Posted: Thursday, December 5, 2024. 2:03 pm CST.
By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a former key operator of the Medellín cocaine cartel, has been released from a U.S. federal prison after serving 25 years of a 30-year sentence.
The 67-year-old is expected to be deported back to Colombia.
Ochoa, along with his brothers, built a multi-billion dollar fortune by flooding the U.S. with cocaine in the 1980s, and was once included in Forbes’ list of billionaires.
He was heavily involved in the cartel’s operations, particularly in Miami, and his story was featured in the Netflix series Narcos, AP reports.
Ochoa was first indicted in the U.S. for his involvement in the 1986 killing of DEA informant Barry Seal, as depicted in the film American Made.
Arrested in 1990, he was later extradited to the U.S. in 2001 after being named in a drug smuggling conspiracy. While others in the case cooperated with authorities and received lighter sentences, Ochoa chose to stand trial and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Despite his lengthy sentence, Ochoa’s illicit wealth was never fully seized, and experts suggest he will return home far from poor.
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The post International News: Medellín cartel drug lord released after 25 years in U.S. prison appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Thursday, December 5, 2024. 2:03 pm CST. By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a former key operator of the Medellín cocaine cartel, has been
The post International News: Medellín cartel drug lord released after 25 years in U.S. prison appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
