Diego Murillo Bejarano

In thisSpanish name,the first or paternalsurnameisMurilloand the second or maternal family name isBejarano.

Diego Fernando Murillo Bejarano(born 23 February 1961), also known asDon BernaorAdolfo Paz,is a former leader of theUnited Self-Defense Forces of Colombiaparamilitary group, as well as the leader ofThe Office of Envigadocartel.

Diego Murillo Bejarano
Born	(1961-02-23)February 23, 1961 Tuluá,Valle del Cauca,Colombia
Other names	Don Berna, Adolfo Paz
Occupation(s)	Leader of theUnited Self-Defense Forces of ColombiaandThe Office of Envigado
Conviction(s)	Drug trafficking,money laundering
Criminal penalty	27 to 33 years imprisonment

Drug cartel activities

His squad was involved with the kidnapping of a drug lord who in revenge killed every squad member except Murillo, who managed to escape to the city ofItagüí.In this city he became acquainted with the Galeano family, partners ofPablo Escobarand members of theMedellín Cartel.The Galeanos controlled then what was called theOficina de Envigado.Murillo became one of the top aides of the family, and it was as such that he received the gun injury that would give him a permanent limp. The Galeanos, however, fell out of favor with Escobar, who ordered them killed in 1992.Murillo managed to survive and then joinedLos Pepes,an organization headed by the Castaño brothers,CarlosandFidelto counter Escobar. He also managed to gain control over the illegal businesses controlled by the Galeanos in Itagüí, including the Oficina de Envigado.

Soon, Murillo had become the leader of the many criminal andhitmengangs inMedellín,particularly the fearsomeLa Terraza,which was involved in theft, blackmail, extortion, assassination, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. Around the year 2000, however, members of La Terraza rebelled against Murillo and started a war against him.By then, Murillo had become well acquainted with the Castaño brothers and had also become the commander of two paramilitary blocs, theCacique Nutibara Blocand theGranada Heroes Bloc.He also gained control over much of the drug traffic in the area.

He became third in thechain of commandof theAUCand a key player during the peace process inSanta Fe de Ralito,Córdobabetween his organization and the government ofColombia,and he demobilized in November, 2003. However, in 2005 he was accused by a court of being responsible for the death of a deputy. He then escaped from Santa Fe de Ralito and surrendered to authorities four days later.

Extradition to the United States

In the early morning of May 13, 2008, Murillo Bejarano and 13 other paramilitary leaders were taken from their jail cells in a surprise action by the Colombian government. According to Colombian Interior MinisterCarlos Holguín,they refused to comply with the country's Peace and Justice law and were therefore extradited to the United States. Many critics argued that this action would actually be favorable to the criminal as he would only be charged for drug trafficking in the United States, as opposed to being charged for his many murders and other illegal activities in Colombia.The next day, Don Berna pleaded not guilty tomoney launderinganddrug traffickingcharges filed by United States (federal) prosecutors of the Southern District of New York State. The judge ruled the trial would begin September 16, 2008.

On June 17, 2008, he pleaded guilty to trafficking tons of cocaine. His lawyers and prosecutors agreed that he would be sentenced from 324 months to 405 months in prison. The sentence was determined on December 18, 2008. The acting director of the United StatesDrug Enforcement Administrationsaid, "American and Colombian communities are safer with the removal of this notorious drug kingpin." On April 22, 2009, Don Berna was sentenced to 376 months (31 years 4 months) in prison and fined $4 million USD.

The National Movement of State Crimes, a coalition of several organizations of victims who suffered from state or paramilitary violence, has asked for the "return the paramilitary chiefs to the Colombian authorities so they may be processed by the ordinary justice system and not under the framework of the Law of Justice and Peace, since this framework benefits the victimizers and not the victims, since they have not told all of the truth, have not made comprehensive reparations to the victims, and have not dismantled their criminal structures".

The Office in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: "according to Colombian law, the reasons claimed by the President of the Republic to proceed with the previously-suspendedextraditionsare also grounds for their removal from the application of the 'Law of Justice and Peace' and for the loss of the benefits established therein ".

The Inter-American Commission stated that this "affects the Colombian State's obligation to guarantee victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations for the crimes committed by the paramilitary groups. The extradition impedes the investigation and prosecution of such grave crimes through the avenues established by the Justice and Peace Law in Colombia and through the Colombian justice system's regular criminal procedures. It also closes the door to the possibility that victims can participate directly in the search for truth about crimes committed during the conflict, and limits access to reparations for damages that were caused. This action also interferes with efforts to determine links between agents of the State and these paramilitary leaders."

In popular culture

• His character is played byMauricio Cujaron theNetflixshowNarcos.
• In TV SeriesPablo Escobar, The Drug Lordis portrayed by the Colombian actor Beto Arango as the character of Libardo Aldana Morón «Don Libardo».
• In TV SeriesTres Caínesis portrayed by Carlos Velásquez as the character of 'Don Serna'.

External links

Media related toDiego Murillo Bejaranoat Wikimedia Commons

• Revista Semana - La presencia Paramilitar
• Spanish Wikinews - Controversia por reclusion de jefe paramilitar en Colombia