He was considered by Colombian authorities to be the mastermind behind the illegal drug trade business and the head of the Eastern Bloc's 16th Front of this rebel group.

He was also notorious for his association with Brazilian drug dealer Fernandinho Beiramar and his involvement in a clandestine arms deal of 10,000 AK-47s for the FARC through the Peruvian government official Vladimiro Montesinos, an adviser of former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori.

Medina Caracas was killed on 1 September 2007, in a Colombian Army military operation in eastern Colombia, within the municipality of Cumaribo near the border with Venezuela.

[1] Medina Caracas had between 17 and 23 legal processes pending with the Attorney General of Colombia, requesting his capture and a red corner notice issued by the INTERPOL.

He became a teacher in a public school in the town of Santander de Quilichao, northern Cauca Department near the vereda known as Mary López where he was born.