Streamed on: Aug 22, 7:30 pm EDT

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In one of his only english interviews, I sit down with Pablo Escobar’s most dangerous partner — Carlos Lehder, the man who revolutionized coca*ne smuggling and lived to tell the truth.
This isn’t the story you saw in Narcos or read in the history books.
What’s it like being called “The Henry Ford of Coca*ne”? What really happened behind the scenes of the Medellín Cartel? And how do you survive 33 years in America’s most brutal prisons — including four years in solitary confinement?
In this raw conversation, Carlos opens up about his empire built on Norman’s Cay, his complex relationship with Pablo Escobar, and the moment everything came crashing down. We talk about betrayal, survival, and why he’s speaking out now at 75 years old.
This isn’t just about drug smuggling — it’s about power, consequence, and the price of choosing crime over everything else.
If you think you know the story of the Medellín Cartel... you’re only getting half the truth.

Carlos Lehder: Partner to Pablo Escobar and The King of Smugglers (Rare Sitdown)

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00:00 Introduction
01:27 Michael introduces Carlos Lehder
02:07 Prison, extradition, Narcos mention
03:26 New York upbringing
07:47 Wealth, satisfaction, regrets
10:36 How the Medellin drug trade started
13:55 Norman’s Cay and smuggling routes
16:38 George Jung partnership
20:44 Why Carlos never retired
23:19 The law finally catches up
24:24 135 years in prison—solitary life
29:23 Release, exile in Germany
32:28 Pirate analogy & amnesty
36:13 Pablo Escobar reconciliation
39:11 Lessons, book, and advice
43:54 Carlos’s new life & message
1:11:10 Michael’s closing thoughts