Legendary Medellin cartel leader released after 25 years in prison
- Fabio Ochoa Vásquez was released after serving 25 years of a 30-year sentence in a U.S. prison.
- Ochoa was once a major figure in the Medellin cocaine cartel, which dominated the drug trade in the 1980s.
- Officials expect Ochoa will return to Colombia with substantial illicit drug proceeds despite serving time.
In December 2024, Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a notorious figure in Colombia's drug trafficking history, was released from a U.S. prison after completing 25 years of a 30-year sentence. This event marks a significant moment related to the Medellin cocaine cartel, particularly as Ochoa was a key operator in the organization originally led by the infamous Pablo Escobar. His release is especially notable as it comes after a lengthy incarceration that evidenced the complexities surrounding drug trafficking and law enforcement's efforts to combat it. Ochoa had a tumultuous legal journey that began with indictments related to his involvement in the murder of Drug Enforcement Administration informant Barry Seal in 1986, an incident depicted in the film