Pablo Escobar's son on surviving the most dangerous last name in history

Pablo Escobar's son on surviving the most dangerous last name in history

I didn't agree with the violence he used, but I had so much love for him that if I had to give my life, I would. I never doubted that. And I don't doubt it today.

Once, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, and now Sebastián Marroquín, Pablo Escobar’s son and his story continue to draw global attention. However, instead of negativity, Sebastian Marroquín’s mission is to bring peace and healing to a country once terrorised by his father.

Sebastián Marroquín and a vintage photo of his father, the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, with Marroquín as a child.
Sebastián Marroquín (L) and a vintage photo of his father, the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, with Marroquín as a child (R). Photo: @MajalahMastika, @UberFacts (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Pablo Escobar's son was originally named Juan Pablo Escobar Henao; he adopted the name Sebastián Marroquín after his father's death in the 1990s.
  • He is a professionally trained architect and industrial engineer with a degree from the University of Palermo in Argentina.
  • Marroquín is a prolific author with bestsellers such as Pablo Escobar: My Father, Pablo Escobar in Fraganti, Pablo Escobar: La Trilogía, and Escobar: A Criminal Education.
  • In 2018, he and his mother were charged by an Argentine court with money laundering related to real estate.

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Profile summary

Full name

Sebastián Marroquín

Original name

Juan Pablo Escobar Henao

Gender

Male

Date of birth

24 February 1977

Age

48 years as of 2026

Zodiac sign

Pisces

Place of birth

Medellín, Colombia

Residence

Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nationality

Columbian

Ethnicity

Spanish

Religion

Christianity

Eye colour

Dark brown

Hair colour

Black

Height in centimetres

5'5"

Height in feet

165

Weight in kilograms

80

Weight in pounds

176

Father

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria

Mother

María Isabel Santos Caballero

Siblings

Manuela Escobar

Marital status

Married

Spouse

María Ángeles Sarmiento

Children

1

High school education

Instituto ORT in Argentina

Higher education

University of Palermo

Net worth

$30 million

Social media

Instagram, Threads, X (Twitter)

Meet Sebastián Marroquín: Pablo Escobar's son

Sebastian Marroquín was born on 24 February 1977 in Medellín, Colombia, to Pablo Escobar and María Isabel Santos Caballero. He is 48 years old as of 2025, and his zodiac sign is Pisces.

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His father, Pablo Escobar, is best known for being a narcoterrorist, drug lord, and the founder of the Medellín cartel. Today, Escobar's memory is synonymous with death and cruelty for those who crossed paths with him and the Medellín cartel.

Five facts about Pablo Escobar's only son, Sebastian Marroquín.
Top five facts about Pablo Escobar's only son, Sebastian Marroquín. Photo: @sebasmarro on X (Twitter) (modified by author)
Source: Original

However, to Marroquín, Escobar was a loving father. In a 2017 interview with Tustyle's weekly magazine, he said,

Although he was a ruthless killer, paradoxically, he was a good father.

His mother is María Isabel Santos Caballero, formerly known as María Victoria Henao de Escobar. Victoria got married to Escobar on 29 March 1976 at age fifteen, three years after their initial meeting. By the time she had her first child, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, she was in her fourth year of secondary school.

Sebastian was raised alongside one sibling, Manuela Escobar, also known as Juana Manuela Marroquín Santos. Manuela is an author and businesswoman.

Pablo Escobar, seen with his wife, María Victoria Henao, and their children at Disney World
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, accompanied by his wife, María Victoria Henao, and their children during a family trip to Disney World in 1981. Photo: @Dimdv99
Source: Twitter

Growing up as Pablo Escobar's son

Having Pablo Escobar as his father meant living in extreme wealth and luxury. However, after Escobar launched an offensive against the rival Cali drug cartel in the late 1980s, life became more challenging.

In reaction to the Netflix miniseries, Narcos, he said,

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We didn’t live in luxury when we were on the run. I wish we had had the houses with swimming pools you see in the series.

He added:

And we weren’t surrounded by gangsters either. We were very much alone, because everyone betrayed him or gave themselves up. Or they were killed.
Pablo Escobar holds his wife María Victoria Henao, and daughter as his son stands in front of him
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, pictured with his wife María Victoria Henao, and their children Juan Pablo and Manuela. Photo: @Globalstats11
Source: Twitter

Life after Pablo Escobar's death

After Pablo Escobar was killed in December 1993, the family’s life was at stake. Marroquín, his mother, and his sister initially fled to Mozambique but were denied permanent residency. They eventually landed in Argentina on tourist visas.

To secure their safety, the family had to meet with the leaders of the Cali Cartel. To Victoria, the problems of being the wife of a drug lord did not end with her husband's death.

Marroquín describes this in his memoirs as a negotiation for their lives, where they surrendered almost all inherited assets as war reparations to the cartel.

Crowds surround Pablo Escobar's casket during his funeral
Crowds captured during the funeral procession of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in December 1993. Photo: @Jav1620
Source: Twitter

In 2018, an Argentine court under Federal Judge Nestor Barral accused and charged Sebastian Marroquin and his mother, Maria Isabel Santos Caballero, of money laundering.

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The pair were suspected of being intermediaries for Jose Piedrahita, a Colombian drug dealer who was linked to the Cali cartel, the main rival of Escobar's Medellin cartel.

As per the Business Insider, Sebastian and his mother, who both live in Argentina, were suspected of laundering money through real estate in the upscale Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Pilar and through a tango dancing café.

Sebastián Marroquín (formerly Juan Pablo Escobar) and his mother María Victoria Henao in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sebastián Marroquín (formerly Juan Pablo Escobar) and his mother María Victoria Henao in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: @raulbrindis
Source: Twitter

Pablo Escobar's son's career journey

Sebastián Marroquín wears many hats. He is a self-declared pacifist and a Peace Ambassador for the OMPP. Professionally, he is an architect, industrial designer, writer, speaker, and audiovisual producer. Have a look at the details of his career.

Becoming an architect and industrial designer

Juan Pablo completed his studies in architecture at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Speaking to The Architect's Newspaper, he explained that his inspiration for the career path was his maternal grandfather, who was a woodworker and a designer.

His architectural career includes designing and building a 10,000 square foot and a 33,000 square foot mansion in Colombia and Argentina. He also built a public wellness centre and water therapy facility in Argentina.

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Books, interviews, and speaking engagements

Marroquín's career as an author has been instrumental in reshaping the historical narrative of his father and the Medellín Cartel. His international bestsellers include Pablo Escobar: My Father, Pablo Escobar in Fraganti: The Stories that My Father Never Told Me, Pablo Escobar: La Trilogía, and Escobar: A Criminal Education.

Sebastián Marroquín and Luis Corripio engage during a live broadcast of ADN Digital Media
Sebastián Marroquín and Luis Corripio engage during a live broadcast of ADN Digital Media in Querétaro, Mexico. Photo: @ADNQro
Source: Twitter

He is a sought-after speaker represented by APB Speakers. His lectures focus on pacifism, the necessity of drug policy reform, and his personal decision to choose a path of non-violence over revenge. In line with his general message, he famously stated;

My father showed us the path we should not follow.

Netflix documentaries and media attention

Marroquín remains a vocal critic of the Netflix series Narcos, claiming it omits the true cruelty of his father’s actions and misleads the youth.

He has also gained international acclaim for the 2009 Argentine-Colombian documentary, Sins of My Father (Grijesi Mog Oca), where he met with the sons of assassinated politicians Luis Carlos Galán and Rodrigo Lara Bonilla to ask for forgiveness.

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Director Nicolás Entel poses next to a poster of the documentary, Sins of My Father
Director Nicolás Entel attended the premiere of Sins of My Father during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival at the Holiday Village IV on 22 January 2010 in Park City, Utah. Photo: Anna Webber
Source: Getty Images

Family life: Sebastián Marroquín and María Ángeles Sarmiento

Sebastián is married to María Ángeles Sarmiento, his teenage sweetheart. As of 2026, Sebastián and his wife continue to reside in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they have rebuilt their lives far from the legacy of Pablo Escobar.

María Ángeles Sarmiento is of Mexican origin and has maintained a very low public profile, accompanying Marroquín since his exile in the 1990s. The couple have a son, believed to be Jacobo Marroquín, whom they have shielded from the media.

FAQs

  1. Where is Pablo's son now? He lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, specifically in the Palermo Soho neighbourhood.
  2. What happened to Pablo Escobar's son? He moved to Argentina, changed his name, and became a professional architect and author.
  3. How does Sebastian Marroquín feel about his father? He maintains a paradoxical relationship: he loves the 'father' but denounces the 'criminal' who terrorised Colombia.
  4. Why did Sebastián Marroquín change his name? To protect himself and his family from his father’s enemies and live without the immediate stigma of the Escobar surname.
  5. How many sons did Pablo Escobar have? He had only one biological son, Juan Pablo (now Sebastián).
  6. What is Pablo Escobar's son's age? He is 48 years old as of 2025 (born 24 February 1977).
  7. How much is Pablo Escobar's son's net worth? It is estimated to vary between $30 million and $120 million, largely earned through his books, lectures, and architecture.
  8. Is Pablo Escobar's son alive? He is alive and well.
  9. Who was Pablo Escobar's first son? He had only one son, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao (Sebastián Marroquín).

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Pablo Escobar's son, Sebastián Marroquín, remains a prominent voice in the global conversation regarding reconciliation and drug policy reform. While his family's past is marked by violence, he has successfully built an independent life in Argentina as a professional architect and peace advocate.

Legit.ng has recently published an article diving into the life of American sports journalist Holly Rowe. She is a sports journalist who reports for ESPN and is one of the first female reporters and commentators for the Utah Jazz.

Her professional life is spent in front of the camera as a play-by-play commentator who covers gymnastics, soccer, swimming, track & field, and women's college basketball. However, little is known about her personal life.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ciku Njuguna avatar

Ciku Njuguna (Lifestyle writer) Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with more than four years of experience in writing and content creation while working with Legit.ng, Sports Brief and CyberSchool technologies. She has a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics (2018) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Nairobi (2022). Ciku joined Legit.ng in 2024, covering lifestyle content. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and participated in the Google News Initiative training program. Email: ciku.njuguna1@gmail.com

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