George Jung | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | George Jacob Jung (1942-08-06)August 6, 1942 Weymouth, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 5, 2021(2021-05-05) (aged 78) Weymouth, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other names | Boston George, El Americano |
| Occupations | Drug trafficker and smuggler |
| Spouse | Mirtha Calderon (divorced) |
| Children | 1 |
| Conviction | Conspiracy (1994) |
| Criminal penalty | 60 years' imprisonment; served 20 years |
| Medellín Cartel |
|---|
George Jacob Jung (/ˈjʌŋ/; August 6, 1942 – May 5, 2021), nicknamedBoston George andEl Americano, was an Americandrug trafficker andsmuggler. He was a major figure in the United Statescocaine trade during the 1970s and early '80s. Jung and his partnerCarlos Lehder smuggled cocaine into the United States for the ColombianMedellín Cartel. Jung was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 1994 onconspiracy charges, but was released in 2014. Jung was portrayed byJohnny Depp in the biopicBlow (2001).
George Jung was born on August 6, 1942, inWeymouth, Massachusetts, to Frederick Jung, who owned a small business, and Ermine (née O'Neill) Jung.[1][2] In high school, Jung was a star football player and was described by his classmates as "a natural leader",[2] but was charged by an undercover police officer forsolicitation ofprostitution.[1] After graduating in 1961 fromWeymouth High School, Jung briefly attended theUniversity of Southern Mississippi, where he considered studying advertising, but dropped out.[1][2] Jung began recreationally usingmarijuana and sold a portion of everything he bought to break even.
In 1967, after meeting with a childhood friend, Jung realized the enormous profit potential represented by smuggling thecannabis he bought in California back toNew England.[2] Jung initially had his flight attendant girlfriend transport the drugs in her suitcases on flights.[2] In search of even greater profits, he expanded his operation to flying the drugs in fromPuerto Vallarta, Mexico,[2] using airplanes stolen from private airports onCape Cod[3] and professional pilots.[4][1] At the height of this enterprise, Jung and his associates were reportedly making $250,000 a month (equivalent to over $2 million in 2024 dollars, adjusting forinflation).[2] This ended in 1974, when Jung was arrested inChicago for smuggling 660 pounds (300 kg) of marijuana. He had been staying at thePlayboy Club, where he was to meet a connection who would pick up the marijuana. The connection was arrested forheroin smuggling; however, he informed the authorities about Jung to get a reduced sentence.[4] After arguing with the judge about the purpose of sending a man to prison "for crossing an imaginary line with a bunch of plants",[3] Jung was sent to theFederal Correctional Institution, Danbury.[2]
While serving a sentence for marijuana smuggling at theFederal Correctional Institution, Danbury, in 1974, George Jung metCarlos Lehder, a young Colombian–German trafficker later associated with theMedellín Cartel.According to court records and DEA intelligence summaries, Jung introduced Lehder to basic methods of aviation-based smuggling, including aircraft procurement and drop coordination, while Lehder discussed emerging opportunities in Colombia’s cocaine trade.[5][6]
After their release in 1975, Jung and Lehder collaborated on several small-scale cocaine shipments from Colombia to the United States, using private aircraft and Caribbean refueling points.Jung’s role was limited to the early logistical phase; once Lehder began developing his independent transport base onNorman’s Cay in theBahamas (1978–1981), the two ended their partnership.[7]
There is no verifiable evidence—in judicial records, declassified enforcement files, or academic literature—that Jung ever met or worked directly withPablo Escobar or other Medellín leaders.Declassified DEA and Colombian intelligence assessments from the period describe Jung as an independent American smuggler who operated briefly alongside Lehder before the latter’s integration into Medellín’s network.[8][9]
Jung’s participation in cocaine trafficking declined after a series of arrests in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Later claims that he “worked with Escobar” or “controlled major portions of the U.S. cocaine market” are unsupported by available evidence and are generally attributed to post-facto mythologizing following his release and the 2001 biographical filmBlow.[10][11]
Jung was arrested in 1994 with 1,754 pounds (796 kg) of cocaine inTopeka, Kansas. He pleaded guilty to three counts ofconspiracy and received a 60-year sentence. His sentence was reduced to about 20 years after he testified against his ex-partner,Carlos Lehder. Jung was incarcerated atOtisville Federal Prison inOtisville, New York, before transferring toFederal Correctional Institution,Fort Dix, New Jersey, andFederal Correctional Institution, La Tuna inAnthony, Texas. This was his third time in prison.
Jung was due to be released in November 2014, but was released early, on June 2, 2014, after nearly 20 years.[12] In 2016, he was jailed for a federal supervision violation, then released from ahalfway house in 2017.[1]
In September 2014, Jung contributed to the novelHeavy with T. Rafael Cimino, nephew of film directorMichael Cimino.Heavy is a fictional story about Jung escaping from a Cuban prison and fleeing toGuatemala.[13]
Jung had been suffering fromliver andkidney failure and was receiving hospice care when he died on May 5, 2021, at hisWeymouth, Massachusetts, home.[14]
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