BOGOTA, Dec 24 (V7N) - Fabio Ochoa Vasquez, a co-founder of the infamous Medellin Cartel and a key lieutenant to Pablo Escobar, has been deported to Colombia after serving over two decades in a U.S. prison.

Ochoa, now 67, arrived at Bogota airport on Monday, greeted by a swarm of reporters. He had been released from U.S. custody on December 3 after completing his sentence for his role in smuggling approximately 30 tons of cocaine monthly into the United States between 1997 and 1999.

Ochoa played a pivotal role in the Medellin Cartel, once the world's largest cocaine trafficking organization. The cartel was led by Escobar until his death in 1993 at the hands of Colombian authorities.

Ochoa, along with fellow cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder, was among the few Medellin leaders extradited to the United States. Lehder was released in 2020 and relocated to Germany, leveraging his dual nationality.Legal History

In 1990, Ochoa initially surrendered to Colombian authorities under a government program promising reduced sentences and immunity from extradition for those who confessed and cooperated. After serving six years in a high-security prison, he was released in 1996 but returned to drug trafficking shortly after.

In 1999, Ochoa was arrested in a multinational operation, leading to his extradition to the United States in 2001. He was sentenced to over 30 years in prison, with several cartel associates testifying against him in exchange for plea deals.

Now a free man, Ochoa is not wanted in Colombia. However, his return highlights the lingering legacy of the Medellin Cartel, even as the global drug trade evolves. Despite the cartel's collapse and the demise of its leaders, Colombia remains the world's largest exporter of cocaine.

END/WD/RH