| The Extraditables | |
| Founded: | 1984 |
| Founding Location: | Colombia |
| Founded By: | Pablo Escobar Gustavo Gaviria Jorge Ochoa Vásquez Juan Ochoa Vásquez José Rodríguez Gacha |
| Years Active: | 1984-1993 |
| Territory: | Colombia |
| Ethnicity: | Colombian |
| Criminal Activities: | Murder, assassination, intimidation, corruption, terrorism, bombing, kidnapping, bribery[1] |
| Allies: | Medellín Cartel and associates |
| Rivals: | Colombian government American government Search Bloc |
The Extraditables was a narcoterrorist organization created by Colombian drug lords in the early to mid 1980s.[2] [3] Their motto was: "We prefer a grave in Colombia to a prison in the United States".[2] [1] [4]
The aim of the group was to intimidate the Colombian government into banning extradition at the constitutional level (Colombia had a treaty of extradition with the United States) and they wanted to manipulate Colombian society into supporting their goal. Initially, the group simply published newspaper adverts in which they defended their position, and influenced political parties to speak in favour of their goals. However, over time their actions escalated into a war between the state and the drug cartel, with violent acts committed against politicians and members of law enforcement.[1]
Its members were largely drawn from the Medellín Cartel and others linked to the drug trafficking racket. Its principal leaders were: