Suspect In Murder Of Colombian Footballer Andres Escobar Killed In Mexico

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 09:17 IST

Santiago Gallon Henao, linked to Andres Escobar's 1994 murder, was shot dead in Huixquilucan, Mexico. President Gustavo Petro confirmed his role in Escobar's death.

A drug trafficker linked to the 1994 murder of Colombian football star Andres Escobar has been killed in Mexico, President Gustavo Petro announced on Friday.

Santiago Gallon Henao had been investigated in connection with the death of Escobar, the central defender for the Colombian national team, who was shot in Medellin days after scoring an own goal in a match against the United States during the 1994 World Cup.

The own goal contributed to Colombia’s elimination in the first round of the tournament.

The murder of the 27-year-old shocked both the football world and Colombia, which at the time was beset by violence. Medellin was under the control of drug traffickers and had a murder rate of 380 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Gallon and his brother allegedly confronted Escobar at a nightclub on July 2, 1994, just 10 days after the own goal.

Their driver, Humberto Munoz Castro, admitted to shooting Escobar several times in the nightclub’s parking lot. Eyewitnesses reported that Munoz shouted “goal!" each time he fired. He later confessed to the killing and was sentenced to prison.

The men were believed to have lost heavily after betting on Colombia’s performance at the World Cup.

Petro stated on X that Gallon was killed on Thursday in Mexico and held him responsible for Escobar’s murder.

The footballer’s death “destroyed the country’s international image," the leftist president remarked.

Gallon was shot dead in a restaurant in Huixquilucan, a municipality in the state of Mexico, according to a source from the Toluca prosecutor’s office who spoke to AFP.

Gallon and his brother were investigated for obstruction of justice and spent 15 months in prison without being brought to trial.

In 2015, they were included on a US Treasury Department blacklist for drug trafficking, accused of being members of La Oficina de Envigado, a successor to Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel.

(With Agency Inputs)

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