Ep #164 Founding Member of Colombia’s Medellin Drug Cartel Story of Redemption Interview With Dr. Jorge Valdes Former Cocaine Drug Lord to PhD, Author, and Motivational Speaker

I got to interview Dr. Jorge Valdes.

As a young man in his twenties with an insatiable thirst for money and power, Dr. Jorge Valdes was a founding member of a group that became known as Colombia’s Medellin Drug Cartel.    

His key position as a head of U.S. operations brought him into direct contact with presidents, generals, Hollywood celebrities, and hired killers. This Cuban immigrant, raised in poverty, was living the high life in more ways than one. His deeds took him from the lap of luxury to the depths of prison and now walks the straight and narrow as a responsible citizen. He earned his Ph.D. has been invited to the White House to advise the U.S. federal government on drug policy and strives to reach millions of people about his narco mindset. The mindset that allowed him to survive before, during and after the Medellin Drug Cartel.

We Spoke About:

• 1:34 Coming to the US from Cuba.
• 3:16 Coming to Miami what life was like.
• 4:48 Youngest employee for the Federal Reserve Bank and went to University of Miami full time. Worked and studied for 4 years with no social life.
• 5:11 Accounting professor offered job to work with Spanish clients.
• 5:33 Goal was to go to law school, graduate by 23, and become a millionaire by 30.
• 6:00 The client he was given was a little grocery store in Little Havana in 1976.
• 6:10 Seeing a bag with 100,000, continuing to do the books. As an accountant doesn't make sense. Next week 75,000, Third week 100,000, so he had enough. He finally asked the owners how this was possible and they said, "Jorge we're drug dealers."
• 8:09 Came to him asking him if he could open foreign bank accounts. And he started opening foreign back accounts for them. No money laundering laws so he thought no problem with that.
• 9:03 Within the first 6 months he was handling 50 million dollars a month.
• 9:09 Asked to handle operations in the United States. No one would know anything you work for the Federal Government. He didn't want to get involved.
• 9:32 How he was put in a position to handle operations for the group that became known as the Medellín Drug Cartel.
• 13:29 Importing 500-1000 kilos in 1977 and he was making  $1-$3 million dollars a month.
• 13:51 Feeling empty inside with all those material things.
• 14:05 Got approached by government of Bolivia to be sold to directly.
• 15:11 Crash landing over the jungles of Panama and being arrested. Bribing the attorney general.
• 16:59 Being imprisoned and tortured in Panama for 28 days.
• 18:21 Arrested by Interpol charged with drug conspiracy.
• 18:36 Being sentenced to 15 years in prison.
• 19:47 Know how to come north.
• 20:45 Daughter inspired decision to change life.
• 23:21 Hired karate teacher that ended up telling him about God.
• 24:56 Being arrested 4 years after leaving the cartel.
• 31:30 Narco mindset.
• 36:19 Finding God.
• 36:50 World went from bad to worse.
• 55:01 War on drugs.
• 59:56 Don't let your failures change your mindset.
• And much more.

This episode is sponsored by Nova Zora Digital experts in digital marketing.