An official website of the United States Government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Salomon Camacho Mora (Captured)

Aliases: “Papa Grande,” “El Viejo,” “Salo,” “El Patron,” “Solomon Camacho,” “Hector Anibal Montoya”
Date of Birth: September 24, 1944
Place of Birth: Palmas Del Socorro, Santander, Colombia
Height: 5’9″, Weight: 169 lbs
Eyes: Brown, Hair: Black

In the 1980’s, Salomon Camacho Mora began his drug trafficking career with the Colombian Medellin Cartel and then became partners with Alberto Orlandez Gamboa, a powerful leader of the Colombian North Coast Cartel in Colombia. He had a series of other drug trafficking partnerships, including with the Orejuela brothers of the Cali Cartel. From 1998 to the present, Camacho has worked in a partnership with Hermagoras Gonzalez Polanco in what is often referred to as the Guajira Cartel. Camacho and Gonzalez Polanco are responsible for sending many tons of cocaine to the United States, including as much as 9 metric tons between 1999 and 2000. Camacho and Gonzalez Polanco reportedly have strong ties to Dominican drug trafficking organizations, which make payments for the drugs to Camacho and Gonzalez Polanco through an elaborate money laundering operation. The Guajira Cartel is known to use violence, intimidation, extortion, and murder to further their organization’s success.

In 1991, Camacho was indicted in the Southern District of Florida for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In 2002, Camacho was indicted in the District of New Jersey for money laundering violations. A superseding indictment was issued in 2005 against Camacho, Gonzalez Polanco and other associates for the original money laundering charges as well as conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Camacho was arrested in Venezuela in January 2010.

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future