Meet 'Popeye': Pablo Escobar's hitman who claimed involvement in 3,000 killings before becoming a YouTuber

He helped coordinate 3,000 murders, served 23 years in prison and came back only to become one of Colombia's most famous YouTubers. Jhon Jairo Velásquez was one of Pablo Escobar's deadliest hitmen. Nicknamed 'Popeye' his victims included prominent politicians, underworld rivals and even an airplane full of innocent civilians.During the 1980s and early 90s, Velásquez murdered more than 250 people and arranged 3,000 additional killings for Escobar and the Medellín Cartel. He was arrested in 1992 and spent nearly 23 years behind bars for murder, drug trafficking and terrorism, among other crimes. After his release in 2014, he began a career completely unexpected for a criminal, he became a YouTube star. He began a channel titled 'Repentant Popeye' and criticised the Colombian government while recounting some of his most infamous hits, according to a report by All That's Interesting.The boy who dreamed of joining the policeJhon Jairo Velásquez was born in Yarumal, Colombia in 1962. He dropped out of high school to join the Colombian Navy, where he earned the nickname “Popeye” due to his appearance. However, he soon left and started training to become a police officer.When it didn't work out, a friend found 17-year-old Velasquez a job as a driver and bodyguard for a young woman, who also happened to be Pablo Escobar's girlfriend.