Law & Justice

Former Medellín Cartel Hitman Jhon Jairo Velásquez Serves 23 Years, Becomes YouTube Star Before Dying at 57

By TOI World Desk

Jhon Jairo Velásquez, a former hitman for Pablo Escobar, was involved in more than 250 murders and arranged an additional 3,000 killings for the Medellín Cartel during the 1980s and early 1990s. He was arrested in 1992 and sentenced to 30 years for murder, terrorism, extortion and drug trafficking, serving nearly 23 years before his release in 2014. After his release, he launched a YouTube channel titled "Repentant Popeye," where he criticized the Colombian government and recounted his past crimes. The channel grew to over 1.2 million followers. Velásquez also produced a film about his life and authored two books, "My Life as a Hitman for Pablo Escobar" and "Surviving Pablo Escobar: "Popeye" the Hitman." He returned to prison in 2018 on charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy. Velásquez died of oesophageal cancer on February 6, 2020, at the age of 57. He was born in Yarumal, Colombia, in 1962, and had dropped out of high school before joining the Colombian Navy, where he earned the nickname "Popeye". He later trained as a police officer, worked as a driver and bodyguard for a woman who was Pablo Escobar’s girlfriend, and was recruited by the cartel at age 18. Velásquez claimed he felt no remorse for his actions and stated he would not accept another contract to kill after his release. He also recalled specific incidents, such as the murder of a bus dispatcher, the kidnapping of Andrés Pastrana Arango, the assassination of Carlos Mauro Hoyos, the murder of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán, and the bombing of Avianca Flight 203, which killed all 107 people on board and three on the ground. Escobar died in a shootout with police while Velásquez was incarcerated.