Daniel Van Ness was an American DEA agent who partnered with Chris Feistl to investigate the Cali cartel.
After completing a rotation in Chile, Van Ness arrived in Colombia and began working with Feistl. In 1994, Javier Peña sent the two men to Cali to take down the Cali cartel, which was on the verge of completing negotiations for a surrender deal with the government which would allow the leaders to walk freely after a formal jail-time.
After realizing that the Cali police force was under the cartel's payroll, the DEA agents independently followed cartel accountant Guillermo Pallomari to Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela's residence. With the help of Peña and CNP Colonel Hugo Martinez, they arrested Gilberto Rodríguez.
Afterwards, he and Feistl played an important role in getting Cali cartel counter surveillance expert Jorge Salcedo to turn states against the cartel. With Salcedo's information, Van Ness and Feistl took part in the CNP raid which led to the arrest of Gilberto's brother Miguel; effectively ending the cartel after the remaining two leaders voluntarily surrendered to the General Rosso Jose Serrano.