Born in Rionegro and raised in Medellín, Escobar studied briefly at Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana of Medellín, but left without graduating; he instead began engaging in criminal activity, selling illegal cigarettes and fake lottery tickets, as well as participating in motor vehicle theft. In the early 1970s, he began to work for various drug smugglers, often kidnapping and holding people for ransom.

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Juan Pablo Hernandez Escobar. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Juan Pablo Hernandez Escobar och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.