaboose
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
@General-Jake (68): If this is such a “crappy site”, why are you trying so hard to convince everyone that you are so tough and bad. I bet that you live in some tiny pissant town, and you work in a gas station, watching the world go by. Back off, no one cares for your crap, you illiterate wannabe gangster/spy. I bet that if they dropped you off on a street corner in a city like LA, or Chicago, or NY, you would piss your pants from fright.
97 GTT
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
@Casey (94): No, but I was a victim of child sexual abuse… Does that “qualify” me?
98 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Dam dude you feel better? Apparently you havent read my truly non offensive comments. Your right i do live in a small town..now i moved from Denver. Not as big as LA but still. Anyhoo i tried to be civil so tell ya what Redcaboose if your so sure go ahead and give me your address quick and i can look ya up eh? OR ill give you mine then you can give me yours (for confidence sake) And ill look you up and we can see how right you are. Go ahead i got time and money. Just leave it right down below… we can have a chat and work this out eh?
99 Rolo Tomasi
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I dont believe that General Jake ever said he was from the hood. I lived in a hood for about 8 years believe me nobody was selling meth around my way or anywhere else in any hood in the New York Area. He is probably from the midwest or some suburb and his customers were probably mostly white.
Its a shame that people associated the “hood” with drugs. I not really trying to pick a fight or anything but I gonna have to associated his claims of selling meth as indicating that he lived in some non-hood. Or some place with poor whites.
100 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Maybe a phone number? Im sure you and I can get along after a lil face to face chat. Im really interesting once you give me a chance!
101 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:04 pm
No rolo not from the hood. But i did get stomped and jumped and shit alot. Your right again i sold in colorado mostly to agian yes only white people. I cooked it with two mexican guys tho. Dam your smart.
102 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Im still waitin dude… cmon just a name and a state after we meet up im sure youl consider me a new found friend.
103 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Too far away? Hell no i got a SHIT-ton of free miles built up. Im POSITIVE if we hang out, drink some whiskey and play some chess youll not want me to leave. Where did you say again?
104 El Riky
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Im from Mexico, I lived in Reynosa, near Matamoros and equally or more violent, for 28 years. I recently moved south, mainly because I had enough, almost every weekend there was a shoot out between the military and drug dealers, or cartel vs cartel. Its just not a place to rise a family.
From my experience, it is not the king pins in Mexico who are the most violent, the middle man, the ones in charge of a small regions are the ones who attack innocent people with little or no provocation. In fact, most of them, when they get out of control, are killed by orders of the king pin and replaced. Most of them do not live past 28.
Ehmmie: I suppose you are an american. Americans are the top consumers of latin american made drugs. If there is no consumers, then there is no drug lords. If you see this as an opportunity to confirm racists beliefs, well that is a shame.
105 420rules
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
loosing 40 mil on gambling, sounds like the venitian and others were his money launderers
106 Jack the Licker
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
@jfrater: so you’re an opera singer? Wow. I found that in wikipedia.
107 redcaboose
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
@General-Jake (103): hahaha. Way to go Jake. Maybe we would get along, who knows. But do I want to meet you? No. Why? No reason. But if I was ever going to meet anyone from one of these sites, (big if), I think that it would be someone I respected a little, and agreed with a lot. But that’s ok, I’m sure we will meet again, in cyberspace. That’s it for today.
108 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Wise choice.
109 General-Jake
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
You get to enjoy solid food a bit longer
110 laura
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:45 pm
good to see i’m not on this list
111 bugsy
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
If you want cocaine, you just go buy it, it’s readily available al over the world, so whats the big deal?
112 archiealt
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:44 am
@General-Jake (109):
Shh
113 Steve
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:39 am
I think General-Jake is full of shit and even if he’s not, who cares? I don’t remember anyone asking other people to post a boring story. Maybe if you spend less time elaborating a tale of debauchery and more time pulling your head out of your ass then you would be able to get a real job. Oh wait, you can’t because a sociology degree is useless.
114 B
October 3rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
All these guys are household names where i live (bordertown AZ) it’s more than drugs with these ppl. The terror they reign even in the US is unstoppable. Families coming home to ice chests on their porch with their fathers or brothers mutilated body parts is not uncommon. Neither are complete families found dead and mutilated even their children. Young girls kidnapped to serve as virgin slaves for cartel lords is a risk any young girl has to face in mexico. The police force is closely tied with these ppl so they isnt anything anybody can do.
115 danieller
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
good god where is george jung?
116 danieller
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Actually I suppose he falls under Escobar anyway.
117 burak
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
wheres tony montana mayn
118 Obliterator
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Great list, honor to Pablo Escobar, el patrón. One of the biggest political and social leaders in south america.
A los indios pobres, les compraba casas
A los indios fuertes les daba armas
A los policas comprados les dio mordidas de feria
A los jueces pendejos les corto los pescuezos
119 malume
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
What about the countless individuals dying using the drugs?
Bamboric.
120 anythingspossimpable
October 4th, 2009 at 1:09 am
NIIICEEE!
Bruskee’s Worldwide Blog: http://anythingspossimpable.wordpress.com
READ, COMMENT & SUGGEST!!
Today’s Top10: NBA Teams – 2010 Predictions.
121 Jason S.
October 5th, 2009 at 1:54 am
drugs are bad…..ass
122 AMK
October 5th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I learned more renting “cocaine cowboys”.
123 jojo
October 6th, 2009 at 9:17 am
List stright out of wikipedia.. If that’s research i can post lists daily.. Search Drug lords on wikipedia for the exact same $h!t.. FAIL
124 WTFuSTPD
October 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Why isn’t the C.I.A. o the top of the list???
It is still, the single most largest drogtrafficer in the world…
it’s time to get rid of all this bullshit once and for all.
125 karolina
October 6th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Though basically all of them are Latin American we got to understand that much of the fault also lies on the US…I mean they’re not risking geting caught because they want Canadian money. Unfortunately, yeah, the US is a big drug consumer.
I live not less than 5 minutes from the Rio Grande River (Pharr, Texas) and I think im already desensitized from all the violence in Matamoros & Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Real shame. I’m proud of my mexican roots but still…
126 karolina
October 6th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
The saddest part is that I can’t even my family in Mexico because of this violence. Even my aunts are like do not come, we will try to go to the US to visit you.
This past saturday there was a shooting in Reynosa. The video is in Youtube for sure. I mean from spending my weekends over there at the stores and the beautiful parks to not seeing my family in a reallllllyyy long time. Yeah im mad .
I do not believe that drugs should be legalized. The Cartels will just become territorial. However, I do believe in the death sentence. Heavens knows that with just the threat of death row, all this will calm down.
127 Hav
November 7th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
How about Alejandro Sosa, the guy Tony Montana is based on?
128 doug
November 13th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
how about gresille deblanco?
129 pelican
November 24th, 2009 at 7:35 am
i think it nice to see and know how to make leaving like this….sure am inn..call me
130 aztec
December 8th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
El mayo zambada is should be number 2 in the list and the first one amado carrillo. El mayo is the boss of el chapo and mexican gov. had try to capture him for 30 years. 500.000 member in the mexican cartel and the chapo is the 2 most wanted in world. Osama is the first one. El chapo is 41 most powerful in the world.
131 AL
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:13 am
dutch? how it,s possible
132 nice work
January 24th, 2010 at 1:09 am
what is the difference between builders and crushers
it is the only way to see a different border
when can we say i want to see
if it only represents another line
133 Miki
January 29th, 2010 at 4:19 am
Well all this is interesting..but there are not just Mexicans Drug Lords …they are every where ..in every state …in every bigger town ther is at least one drug lord…i come from Balkan and we hade in 90′s a pretty bad criminal situation drugs violance was everywhere war time but the truth ..criminals are just 30% of work ..goverment do the rest …they are like brothers criminal and goverment ..connected ..and they will be forever sad but truth…sory for my bad english :XD
134 shaun27
January 31st, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Not to impressed with how they explain the drugs lords but o well at least you get the idea, very interesting what I read going down this page and how much people get upset when someone says anything bad about they sold drugs or anything like that saying to get a job and all that but what if you can’t find a job or there isn’t any ever think of that most small drug dealers don’t want to do what they do but need the money baddly and if the addict on whatever drug choice don’t go though you they get it somewhere else no stopping that and that person is hurting themselfs not the dealer not to stick up for people who think selling is cool just a giving a reality check on people who lives are completely hard and do what they got to do to get by even though they don’t want too
135 Jeremy
February 6th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I think the best of all is Frank Lucas..He was the genius among all of them,smuggling heroin with serviceman coffins….was Amazing!!!!!!! he thee hero!!!
136 dazza
February 7th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
pablo escobar was abit of a robin hood except he murderd rivals brutally and instead of stealing from the rich he started their cocaine problem
137 chepino
April 21st, 2010 at 7:35 am
@Jasmine [48]: I’m a mexican
138 John
April 27th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
#2 has been the most powerful drug lord ever, it makes Pablo Escobar look like a joke i dont know why he’s ranked #1, miss information like this makes people think other things.
139 tavo
April 28th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Joaquín Guzmán Loera“El Chapo Guzmán” is actualy the most powerful druglord.
140 tavo
April 28th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
And the Best druglords are from MEXICO nowhere else
141 J
April 28th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
@tavo [140]:
Oh, and you must feel proud about that fact, like most of his sympathizers, am I right?.
142 This guy
May 4th, 2010 at 1:32 am
For people that don’t know about drug lords or see to much tv:
#2-Amado Carillo Fuentes from Mexico was actually the most powerful and most low profile drug lord, and yes more than Escobar. He died in a plastic surgery complication and achieved more wealth much faster and in a shorter time, he was also young unlike other drug lords. The only reason Pablo Escobar is #1, is because he was the most famous and notorious.
Also this is an outdated list and since than Mayo Zambada and Chapo are the most powerful drug lords in the world today. There are over 500,000 people in the Mexican Cartel and in the past 6 years over 150,000 Mexican soldiers have deserted the Mexican Army joining the Cartels. Buscaglia of Columbia University “You do not have an effective repercussion in organized crime in Mexico where only 2% of the 56,000 detainees have been found guilty and where 78% of the GDP sectors have been infiltrated by organized crime.” The Mexican Cartel makes from 48-60 billion a year only on drug trafficking but they also engage in other 23 criminal activities from oil scamming/stealing to commercial extortion.
143 Mkay
May 10th, 2010 at 12:28 am
what about george jung?!!
144 AvtomatKalashnikova
May 16th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I think you guys really over reacted with General-Jake here, yeah he ‘idolizes’ the kinds of people we all call monsters, but like damien_karras said in comment 52 (which is a quote straight from scareface, i know) there are much bigger monsters out there that most people idolize simply because they don’t know, or except how horrible these people are.
And like someone had mentioned before, the CIA is BY FAR the largest ILLEGAL drug selling super power the world has ever seen, if you actually do some research you’ll see that a lot of the world’s most messed up countries are messed up because of the US, in fact haiti is basically controlled right now by rich drug lords who were put in positions of power by the CIA, and some of the people in this list were working with the CIA until they tried to screw the CIA over.
So in reality this is a list of the world most powerfull non-govnerment related drug lords.
145 your king
May 23rd, 2010 at 2:40 am
i controled all those pegons over the past years, they all worked for me, so guess who i am, heres a clue ( tiger ) chow for know
146 c m
June 7th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
None of these individuals should be glorified. Not even with a movie! They are no heros, whatsoever! Just low-down creeps who peddled in drugs, destroying homes of innocents, and abided by their own set of laws. Imagine Frank Lucas now has a site up for children of the incarcerated! Guess what jackass? You and your wife were soley responsible for putting your own children through that hell! That is where thugs go! To jail! I was an innocent child of 6 who's family was plagued and destroyed by a druglord when my upstanding, law-abiding father was doing his job! His life was takened and our family torn apart. Instead of the Frank Lucas setting up a site for children of the incarcerated he should be rightfully giving back to the children of familes who's parents were takened away due to this low-life scumbag. Then again, who wants blood monies? I hope they all burn in the devils oven!
147 Mike
June 19th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Might have been said but what about Freeway Ricky Ross?
148 Cheech & Chong
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:03 am
US the number one drug consumer in the world!! ahhh
149 juan barzza
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:26 pm
Andres u ar3 just a lil punk mutha fuk u are scared cuz we are stonger then the law
150 johnsmith
July 16th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
The Sassoon family responsible for the Opium trade into British controlled China as number 1.
I would have put the KLA in Kosovo responsible for trafficking heroin into Europe amongst other things created by western intelligence primarily German, British and US during the 90’s.
All the best drug dealers work for the CIA/MI6.
Afghan drug lords based in the US directing Heroin into Russia from Afghanistan to fuel the Islamic insurgency in Central Asia, Russia and China.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100610/159377545.html
Dennis Hopsicker of Mad Cow Morning News has done some excellent research and reporting on the history of CIA linked drug smuggling in Florida using chartered airports especially there link to the 9/11 hijackers even interviewing Atta’s girlfriend.
“Russian” Mob Link to 9/11 Hijackers
http://www.madcowprod.com/10252006.html
The 9/11 Heroin connection: The Biggest Censored Story of the 21st Century
http://www.madcowprod.com/09062006.html