Part 3/11:
The escalation of Miami’s drug war was shocking but not entirely surprising. While the 1960s had fleshed out the usage of marijuana and psychedelics, the mid to late 1970s ushered in the cocaine era—one in which Miami emerged as the epicenter. Cocaine, a substance with a long and complicated history tracing back to the 19th century, waned and surged in popularity over the decades, eventually making its way into the vibrant nightlife of the early 1970s. Pioneered by the infamous Pablo Escobar and his Medellín cartel, cocaine was smuggled in staggering quantities; by 1975, he and his cohorts were introducing 40 to 60 kilograms of cocaine into Miami weekly.