Javier Pena and Stephen Murphy

Javier Pena and Stephen Murphy are former agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the United States. The duo played an instrumental role in the 6 year manhunt for Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Pena and Murphy are the lead characters in Netflix TV series Narcos that details the rise and fall of Escobar and the events in the lead up to his capture and eventual death.

Murphy was born in Tenessee in 1957 and joined the DEA in the mid-80s, while Pena, raised in Texas, joined the DEA in 1984. The two were transferred to Columbia in the late 80s, where they were tasked with investigating the Medellin Cartel. Escobar, whose net worth is estimated at $30 billion, was known as the wealthiest criminal in history.

Murphy and Pena were approached several times to bring their story to Hollywood but declined until they were pitched Narcos by showrunner Eric Newman. Originally aired in August 2015, the TV series features 2 seasons and was renewed in September 2016 by Netflix for a third and fourth season.