Max Mermelstein
Max Mermelstein (born November 1, 1942 in Brooklyn , New York , † September 12, 2008 in Lexington , Kentucky ) was an American drug smuggler who worked for the Medellín Cartel and later became an important informant for the FBI .
Max Mermelstein trained as a mechanic in Brooklyn. He later traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico , where he entered the cocaine trade. His work in the cocaine trade began in 1981 when he worked for the Colombian dealer Rafael "Rafa" Cardona Salazar . Through "Rafa" and other drug lords, Mermelstein became one of the main representatives of the Medellín cartel in the USA from 1981.
In 1985 he was arrested in California. To avoid a long jail sentence, Mermelstein testified against the Medellin cartel and became a long-time key informant for the FBI. According to his statement, Mermelstein joined the witness protection program , which he later left. By the time he died, $ 3 million was left on his head.
Mermelstein died of cancer in Lexington, Kentucky in September 2008.
literature
- Max Mermelstein, Richard Smitten, Robin Moore: Inside the Cocaine Cartel. SPI Books, New York 1994, ISBN 1-56171-254-X .
- Max Mermelstein: "The man with the snow - an insider of the drug cartel unpacks", from the American by Clara Drechsler, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1991. ISBN 3-462-02104-4
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mermelstein, Max |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American drug smuggler and FBI informant |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 1, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 12, 2008 |
| Place of death | Lexington |