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GTA Online · Characters
El Rubio: Juan Strickler, the Owner of Cayo Perico
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Juan Strickler, known as El Rubio, is the target of The Cayo Perico Heist, the update GTA Online received on 15 December 2020. He is a Colombian drug lord with a private island, a taste for parties and a growing fear of his own guards. Joseph Melendez, seen in Ozark and S.W.A.T., gives him his voice; the actor died in September 2023.
Who Is El Rubio?
El Rubio, "the Blond", is the main supplier of the Madrazo cartel and the owner of Cayo Perico, a private island where he throws beach parties for heiresses, music producers and the rest of the jet set. In public he plays the generous host; in private he is brutal, keeps a black panther, and trusts no one.
The trouble starts when he turns on his best clients. Over the years he has gathered damaging information on the Madrazos, and he threatens to use it unless they accept his new prices. Miguel Madrazo, the son of Martin and Patricia, decides to steal that file before it can hurt them.
How the Cayo Perico Heist Starts
Miguel contacts you and meets you at the Music Locker, the nightclub in the basement of the Diamond Casino & Resort. To plan the job you need a Kosatka, a decommissioned nuclear submarine that costs about GTA$2.2 million and serves as your headquarters, piloted by Pavel, a former Soviet helmsman a little unsettled by his years under the sea.
The first scouting mission sends you to the island as a tour manager for the DJ collective Keinemusik, invited to one of El Rubio's parties. You walk in without a weapon, and you leave with the layout of the compound, the guards and the ways in and out. The heist can be played solo or with up to four players.
What You Steal from El Rubio
The first time, the target is the Madrazo Files, locked in the vault in the basement of his compound. On later runs the main target changes: Sinsimito Tequila, the Ruby Necklace, Bearer Bonds, the Pink Diamond, or the Panther Statue, the rarest and most valuable of all. Gold, cocaine, weed, paintings and cash lie around the island as secondary loot. Payouts have changed with several updates, so our GTA Online heists page keeps the current figures.
How the Story Ends
There is only one ending, and El Rubio survives it. After the first run, Miguel calls his father and burns the files; among them is a photo of Patricia Madrazo with Trevor Philips, a nod to GTA V. Because the heist can be replayed, El Rubio is robbed again and again, and on later runs you can hear him over the island's loudspeakers, furious, accusing his own guards of helping the thieves.
El Rubio at a Glance
| Detail | El Rubio |
|---|---|
| Real name | Juan Strickler |
| Voiced by | Joseph Melendez |
| Home | The private island of Cayo Perico |
| Update | The Cayo Perico Heist, 15 December 2020 |
| Heist contact | Miguel Madrazo |
| Fate | Survives; the heist can be replayed |
Every other contact, from Lester Crest to Franklin Clinton, is on our GTA Online characters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is El Rubio in GTA Online?
Juan Strickler, a Colombian drug lord who owns Cayo Perico and is the target of The Cayo Perico Heist.
Why do the Madrazos want to rob El Rubio?
He holds damaging information on them and threatens to use it unless they accept his new prices.
How do you start the Cayo Perico Heist?
Meet Miguel Madrazo at the Music Locker under the Diamond Casino, then buy a Kosatka submarine.
Can you do the Cayo Perico Heist solo?
Yes, from start to finish, or with up to four players.
Does El Rubio die?
No. He survives, and the heist can be replayed.
Who voices El Rubio?
Joseph Melendez.