Wilber Alirio Varela Fajardo (November 6, 1957 – 2008), also known as ''Jabón'' ("Soap"), was a Colombian
drug trafficker
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
. He was the leader of the
Norte del Valle Cartel
The Norte del Valle Cartel ( es, Cártel del Norte del Valle), or North Valley Cartel, was a drug cartel that operated principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia, most notably the coastal city of Buenaventura. It ros ...
. A
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was en ...
indictment was filed in the District Court of the District of Columbia by the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
Criminal Division against the leaders of the Norte del Valle Cartel, including Varela. According to the indictment, the Norte del Valle Cartel exported approximately 500 metric tons of cocaine worth over $10 billion from Colombia to the United States, often through Mexico, between 1990 and 2004. The indictment was unsealed in May 2004. A provisional arrest warrant was issued and was sent to the U.S. Embassy in
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
.
In addition, in March 2004, a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York indicted Varela on Drug Trafficking Charges. The United States Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Varela.
[US Department of State: Wilber Alirio Varela Fajardo; Deceased]
state.gov Accessed September 10, 2007.
Death
In early 2008, Varela Fajardo was found murdered in a hotel resort in the state of
Mérida, in Venezuela.
On January 30, 2008, Venezuelan authorities confirmed his death after analyzing his fingerprints.
Colombian authorities believe he was murdered by his own men on orders of jailed paramilitary drug lord
Carlos Mario Jiménez, alias "Macaco", to end Varela's power struggle in the rival city
Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
and surrounding areas in
Antioquia. With Varela's death, Jimenez consolidated himself as the maximum authority over drug trafficking in Colombia, with control of the drug trade in 10 Colombian states and authority over the cartel. Jimenez was later extradited to the United States on May 7, 2008, on drug trafficking charges.
Popular culture
In TV series ''El Señor De Los Cielos'', ''
El Cartel'' and
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
, he is portrayed as the character Milton Jimenez 'El Cabo', by the Colombian actor
Robinson Diaz.
See also
*
Illegal drug trade in Colombia
The illegal drug trade in Colombia has, since the 1970s, centered successively on four major drug trafficking cartels: Medellín, Cali, Norte del Valle, and North Coast, as well as several ''bandas criminales'', or BACRIMs. The trade eventua ...
*
Illegal drug trade in Venezuela
Illegal drug trade in Venezuela is the practice of illegal drug trading in Venezuela. Venezuela has been a path to the United States for illegal drugs originating in Colombia, through Central America and Mexico and Caribbean countries such as Hai ...
References
External links
¿Quién era Wilber Varela, alias 'Jabón'?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varela Fajardo, Wilber Alirio
1958 births
2008 deaths
Colombian drug traffickers
Colombian people murdered abroad
Norte del Valle Cartel traffickers
People from Valle del Cauca Department
People murdered in Venezuela
Deaths by firearm in Venezuela
2008 murders in Venezuela
Colombian police officers