Pablo Escobar’s $2.5m home is seized by Colombian authorities after it was turned into a tourist attraction by his brother
- A $2.5 million home once purchased by Pablo Escobar was seized in Medellín, Colombia, on Thursday
- The property converted in a museum by his brother, Roberto Escobar, and drew international visitors
- Authorities claim the property was listed under the name of a woman and that Roberto Escobar ‘occupied it intermittently’
A home once owned by Pablo Escobar and then converted by his brother into a money-making tourist attraction has been seized by the Colombian government.
Authorities raided the $2.5 million property located in the Medellín neighborhood of El Poblado on Thursday as part of the longstanding efforts to eradicate the ‘narcotourism’ business that Roberto Escobar, the cartel’s former accountant, has benefited from.
The Attorney General’s Office said the property was purchased through the fortune that the Medellín Cartel boss accumulated off the drug trade in the 1980s and 1990s.
Since Pablo Escobar’s death on December 2, 1993, the site has been listed under the names of several people.
Colombian authorities raided a $2.5 million property once owned by Medellín Cartel founder Pablo Escobar last Thursday. The site was being operated as a museum by the his brother
Pablo Escobar’s home was turned into a museum by his brother and became a tourist destination for those who idolize one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers who ever lived
The museum sold multiple items that featured Pablo Escobar’s likeness
Pablo Escobar was shot dead while trying to escape from the roof of his home during a raid by cops on December 2, 1993
‘The evidence indicates that he (Roberto Escobar) has occupied it intermittently, has promoted several improvements and adjustments,’ the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.
The prosecutor’s office said that public records show he managed to get the property title listed under the name of a woman.
Sources with knowledge of the investigation told El Espectador that the property is currently owned by Gilma Urdinola. In addition, Urdinola had a contract to rent the museum to Roberto Escobar.
The museum kept alive the legacy of one of the world’s most notorious drug traffickers, who was known for sponsoring charity projects and soccer clubs, and shared some of his riches with local communities – thus drawing comparisons to a Robin Hood figure.
But Escobar’s cartel didn’t stop short of unleashing terror throughout Colombia, murdering thousands slowly began turning the public against him as federal United States law enforcement agencies were helping the Colombian military and police tear down his empire before killing him and a bodyguard as they tried to escape across rooftops.
The museum contained personal items, framed pictures and paintings, including one of him sitting alongside American mobster Al Capone.
A vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle and Porsche were also display inside separate glass boxes.
The site was separate from another located in the Medellín neighborhood of Loma del Indio that cartel boss had one purchased and before it was converted into a museum by Roberto Escobar and his son, Nicolás Escobar.
They opened the museum in 2018, featuring multiple vehicles, a Cessna and clothing once owned by Escobar and other objects praised him.
A property purchased by Pablo Escobar has been seized by Colombian authorities. The site served as a museum that was operated by his brother and featured many of the late drug lord’s personal items
Pablo Escobar’s horse saddles were among the many personal items that were on display at his home in the Medellín neighborhood of El Poblado. The property was seized by Colombian authorities Thursday
Framed pictures and a car of late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar are seen at a property seized by the Colombian Attorney General’s Office
A motorcycle owned owned by Pablo Escobar sits inside a case at a home that once belonged to him and that was seized by Colombian authorities Thursday
The museum drew hundreds of visitors from across the world every day, reliving the old stories of the Medellín Cartel boss, who controlled over 80 percent of the cocaine shipped to the United States and smuggled more than 15 tons of cocaine each day.
Escobar had an estimated net worth of $30 billion and earned a spot as one of Forbes Magazine’s ten wealthiest people in the world, and at one point bought a jet to transport his own cash.
The museum became an instant cash cow for the family and set the stage for a family feud when Nicolás Escobar confronted his father about failing to legally register the business and report its finances with the National Directorate of Taxes and Customs.
Roberto Escobar, brother of Pablo Escobar, has operated multiple museum’s in Medellín, drawing hundreds of international visitors each day
Roberto Escobar barred his son from the museum and reportedly ordered workers to kill him if he tried to return.
The lack of work permits eventually forced him to demolish the museum in July as pressure mounted from local officials who wanted to erase Medellín’s narco reputation.
Roberto Escobar, who was imprisoned with Escobar in 1991 and escaped with his brother in July 1992 before surrendering a year later, somehow sought the need to keep making money of his brother’s legacy with the recently seized property.
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