A drug trafficker long linked to the 1994 murder of Escobar was shot dead on Thursday in Mexico, President Petro confirmed. The man was identified as Santiago Galán Henao, who had previously been investigated in connection with Escobar’s death — a case that shook the football world.
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Escobar after the own goal against the United States
(Photo: Michael Kunkel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Escobar, a 27-year-old defender, was murdered in Medellín just days after scoring an own goal against the United States at the 1994 World Cup. Colombia lost 2–1 and was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament held in the U.S.
The killing occurred in a period when Colombia was dominated by another Escobar — drug lord Pablo Escobar. His brutal cartel cast a shadow over the country’s football scene, and every few months a player or referee was reportedly killed.
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Colombia fans pay tribute to Escobar at the 1998 World Cup in France
(Photo: Henri Szwarc/Bongarts/Getty Images)
According to investigators, Galán and his brother confronted Escobar at a nightclub on July 2, 1994 — just ten days after the own goal. The brothers’ driver, Humberto Muñoz Castro, later confessed to shooting Escobar multiple times in the club’s parking lot. Witnesses said he shouted “Goal!” each time he pulled the trigger. He was sentenced to 43 years in prison but was released after 11.
Authorities believe those involved had lost large sums of money after betting on Colombia to win. In a post on X, President Petro said Galán was killed Thursday in Mexico and described him as “responsible for Escobar’s murder — an act carried out in jealous rage at a nightclub that severely damaged Colombia’s international image.”
At the time, Galán and his brother were investigated for obstruction of justice and spent 15 months in prison without being formally charged. In 2015, both were placed on the U.S. Treasury sanctions list for drug trafficking and accused of belonging to a criminal organization that succeeded the Medellín cartel founded by Pablo Escobar.