By all accounts, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was the wealthiest, most powerful, and most violent criminal of the 20th Century. He became known as the world's first narco-terrorist. Escobar collaborated with other dangerous drug traffickers to form the Medellin Cartel, and eventually controlled more than 80% of all the cocaine distributed in the United States. He was named one of the ten wealthiest people in the world. Escobar's ruthless tactics allowed him to operate with impunity throughout South America, and he was responsible for the deaths of three Colombian Presidential candidates, an Attorney General, several Justice Ministers, more than 200 judges, more than 1,000 Police Officers, an unknown number of competing drug traffickers and perceived enemies, and countless innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Two American heroes, DEA Special Agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy, were part of the largest, most complex, multi-national, multi-jurisdiction, and high profile investigation of its time. Working with an elite Colombian Task Force, this was the first time an entire international drug Cartel was taken down and completely dismantled. These events and the actions of Agents Pena and Murphy were the inspiration for the new Netflix hit series, NARCOS.

Meet these heroes before the rest of the country learns of their significant contribution to battling the world's first narco-terrorist.

Javier Pena

Javier Pena, Special Agent in Charge, worked his way up through the U.S. DEA ranks, and in 1988 Retired Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Javier Pena volunteered for an assignment at the DEA office in Bogota, Colombia. Pena and his partner, Special Agent Steve Murphy, set out to bring down the notorious Medellin drug cartel led by Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, or Pablo Escobar.

Special Agents Pena and Murphy worked and lived with a hand-picked group of Colombian Police while going after Escobar. During Escobar's reign of Narco Terrorism thousands of innocent people died as a result of Escobar's orders, including police officers, politicians, judges and a presidential candidate.

Retired SAC Javier Pena spent six years in the search for Pablo Escobar. For his efforts Pena received Colombia's highest award given to someone not a Colombian citizen, as well as commendation awards from the DEA and the international community. Javier Pena is regarded as a subject matter expert on the Medellin cartel. His over 100 presentations have included numerous rare photos of original events during the rise and fall of the cartel. His presentations feature the details of his years spent trying to bring Escobar to justice and stop the carnage of the Medellin cartel. Pena has also appeared in television documentaries and on national news programs as well as in the Latin media.

Javier F Pena retired from the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Special Agent in Charge in January 2014 after 30 years of service. Nine years were spent as a Special Agent in Charge of three different major field divisions. Pena was first promoted to the ranks of Senior Executive Service (SES) as the Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco office in 2004, then he led the Caribbean DEA office as the Special Agent in Charge from 2008 until 2011. The Caribbean field office was responsible for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic,Barbados, Haiti, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago. After the Caribbean, SAC Pena led theHouston Field division which covered San Antonio, Laredo and McAllen, Texas, areas. Pena'sjob was to provide leadership and guidance and to ensure the exemplary performance of Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts, Diversion Prescription Personnel, Asset Forfeiture Specialists and others in the investigations of highly sophisticated criminal organizations operating domestically and internationally.

Javier Pena was graduated from Texas A & M International University (TAMIU) in 1979 with abachelor of arts degree in sociology; cum laude. Pena is fluent in Spanish as well as English and he holds a top security clearance (SCI). Pena was honored as a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award in 2010, an individual award granted by the U.S. Government to career Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Senior Career Employees.

Steve Murphy

As a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Stephen Murphy and his partner, Javier Pena, targeted the world's first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar, and the Medellin Cartel. Living and working alongside their Colombian National Police counterparts in Medellin, Colombia, as well as with elite U.S. military units, their efforts resulted in the dismantlement of the largest and most violent international drug trafficking organization of its time. This was a first in the field of international narcotics investigations. U.S. and international law enforcement continue to utilize many of the strategies and innovative ideas that were created and implemented by Steve and Javier.

Steve began his law enforcement career in 1975 as a Police Officer in the City of Bluefield, WV. He then moved to Norfolk, VA, and was employed as a Special Agent for the Norfolk Southern Corporation. In 1987, Steve became a Special Agent with the DEA. His agent assignments included Miami, FL; Bogotá, Colombia; and Greensboro, NC. Earning progressive promotions and leadership roles, Steve served two tours in the Atlanta Office where he was assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) office, and led the Mobile Enforcement Team Program. He created and directed the Atlanta Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force. In 2001, Steve was assigned to the Special Operations Division in Washington, DC, serving as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge and as the Executive Assistant to the Director. In December 2009, Steve was promoted to the Senior Executive Service ranks as Deputy Assistant Administrator over DEA's Office of Special Intelligence in Washington, DC, and later as the Special Agent in Charge/Director for the Department of Justice (DOJ), OCDETF Fusion Center, where he remained until his retirement in June 2013, after 37 years in law enforcement.

Following retirement, Steve founded a private company that provides specialized training for various components within the U.S. Department of Defense. Focusing on their overseas experiences, Steve and Javier conduct presentations for conferences, law enforcement/security training, universities/colleges, civic groups, and non-profit organizations that discuss their investigative experiences, leadership, conflict management, and how to survive and succeed when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds. Additionally, Steve and Javier serve as Technical Consultants/Subject Matter Experts for the newly released Netflix series, NARCOS, which is based on their activities while living in Colombia.

Steve was the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout his law enforcement career, to include the "DEA Special Agent of the Year Award," the "DEA Administrator's Group Achievement Award," the "Director's Award" from DOJ's OCDETF Program, the "Distinguished Service Cross" from the Republic of Colombia (first time presented to a non-Colombian official), and the "International Award of Honor" from the International Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association.