JORGE L. VALDES, PH.D.


Atlanta, GA



JORGE L. VALDES, PH.D.


From corruption of the drug underworld to transformed life

Jorge Valdes named his book and his ministry Coming Clean. His life story is about one mans journey through the corruption of the drug underworld to a transformed life when he made a decision to come clean. The ministry is designed to help hurting people through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a young man in his twenties, with an insatiable thirst for money and power, Jorge Valdes worked his way up inside Colombias powerful Medellin drug cartel. His key position as head of U.S. operations brought him into direct contacts with presidents, generals, Hollywood celebrities, hired killers, and kidnappers. This Cuban immigrant, raised in poverty, was living the high life in more ways than one. His deeds took him from the lap of luxury to the depths of prison and back again. Then an incredible thing happened: Jorge Valdes encountered a person much more powerful than the strongest drug lord, someone who offered something more satisfying than women, drugs, prestige or power. In 1989, after a karate teacher had witnessed to and prayed for Jorge for nearly three years, Jorge Valdes met Jesus Christ.

Jorges life was immediately transformed from the inside out and he soon discovered that a new life with Christ did not immunize him from the consequences of his former sins. Jorge was arrested September 8, 1990, and federal authorities seized tens of millions of dollars of Valdes assets. He was indicted for crimes punishable by eight life sentences. Through a series of astounding judicial decisions and what had to be divine intervention, Jorge eventually received a sentence of ten years, of which he served five.

Earlier in his life, Jorge had studied transactional analysis, but now he was more interested in spiritual transactions. While in prison, Jorge earned a Bachelors degree in Bible from Southwestern Bible College and began work on his Masters degree. Upon his release, he finished work on his Masters degree from Wheaton College, where he now is an adjunct professor. In 1999 Jorge completed work on his Doctorate, and earned his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Loyola University.

In September 1999 Dr. Jorge Valdes incredible Saul-to-Paul transformation story of hope and redemption through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ was chronicled in his first book, Coming Clean, published and released world wide by WaterBrook Press (a division of Random House/Doubleday). Today, Dr. Valdes is an articulate and persuasive advocate of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to change lives, for Dr. Valdes truly believes that if Jesus Christ can change his life, He can change anybody.