Colombia recently welcomed back one of its infamous drug lords, Fabio Ochoa, following his deportation from the United States. Ochoa, a key figure in the notorious Medellin cartel, had completed 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence in the U.S. before being released and sent back to his home country.
Upon his arrival at Bogota’s El Dorado airport, Ochoa was met by immigration officials and was allowed to join his family after his fingerprints were taken and it was confirmed that he was not wanted by Colombian authorities. The 67-year-old former cartel boss, along with his older brothers, had amassed a significant fortune during the peak of cocaine trafficking in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ochoa, who had been living in Miami, was involved in running a distribution center for the Medellin cartel, previously led by the infamous Pablo Escobar. Despite being indicted in the U.S. for his alleged role in the killing of an American pilot associated with the cartel, Ochoa later became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
After surrendering to Colombian authorities in the early 1990s to avoid extradition to the U.S., Ochoa and his brothers were released from prison in 1996. However, Ochoa was arrested again in 1999 for drug trafficking and was eventually extradited to the U.S. in 2001, where he faced a 30-year sentence for his involvement in a drug smuggling conspiracy.
Although Ochoa's name has somewhat faded from public memory with the rise of Mexican drug traffickers, his story has been depicted in popular Netflix series such as 'Griselda' and 'Narcos.' Despite his criminal past, it is believed that Ochoa will not be returning to a life of poverty, as authorities were unable to seize all of the illicit drug proceeds linked to his family.
Richard Gregorie, a retired assistant U.S. attorney involved in Ochoa's prosecution, expressed his expectation that the former drug lord will have a comfortable return to Colombia. With his release and return to his homeland, Ochoa's story continues to be a reminder of the complex and enduring legacy of drug trafficking in the region.
