Peter McAleese, a former SAS soldier turned mercenary known for his attempt to assassinate Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, has died aged 81. McAleese, whose military and mercenary career spanned several decades, led a daring but ultimately unsuccessful mission to kill Escobar in 1989. The operation ended in failure when their helicopter crashed in the Andes, severely injuring McAleese.
It’s with an empty heart I regret to inform you that on Monday afternoon Peter Mcaleese completed his final tour of duty and went off to the big reorg in the sky. pic.twitter.com/9CjliStibk
— Peter McAleese (@KiterOfficial) March 19, 2024
Born in Glasgow, McAleese found an outlet for his aggression in the military, joining the Parachute Regiment at 17 and later the Special Air Service (SAS). His military career saw him participate in the Aden Emergency and face disciplinary challenges that saw him moving between the SAS and the Paras. After leaving the military, McAleese’s journey took him through various jobs, including a stint in the North Sea oil industry, before finding his calling as a mercenary.
His work as a soldier of fortune led him to conflicts in Angola with the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) and later to the Rhodesian equivalent of the SAS and the South African parachute brigade. It was during this period that McAleese was approached with the mission to assassinate Escobar, offering him a $1 million bounty for the task. Despite the mission’s failure and the personal toll it took on him, McAleese’s attempt to take down Escobar has been a subject of fascination and was detailed in the 2021 documentary “Killing Escobar.”
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