In 1986, Salazar was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury for conspiracy resulting in the 1986 murder of Barry Seal, a former Medellín dealer turned informant.
According to Miami police, Salazar was responsible for around 80% of cocaine being shipped into the U.S.[2] He allegedly headed the cartel's operations in the U.S.[3] Law enforcement said he started shipments in 1978.
Mermelstein was "was responsible for working out the logistics of drug shipments to the United States, arranging flights, locating drop points, [and] scheduling deliveries.
"[3][6] Salazar's rival in Miami was dealer Griselda Blanco, until she was arrested in California in 1985 and extradited back to Colombia.
[1] On February 22, 1986, Barry Seal, a former Medellín dealer living in witness protection in Louisiana,[4] was fatally shot by an unknown person before he was supposed to testify against Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellín Cartel, and Jorge Ochoa—the latter of whom was detained in Spain.
[4] Salazar was also indicited by a federal grand jury in 1986 for allegedly importing 58 tons of cocaine into the U.S. between 1978 and 1986.
[1][2] The murder lead to an escalation of the Medellín—Cali war; in February 1988, a building occupied and owned by Pablo Escobar was bombed.