Javier Peña – DEA Agent on the Case of Colombian Narco Kingpin Pablo Escobar

Javier Peña, the retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent whose fight to take down Medellín Cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar was dramatized in Netflix’s “Narcos,” sits down with hosts Giovanni Rocco and Dutch McAlpin to share the real story of his career. After starting his law enforcement career in a Laredo, Texas jail, Javier Peña never expected the world’s most violent drug trafficker would know him by name and put a $300,000 bounty on his life. In this episode, Peña details his work as a DEA agent, setting the record straight about how he was portrayed in the show. He also discusses the key role the Colombian task force played in the takedown of Pablo Escobar. After 30 years of service, Peña retired from the DEA in 2014 as the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Houston Field Division. Though best known for his role alongside Steve Murphy on the Pablo Escobar case, Peña worked hundreds of cases that took him around the globe as an undercover agent, helping to dismantle and diminish drug trafficking networks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:08:13 Learning the drug trade 00:12:32 Undercover stories 00:21:22 Almost a rogue agent 00:28:47 The search for Kiki Camarena 00:42:03 Going after Escobar and his Sicarios 00:53:16 Taking the fight stateside 00:56:43 Pablo Escobar, the devil himself 00:57:53 Los Pepes take over 1:00:43 Netflix's Narcos and the lingering impact of Escobar Produced by The Mob Museum. Presented by Levy Online and Levy Production Group. For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit https://insidethelife.org/ For more on the Museum visit https://themobmuseum.org/