Inside The Cartels Of The Real "Miami Vice"

In the 1960s and 1970s, Miami, Fla. was a sleepy beach town known more for the flood of snowbirds and retirees escaping the harsh winters of the northeast than for its wild parties.

But almost overnight, that quaint reputation was turned upside-down when an army of gun-toting drug runners invaded the city. Colombian and Cuban dealers were bringing in massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana, and hard-charging South Floridians couldn't get enough.

Detectives and federal agents raced from one crime scene to another, working to maintain law and order.

The biggest dealers -- the Medellin cartel, the Calis, and Pablo Escobar, among others -- became household names and made billions peddling cocaine and marijuana.

"Cocaine Cowboys" Earn Centuries In Prison

While federal agents pursued the source of the drugs, they began to diagram a complex trafficking pattern.

Dozens of suppliers would ferry drugs from Central and South America, often using Miami as the port of entry for their illicit cargo. Federal agents tell AMW.com that few were more successful -- or better-known -- than accused drug smugglers Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon.

Drug Enforcement Agency agents say the two young men were Cuban immigrants and friends at Miami Senior High School when they discovered the lucrative drug business. The pair dropped out of school, and reportedly became known only as "The Boys" to their Colombian suppliers, building an empire that became one of the largest drug cartels in the world, with an estimated $2 billion fortune.

DEA agents said Magluta and Falcon used their wealth to buy lightning-fast cigarette boats, enabling their minions to race drugs through the warm tropical waters.

Magluta and Falcon, along with Willy's younger brother, Gus, became international superstars in powerboat racing with their "Seahawk" racing team.

Retired DEA agent David Borah says their success made them feel invulnerable to the long arm of the law. "They snubbed their noses at law enforcement," he said. "They really thought they were untouchable."

By the spring of 1991, the federal government went public with the information they had gathered against the Falcon brothers, Magluta, and seven other men. 

A total of ten people were indicted in the takedown.

"As word spread about the indictment, Magluta, Falcon and the others went underground," Borah said.

It took months of grueling police work, but the feds caught up with Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon and arrested the two in posh South Florida mansions, reportedly rented for $10,000 a month.

"They really thought they wouldn't get caught," Borah said.

Other suspected drug runners were busted, others were murdered, and many pled guilty.

But the one defendant they never arrested was Gus "Taby" Falcon.  Agents said they were focusing on their trial against the two and figured they would find him eventually.

By 1995, the case against Magluta and Falcon went to trial. After four years of prep work, and a four-month trial, the two were acquitted.

"It was like someone stabbed me in the heart, but it didn't stop us," Agent Borah said. "We had plenty of other charges involving money laundering and gun-related charges to make them serve time for."

Later, a federal investigation revealed that Magluta had tampered with the jury pool, and his acquittal had been bought and paid for.

For his crimes, Magluta was initially sentenced to 205 years behind bars, and Willy Falcon was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Both continue serving their time.

Gustavo Falcon: Gone, But Not Forgotten

The U.S. Marshals Service, who worked the case along with the DEA and the FBI, had spent years searching for Falcon.

"We never had many leads on Gus," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Sean Conboy. "It was as though he just disappeared."

Marshals working the case believe Falcon, his wife Amelia, and their two young children, Jennifer and David, fled south Florida.

Now, almost 20 years later, Deputy Conboy continues the manhunt for the Falcon family.  He believes they could be hiding out anywhere in the world, and the family could be living on the proceeds of the $2 billion drug empire he helped to build.

"Gus was the money guy," Conboy said. "After the drugs arrived, he went around and collected the money for his brother, Willy, and Magluta.  His role was important."

Marshals joined forces with the Miami-Dade Police Department in hopes of stirring up some new leads.  Forensic artist Samantha Steinberg of the Miami-Dade Police Department took a 1990 photo of Gus Falcon and used her talents to create an age-enhanced image of what he may look like today.

She believes he still wears a beard, has some gray hairs, and may have wrinkles on his face. In 2008, Falcon would be 47 years old and may be living with his wife, Amelia, 45, and their two grown children, Jennifer, 25 and David, 24.  Deputy U.S. Marshals believe it's a good chance they are living a life of luxury and don't have jobs.

"We need to find Gus 'Taby' Falcon so that we can close this case for good," Conboy said.