At the Devil's Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel

by William C. Rempel

In this riveting and relentless nonfiction thriller, award-winning investigative reporter William C. Rempel tells the harrowing story of former Cali cartel insider Jorge Salcedo, an ordinary man facing an extraordinary dilemma—a man forced to risk everything to escape the powerful and treacherous Cali crime syndicate. Colombia in the 1990s is a country in chaos, as a weak government battles guerrilla movements and narco-traffickers, including the notorious Pablo Escobar and his rivals in the Cali cartel. Enter Jorge Salcedo, a part-time soldier, a gifted engineer, a respected businessman and family man—and a man who despises Pablo Escobar for patriotic and deeply personal reasons. He is introduced to the godfathers of the Cali cartel, who are at war with Escobar and desperately want their foe dead. With mixed feelings, Jorge agrees to help them. Once inside, Jorge rises to become head of security for Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, principal godfather of the $7-billion-a-year Cali drug cartel. Jorge tries to turn a blind eye to the violence, corruption, and brutality that surround him, and he struggles privately to preserve his integrity even as he is drawn deeper into the web of cartel operations. Then comes an order from the godfathers that he can’t obey—but can’t refuse. Jorge realizes that his only way out is to bring down the biggest, richest crime syndicate of all time. Thus begins a heart-pumping roller-coaster ride of intensifying peril. Secretly aided by a pair of young American DEA agents, Jorge races time and cartel assassins to extract damaging evidence, help capture the fugitive godfather, and save the life of a witness targeted for murder. Through it all, death lurks a single misstep away.William C. Rempel is the only reporter with access to this story and to Jorge, who remains in hiding somewhere in the United States—even the author doesn’t know where—but has revealed his experience in gripping detail. Salcedo’s is the story of one extraordinary ordinary man forced to risk everything to end a nightmare of his own making.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, History, Biography, Politics, Audiobook

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Bill Rempel’s long and eventful career at the Los Angeles Times, both as a writer and an editor, produced an impressive collection of high-profile projects and change-makers. His reporting triggered government investigations, exposed White House and Pentagon scandals, and prompted reforms of state courts and consumer protection laws.

Groundbreaking reports on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were published before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and his extensive coverage of supertanker safety flaws began years before the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

The datelines on his overseas investigative reports range from Kiev to the Turks and Caicos Islands. He has co-authored exclusive reports detailing secret U.S. arms deals with Iran, tracking tons of explosives smuggled to terrorist camps in Libya, tracing embargoed nuclear technology out of South Africa and documenting sales and leases of Ukrainian cargo planes to Colombian drug lords.

In the 1990s, he broke a number of major political stories in the U.S. about Bill Clinton in Arkansas and subsequent financial controversies surrounding the 1996 Clinton-Gore presidential campaign. In 2000, his reporting in Texas documented how criminals and other unqualified applicants obtained permits to carry concealed handguns under a controversial weapons law signed by then-Gov. George W. Bush.

Rempel’s work has been recognized with numerous journalistic honors, including an Overseas Press Club award and the Gerald Loeb Award. He was also a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

His examination of the corrupt regime of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos led to disclosure of the Marcos diaries and his first book, DELUSIONS OF A DICTATOR (Little, Brown and Company, 1993). It was updated and re-released in 2013 as the e-Book, DIARY OF A DICTATOR — Ferdinand & Imelda: The Last Days of Camelot.

He spent nearly a decade in secret contacts with a former high ranking Colombian drug figure under federal protection somewhere in the United States, patiently amassing material until he could write AT THE DEVIL'S TABLE: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel (Random House, 2011). The book has since been issued in Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish.

An 80-episode Spanish language television series based on his book was released in 2014 by Sony-Teleset under the title: En la Boca del Lobo (In the Jaws of the Wolf). It is available in much of the world on Netflix. Also in 2014, Warner Brothers studios bought feature film rights for At the Devil’s Table.

Rempel has appeared on numerous radio and television current affairs programs, including The Today Show, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Reliable Sources and This American Life.

He was born in Palmer — in the Territory of Alaska — the grandson of Matanuska Valley homesteaders from Michigan and Russia. As a boy, he moved with his family to California where he later attended Pepperdine College on a journalism scholarship. His first newsroom after graduation was at the Copley chain’s South Bay Daily Breeze where he became assistant city editor.

Rempel joined the Los Angeles Times in 1973, covering suburban Los Angeles before taking over a metro beat covering the waterfront. He was later a roving state feature writer, business writer and a national correspondent based in Chicago for five winters. For the next 20-plus years Rempel led teams of investigative reporters both as a writer and editor. He left the Times in 2009 to complete work on his book, At the Devil’s Table.

His newest title THE GAMBLER, publishing with Harper Collins in November 2017 is a biography of self-made billionaire Kirk Kerkorian — daring aviator, gambler, and business tycoon — who bet billions based on gut instincts in a career spanning eight decades.

Reviews

[SAM · Rating 2 out of 5]

The front cover of At the Devils Table doesn't do the book any favours, as it looks like the kind of trashy novel you'd find in Poundland. For the majority of the 300 hundred pages it's a half decent read. I'm a fan of Narcos so I was anticipating an intriguing insight into the Cali Cartel, the successors of Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel.

It's always fascination to read about the ins and outs of a dark underworld like the drug trade but I don't feel At Devils Table delves far enough. The book comes across as a surface skimmer, with only a few scraps thrown at the reader and none of the gory details I wanted from a book like this. I mean, this guy was in the cartel so I really wanted full exposure but by the half way mark it was clear this was never going to happen. The book becomes boring and a chore to get through. I skimmed the last 50 or so pages. The only good thing was it made me want to watch Narcos Season 3, which I've neglected since its release.

[Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, true story of the inside working of the Cali Drug Cartel in Colombia, as well as a few highlights of its rival cartel in Medellin, led by Pablo Escobar. The book is an insider's story on the Cali Cartel, covering their war with Pablo Escobar's organization, the infamous gimmicking of the Colombian election won by President Ernesto Samper (thanks to millions of dollars in funding from the drug cartel) and the eventual downfall of the Cali Cartel, orchestrated in great part by the source for this book.

The book was produced by a reporter who had access to the person who collaborated with the DEA in the capture of the leaders of the Cali Cartel and the dismantling of that organization. This collaborator was none other than the Head of Security for the leaders of the Cali Cartel. His story is incredible, and it helps that I was in Colombia at the time, so I have personal knowledge of many of the public events, and some of the less public ones, too.

[Glenn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. I am surely biased, having lived in Cali starting right about the time most of this story winds down. But Rempel is a great storyteller. I read these 325+ pages in a period of a little over 24 hours. It really gives a sense of the level of corruption in Colombia, although this is changing and this country has a great future. The other big impression I have is how this history repeats itself — the Medellin and Cali cartels, and now how drug traficking is centered in Mexico. In terms of violence and control, the Cali cartel was relatively benign compared to Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel and the Mexicans. The success of anti-narcotics authorities will be temporary, as suppression of traficking in one place only moves the activity elsewhere (note how one of the key DEA agents in this story is now the head of the Phoenix office). None of this will end until cocaine is legalized or it somehow falls out of fashion among mostly American and European consumers.

[Michael Griswold · Rating 4 out of 5]

William C. Rempel tells the engaging yet frightening story of Jorge Salcedo, a former battery manufacturer turned head of security for the leadership of the Cali Drug Cartel of Columbia. With Rempel's lively and engaged prose the reader feels effectively transported inside of the inner workings of a Columbian drug cartel and the confliction that exists inside of Mr. Salcedo, in that he loves his job as a security man for the Cali Cartel and sees a hopeful future as the security consaultant while eventually realizing that he is stuck inside a business of blood and violence that he becomes increasingly uncomfortable with as time goes by. The book follows Jorge as he seeks out the help of the DEA as they are the only ones who won't be bought off by Columbian drug money.

Although Salcedos' story in itself is compelling, I personally was more blown away by the immense power the Cali cartel was able to obtain because the drug trade was so profitable, they where able to buy off police, army personel, politicians, and even bought a president, even more disheartening around page 156-7 or so there's even an example of a young women being turned into a prostitute just because members of the drug cartel threw several hundred dollars in front of her. The book is a rather sad illustration that money can buy some things. However, the book also features the downfall of several major drug lords indicating that money and power are indeed fickle things that can shift in a moments notice.

Very moving and sobering book

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written and well researched book into one of the drug cartels in Colombia and how one man reluctantly became head of Cali security and how he tried to escape from that life. Along the way it also highlighted how cheap and scary life is there, and illustrated for me how very lucky I am not to live in a country where drugs have totally changed the police force, military, and politics.

Although this book is easy to read because of the construction and excellent writing, it is often difficult to read because of the maddening or awful things that happen because the cartels have such a strong hold on the country.

Jorge Salcedo was a very interesting person to watch while he progressed through the Cali cartel and tested his morals against the cartel decisions. A very interesting, instructive, and fast read.

[Drew Danko · Rating 4 out of 5]

My initial thought in purchasing this book was that it would be a slow,dry read , but still educational. But when I started reading it I found it to be gripping and very enlightening. The scary balancing act that the inside informant had to maintain took tremendous courage as his life and that of his family was constantly at risk. The book provides a very informative account of how one of the major cartels in Columbia operated as a business organizaton in relating to its internal and external environments. The power,reach and influence it had surpassed anything I could have imagined. It was staggering, yet they were defeated because we believe in and live by the rule of law as well as a moral code. The cartel believed they could defy both, but found out they could not. Score a big one for the good guys and gals.

[Les Gehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jorge Salcedo has big brass balls. Salcedo became the head of security for the Cali cocaine cartel and gradually was drawn deeper and deeper into the dark, violent side of the cartel. His only possible escape was to bargain with the DEA and betray his cartel bosses. William C. Rempel does a remarkable job in telling this story. He doesn't make Salcedo out to be a hero, but a person who bargained with the devil and lost. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand the turmoil in Columbia over the past several decades due to the drug trade.

Thanks to Good Reads First Reads program for an early chance to read this book.

[Robert Intriago · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting investigative report about the workings of the Medellin and Cali cocaine cartels in the 1990s. The book starts with a narrative of the infighting between the two cartels in Colombia. The Medellin cartel headed by Pablo Escovar and the Cali cartel headed by the 4 godfathers. The rest of the book deals with the the assistance of the protagonist in bringing down the godfathers of the Cali cartel. The best part of the story deals with the internal workings of Colombia to include FARC, corruption, kidnapping and the extradition to the USA process. The presentation of the story reads more like a newspaper but it is not too bad.

[Greg Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept you on the edge too speak. Watched Narcos series which covered a lot, but to get a lot more of the details was great. What a ballsy thing to do knowing the consequences of betrayal from cartels. I wish you could have more info about his current life and what it's like knowing cartel probably still has bounty for you.

[Tforia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in anticipation of Narcos, the tv series on Netflix. I'm so glad I came across this book. It was packed with action, lots of suspense.

It was neat how after reading, the allure of the cartel was no longer alluring, the one thing that attracted towards the story.

[Christine Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to add this book to my queue after finishing the third season of Narcos. Narrative nonfiction at its best.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an Early Review book. When I heard that I had it, I thought "really, I requested this?" But after receiving it I remembered hearing an interview by the author and how interesting and fascinating it sounded. I must admit that my knowledge of the Columbia drug cartels was pretty much limited to Tom Clancy novels. I had heard of Pable Escobar but new nothing about the Cali Cartel. This is as compelling a read as a Clancy novel, but it is true!. The writing was straight forward because the story itself provides the intrigue and suspense. I did have difficulty sometimes keeping all of the characters straight and maybe a chart of who was working and siding with who would have been helpful. Because I have the unedited copy perhaps there are more pictures or maps or visual explanations it the final publication.

The opening chapter is certainly an attention getter and the rest of the story does not disappoint. I hope that the CIA has a better vetting process in place so that persons with valid information can at least be directed to someone with knowledge of various situations. The amounts of money involved, the arrogance of the drug lords and the actions of killing with no remorse was astounding. Interesting also was the part played by the FBI and embassy officials. I think if this book were to become a movie (and that may already be in the works) viewers will say this is just Hollywood interfing with the truth because the close calls and ineptness of some of participants just seems too good to be true.

[Noiresque · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and most surprising non-fiction books I've read lately.

I heard part of this story on an episode of This American Life, and was intrigued, but incredulous that there could be enough new material to fill out a 300+ page book. I was wrong. The 5+ years that the subject of this book (Jorge Salcedo) spent in the (somewhat reluctant) service of the Cali cartel were chock full of intrigue, violence, plus lots of other interesting details. I was only vaguely aware of the general outline of the mid-90's drug wars. This book not only tells you the big picture, but the day-to-day behind all of that.

As a "true crime" story, it rocks. As a "tell an in-depth story on one particular area" it rocks. And at the center of it all is one man, a pretty regular guy. He makes choices that are not outlandish, but ends up at the cartel anyway. Then, he decides to do the right thing, and risks it all. Somehow he comes out on top. And we get to read about it.

I'd also like to say that this book is really well written -- the pacing is fantastic, and it has just the right amount of detail.

Thank you Mr. Rempel (the author) for his DECADE LONG struggle to write this book. And thank you to Mr. Salcedo, for doing the right thing, when most of the rest of his countrymen didn't. What an amazing example.

[Ricardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much an investigative report but rather a narrative of events and situations dating back to the time of the bitter rivalry between the Medellin cartel and the Cali cartel, as told by a very close collaborator of one of the main drug lords of the Cali cartel. This is a very well developed (real life) story that gets momentum as we approach the decisive time when the insider decides to betray and denounce the leaders of the Cali cartel, as well as set up a plan to inform about the cartel's financial contributions (and bribes) to politicians, army personnel, policeman and congressman in Colombia. Hard to believe that we are reading about true events and not an intense thriller. The climax of the story might as well be a script for a suspense movie, as I found myself having empathy for the main character of this account and even sharing his fears at times. Very recommended if you want to have an overview of the Cali cartel and the drug traffic in the 80's and 90's.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuando la realidad supera la ficción todo resulta mucho más escalofriante.

William Rempel, reportero del L.A. Times, rescató la historia de la caída del cartel de Calí en los noventas a través de una serie de entrevistas e investigaciones que le tomaron más de diez años en concretar. El resultado es una lectura vertiginosa que te atrapa desde el principio dejando al descubierto entre sus páginas la capacidad que tiene el narco para comprar presidentes, ejércitos paramilitares de élite e incluso bombas y misiles para uso personal.

Excelente lectura si te gustan novelas como Rosario Tijeras, El amante de Janis Joplin, La virgen de los sicarios, La reina del sur – esas son las que me acuerdo ahorita que se parecen.

No es un libro extraordinario pero es ameno y si te interesa el tema pues resulta muy revelador.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after watching Narcos because I was fascinated by the role of surveillance and espionage in the daily operations of drug lords and taking down criminals. The book is easy to read and explained Jorge Salcedo's mindset and his motives. He was fascinating in the series because he was obviously a smart guy, quite good at engineering stuff, and there was obvious cognitive dissonance on his part. The book made me realize it is actually scary that these dangerous people have access to military-grade equipment. The narrative was easy to follow and I recommend it if you're a fan of the TV series. It's something I would read on a flight or during a commute. I would recommend a redesign on the book cover though--this cover hurts my eyes.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insider's story of the Cali cartel. The first part tells how Jorge Salcedo joined the cartel in hopes of taking down their rival, Pablo Escobar, which he felt would be a huge duty to Columbia. It covers the inner workings of the cartel and Columbia corruption as he soon gets in too deep, realizing even the "good" cartel is putting him in legal and moral jeopardy. The 2nd half turns into a tense thriller as he tries to get out alive. A fascinating story of a world where money and power are nearly unlimited and how difficult it is to stay clean. From the title you know how the book ends, but it makes it no less intense. Great read!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the downfall of the Cali Cartel from the perspective of an insider, Jorge Salcedo Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela’s chief of security who helped the DEA capture him. It starts with the Cali Cartels war against Pablo Escobar and the Medllin Cartel.. It move on to the Cali Cartels years as the major cocaine exporter into the US. It details the huge levels of corruption in Colombian at the hands of the drug lord and Jorge decision to turn on his boss and turn him in. Good read

[Professor Weasel]

A totally gripping story about an insider to the Cali cartel who became a DEA informant. It says a lot that the informant fears uniformed members of the Colombian state even more than the sicarios, in terms of the risk for exposure. The part where the informant pretends he and the DEA agents are on a homosexual rendezvous in order to deter suspicious Colombian police is a gem of a moment. Also loved the cameo by my parents' former workplace as the ideal informant meeting spot, thanks to its rural location.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy action, excitement, or just have an interest in the inner workings of a cartel. "At the Devil's Table" is an amazing and true story that will leave you wanting more. I couldn't get enough of the narrative, often times being so immersed in the suspense I'd forget this truly happened to a family.

This book flows so well you might have trouble putting it down.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Normally I don't choose non-fiction as I often find it dry and, quite honestly, a bit boring... but William C. Rempel does a wonderful job of making the story of Jorge Salcedo and the Cali cartel read like a novel while retaining its factual integrity. The writing is simple and straightforward, but full of suspense; I couldn't put it down!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. It shows how easy it is to get in over one's head dealing with a criminal organization. The details about the Cali drug cartel and how it corrupted Colombian government, military, business - pretty much all aspects of life in that country - are disturbing and illuminating.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilegal Drug Story

This author tells an engaging as well as a scary story about the man who turned on the Cali Cartel and lived to tell about it. The book tells about the inner workings and the terrifying details about those who work in it. The man who turned on the cartel tells his story of suspense and danger as he attempts to free himself and his family from it.

[Roger Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read that was hard to put down. The writing flowed easily and the story wore on in a good way. It showed an above average man with intelligence and morals dealing with power thirsty men and their disregard for life. Interesting insight to a notorious and well oiled crime corporation. If you enjoy crime or spy books this one is for you.

[Kurt Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Will Netflix please make this into mini-series immediately?!?! This is precisely why I only read non-fiction. Our world - and the characters that comprise it - are staggering. I can't believe I haven't read this book until now. Jorge Salcedo, you're a Bad-A!!!

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly decent narrative for the most part. A factual, straight forward book that plods along on occasion.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

If you are interested in the Cali Cartel this is a must read book. Well written. I couldn’t put it down.

[Jessica Luckey · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good in depth follow up about jorge salcedo's life in the cali cartel, good to read after watching the first 3 seasons of narcos

[K.B. Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great read from start to finish. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Fantastic book

[Kanch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing piece of nonfiction. A must read for fans of Netflix's Narcos.