George Jung
| George Jung | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Born |
August 6, 1942 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Other names | Boston George, El Americano |
| Occupation | Drug trafficker and smuggler |
| Criminal status | Released on June 2, 2014 |
| Children | Kristina Sunshine Jung, step daughter Clara Pearson |
| Parent(s) | Frederick Jung and Ermine Jung |
| Conviction(s) | Drug trafficking and smuggling |
George Jacob Jung (born August 6, 1942), nicknamed Boston George and El Americano, was a major player in the cocaine trade in the United States in the 1970s and early 1980s. Jung was a part of the Medellín Cartel, which was responsible for up to 85 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. He specialized in the smuggling of cocaine from Colombia on a large scale. His life story was portrayed in the biopic Blow (2001), starring Johnny Depp. Jung was released from prison on June 2, 2014, after serving nearly 20 years for drug-smuggling. On December 6, 2016 Jung was arrested and booked in Sacramento County jail for violating his parole. He is not eligible for bail considering his record, and is awaiting a court date. Jung blames his manager for the violation.
George Jung was born to Frederick and Ermine (née O'Neill) Jung in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Though Jung did not excel academically, he was a star football player and was described by his classmates as "a natural leader". His first arrest was by an undercover police officer, for solicitation of prostitution. After graduating in 1961 from Weymouth High School, Jung went to the University of Southern Mississippi. He studied for a degree in advertising but never completed his studies. Jung began recreationally using marijuana and sold a portion of everything he bought to break even.
In 1967, after meeting with a childhood friend, Jung realized the enormous profit potential represented by smuggling the cannabis he bought in California back to New England. Jung initially had his stewardess girlfriend transport the drugs in her suitcases on flights. In search of even greater profits, he expanded his operation to flying the drugs in from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, using airplanes stolen from private airports on Cape Cod and professional pilots. At the height of this enterprise, Jung and his associates were reportedly making $250,000 a month (equivalent to over $1.5 million in 2016 dollars, adjusting for inflation). This ended in 1974, when Jung was arrested in Chicago for smuggling 660 pounds (300 kg) of marijuana. He had been staying at the Playboy Club, where he was to meet a connection who would pick up the marijuana. The connection was arrested for heroin smuggling, however, and informed the authorities about Jung to get a reduced sentence. After arguing with the judge about the purpose of sending a man to prison "for crossing an imaginary line with a bunch of plants", Jung was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury.
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