BOOK REVIEW: After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History
By Chris Feistl and Dave Mitchell with Jessica Balboni / Post Hill Press
Reviewed by: Terence Check
The Reviewer —Terence Check is Associate Chief Counsel for Infrastructure Security and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Texas; Adjunct Professor, Cleveland State University College of Law; LL.M., American University; J.D., Cleveland State University. All statements are made in the author’s personal capacity and do not reflect any position of any institution or agency
REVIEW — When I was a federal prosecutor in Texas, I had to handle a number of “supervised release” cases. These cases involve a previously-convicted person who violated one or more conditions imposed on them following their sentencing and release from prison. Unlike many high-profile drug, conspiracy, and human trafficking cases that you might see in federal court, these supervised release cases look more like county court—like domestic violence and petty theft. These were sad cases. After a chance at rehabilitation and a new start, these defendants somehow found their way back into the system.
I can’t recall exact numbers, but from what I saw, drugs were often to blame. Whether it was possession and use, or committing some other offense, my colleagues and I observed that illegal drugs, whether through the economic pressure or the health consequences of addiction, have a role to play in a lot of “ordinary” crime, like retail theft and fraud but also even starker cases like crimes against children. I saw firsthand how the drug trade is a scourge on society. I am honored to have worked with scores of brave men and women in our U.S. law enforcement community under multiple administrations to try and stem the flow of this poison into our country.
Therefore, it was great pleasure to review After Escobar, which was authored by two former DEA agents, Chris Feistl and Dave Mitchell, along with the help of writer Jessica Balboni. Their book tells the two-year saga in the mid-1990s of the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the leading “godfathers” of the Cali drug cartel (aka “Cocaine, Inc.”) one of the biggest multi-billion-dollar drug trafficking enterprises of all time. This exceedingly well-documented book provides first-person, on-the-ground perspective of one of the most important law enforcement investigation and prosecution campaigns of our time. While the hunt for Pablo Escobar has received extensive treatment in the press and in cinema, the Cali Cartel story also deserves our attention for its profound meaning for the war on drugs and the current arc of American society. If anything, the Cali Cartel shows how insidious the drug trade can be, even if dressed up and seemingly more “genteel” than other criminal groups.
For example, the authors relate their own experience in dealing with fearsome cartel assassins and the nerve-wracking experience of operating in such dangerous conditions. Firsthand recollections of Mitchell and Feistl rotating days where they’d start the car, with the other taking cover behind a pillar are the kinds of vivid details that make After Escobar truly come to life. I quite enjoyed several of the “in the weeds” anecdotes, such as the authors tying strings of cans and rigging makeshift alarms in their apartment a la Home Alone. This kind of colorful writing only can come from those who lived the experience. This intimate look at these investigations, up close and personal, set this book apart. You can feel transported to the luxury apartments where the godfathers of the Cali Cartel would hide out, and the prose inserts you in the action, almost as if you can feel the hammers hit the porcelain in the bathroom and the drills trying to punch through the walls, or the sweat of the men working against time before an official or legal paperwork gets in the way.
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As a former federal prosecutor, I liked how After Escober showed how Colombian prosecutors—for good or ill—had a large role to play in the takedown of the Cartel. In one instance, one prosecutor officiously detained our authors in the aftermath of one raid, taking several hours to write a denuncio (similar to a criminal complaint or “target letter” in the U.S. legal system) for their actions. On the other hand, After Escobar tells of an intrepid prosecutor clambering up a drainage canal in high heels on a high-stakes raid. This type of stark contrasts of bravery and cowardice or integrity and corruption are what make these accounts so thrilling, and why we Americans must be so appreciative of the police, military, legal, and judicial personnel in countries like Colombia for having the courage to risk life, limb, and livelihood for a better future not just for their own nation, but to also help keep Americans safe.
After Escobar, in this vein, is really a story about diplomacy, and the power it has as a force multiplier for our law enforcement and military. The authors show the reader the importance of the diplomatic cadre in helping to bring down the Cali Cartel by doing the hard work of negotiating with the Colombian government. The attachés, ambassadors, and foreign service officers played an integral role in ensuring that these brave authors had the resources and support they needed to achieve their mission. This mission might seem Sisyphean at times, but anyone who has lost a loved one to drug addiction or who has been victimized by organized crime knows how important it is to bring justice to the criminals responsible.
After Escobar will leave you wanting more. The authors hint at more stories left to tell. I, myself, would love to hear more about the early 1990s drug trade in the former Soviet bloc, which is mentioned at a few points in the book. In an era of interminable TV shows, abruptly-concluded books, and endless reboots, I appreciate how After Escobar has a true ending, which comes in the autumn of 1996 with the capture of the fourth main Cali “godfather.” The book’s coda provides an interesting summary of what happened to many of the principal players in the book, including the godfathers themselves, their underlings, politicians, and others. These snippets show how much had changed for the Cali Cartel, but how “Cocaine Inc.” has continued to morph in the intervening decades. Much of what troubles the world today about the drug trade, like the money laundering, the international networks of criminals, the murder of journalists, the dehumanization and enslavement of smuggled/trafficked people, all has roots in the Cali story. If you want to better understand how these problems might evolve in the future, After Escobar is essential reading from folks who were there.
Editor’s note:
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