A convicted Colombian drug lord who served 25 years in a U.S. prison is now a free man in his home country. Authorities deported Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, 67, after he completed his prison sentence. He landed in Bogotá, Colombia, on Monday, Dec. 23.
Upon his arrival at the airport, Colombian authorities ran Ochoa’s fingerprints. They confirmed that he is not facing any criminal charges related to crimes he may have committed during his time with the Medellín Cartel throughout the 1980s and 90s.
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Some Colombian historians believe the Medellín Cartel, under infamous leader Pablo Escobar, was responsible for killing more than 10,000 people in Colombia, according to The Associated Press.
Ochoa, a former drug lord and associate of Escobar with the Medellín Cartel, became a billionaire in the 80s. He played a significant role in smuggling cocaine from Colombia to the United States and other markets. Ochoa denies killing anyone –– a claim that victims of the Medellín Cartel’s violence refuse to believe.
In 1990, Ochoa and his brothers surrendered to Colombian authorities. He served nearly six years in a Colombian prison before his release in 1996. Authorities arrested Ochoa again in 1999, along with other drug lords, and extradited him to the U.S. in 2001. In 2003, he was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Now that Ochoa is back in Colombia, victims of Medellín Cartel crimes are voicing concerns about his freedom.
Carlos Fernando Galán, the mayor of Bogotá, is the son of Luis Carlos Galán, a presidential candidate killed by cartel hitmen hired by Escobar in 1989. Galán posted a message on X, stating it was “unacceptable” that Ochoa was not facing any charges in Colombia related to Medellín Cartel crimes.
Ochoa spoke to journalists at the airport, telling them U.S. prosecutors had framed him. He also said he had already “done his time” in a Colombian prison in the 1990s.
