José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, also known as El Mexicano (The Mexican) (1947-1989) was a Colombian smuggler and a member of the Medellín cartel.
Gacha was born on 14 May 1947 in the town of Pacho, Colombia. Later in his life, he began his career by smuggling emeralds, and by the early 1970s, gained reputation as a fierce killer and was well known for turning against his partners. His friend, Pablo Escobar convinced him to join his newly founded cocaine trafficking operation along with smugglers Carlos Lehder, Jorge Luis and Fabio Ochoa Vásquez to form the Medellín cartel.
Through the cartel, Gacha grew incredibly powerful and wealthy, becoming one of Colombia's earliest billionaires. He and his son Fredy Rodríguez Celades were killed during a shootout with the Search Bloc in 1989.