this was complete fiction

But the drug lord did escape to France in the original so its possible that the events of this movie is accurate too

THIS IS THE CLIMAX !!!

I agree

Probably not, but as another pointed out, the drug lord did escape so the followup to a hugely successful movie makes sense even for its age. There are some great shots and Hackman's acting is outstanding, but the film drags in the middle. Not nearly as good as the first, but it was alright.