Wikimedia CommonsPablo Escobar's mugshot was taken in May 1976.

Pablo Escobar's mugshot has been printed on countless t-shirts and posters hanging in university dorms around the world. However, when this photo was taken, Escobar was still on the brink of becoming Colombia's biggest drug lord, on a rise filled with violence and unimaginable wealth. At that time, Escobar was just a young drug trafficker chasing after wealth.

Starting off as a small-time scammer, Escobar began with car theft and gradually turned to smuggling. After moving into cocaine trafficking, Colombian authorities caught him in the act in 1976. They processed him like other suspects, taking his photographs, fingerprints, and a mugshot.

Pablo Escobar's mugshot was merely a formality at that time, but it would eventually become one of the most famous photos in the world. It did not indicate that he was a man capable of orchestrating the murders of everyone in the police station; rather, it showcased his rebellious and unsettling smile, exuding a confidence that one day he could engage in such bloody acts.

Pablo Escobar has been glorified, celebrated, and mythologized beyond his dreams, and his legacy follows the darkest nightmares of families forever lost to his crimes. And of course, it is just a photo, but Pablo Escobar's mugshot is an impressive image capturing the drug lord's ruthless ambition and indifference to law and order.

Pablo Escobar's Early Rise

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Colombia. Growing up in Medellín, Escobar was the third of seven siblings born into poverty. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a teacher; however, he dropped out of school at the age of 16. Instead of spending time in class, Escobar preferred to hit the streets with his cousin Gustavo.

Although he returned to school two years later, he soon found himself at odds with the law despite dreaming of becoming the president of Colombia. In his quest to make quick money, Escobar resorted to stealing tombstones from cemeteries to sell them, forging fake diplomas, and stealing cars. Before long, he also stepped into drug trafficking.

Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesBy the time he was 44, Pablo Escobar had become one of the most powerful drug lords in the world.

Using the pre-existing network on the streets of Medellín, Escobar quickly established himself as a drug dealer. Colombia had long been known as a source of marijuana, but that was rapidly changing. The demand for cocaine was increasing, especially in the United States — and Pablo Escobar was perfectly positioned to take advantage of this situation.

As Escobar's power grew, 1976 became a significant year for him. He married Maria Victoria Henao, founded the powerful and ruthless Medellín cartel, and was arrested for the first time.

Although his arrest would not significantly affect his rise, Pablo Escobar's mugshot would become one of the most famous photos ever taken of the drug lord.

The Story of Pablo Escobar's Mugshot

By 1976, Escobar had successfully established his own system of producers, carriers, and distributors, and his business was rapidly growing. However, Escobar and his men were stopped by the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) while returning from a drug trafficking trip from Ecuador in May — and 85 pounds of cocaine were found in Escobar's vehicle.

In the TV series Narcos, it appears that Escobar uses his mantra "plata o plomo" (silver or lead) to escape arrest. The series suggests that he often got out of difficult situations through violence or bribery. However, Escobar was caught red-handed transporting a large quantity of drugs in 1976, and it was impossible to influence the authorities who stopped him.

The drug lord was arrested; Pablo Escobar's mugshot was taken.

Wikimedia CommonsA closer look at Pablo Escobar's mugshot shows the drug lord posing with a confident smile.

On that day, Escobar was wearing a simple collared shirt. His posture was relaxed, with no visible tension in his shoulders. He was looking directly at the camera, and although this image was merely one of the requirements for a police file, Pablo Escobar's mugshot would soon become famous worldwide.

It is easy to see why. Escobar shows no signs of stress, fear, or anger. Instead, he appears self-assured, relaxed, and even arrogant. It is as if he knows the fame and wealth waiting for him around the corner.

Or perhaps he knew just how easily he could escape any charges.

After Pablo Escobar's Mugshot

PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock PhotoAfter his arrest, Pablo Escobar would become one of the richest and most powerful drug lords in the world.

Pablo Escobar knew the case against him was solid: he had been caught red-handed with drugs. It would take creativity to escape the charges — and a bit of "plata o plomo."

Eventually, Escobar managed to bribe his judge, and the two agents who arrested him mysteriously ended up dead, according to Mark Bowden's book Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw.

There were no convictions, sentences, or civil suits. All that remained was Pablo Escobar's mugshot — with its wise gaze and menacing smile.

The rest of his story is history: Escobar expanded his operations at an astonishing pace and ultimately controlled 80% of the world's cocaine supply. While Escobar's exact net worth is unknown, it is believed to be between $30 billion and $60 billion throughout his life.

However, Pablo Escobar's power would not last long. The drug lord's reign came to an end on December 2, 1993, when he was killed by Colombian authorities while attempting to escape from rooftops in the Los Olivos neighborhood of Medellín.

Wikimedia CommonsPablo Escobar was killed on December 2, 1993.

Pablo Escobar's mugshot, however, has stood the test of time. It was recreated by actor Wagner Moura in the hit Netflix series Narcos, and this image has been printed on refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, and posters, becoming an iconic part of Escobar's legacy — while the lives of those affected by Escobar are far less impacted by this ongoing popularity.

Indeed, while Escobar portrayed himself as a Robin Hood figure building hospitals and housing for poor people, he and his cartel killed police officers, politicians, journalists, and ordinary citizens. In 1989, the cartel was accused of planting a bomb on a domestic passenger plane, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people.

His mugshot captures a man who felt larger than the law, taken before the peak of his power and the depths of his misery. And while the police officers who took that photo may not have predicted that Escobar would become one of the most powerful drug lords of all time, Escobar's smile suggests that he already envisioned this future for himself.