Fabio Ochoa Vasquez, a founding member of the notorious Medellin cartel, has returned to Colombia after serving over 20 years in a US prison. Ochoa, 67, was deported by the US government and arrived in Bogota on Monday, marking the end of the Medellin Cartel Founder era in US prisons.
Ochoa was a senior lieutenant to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. The Medellin cartel dominated the cocaine trade, waging a violent campaign against the Colombian state. Escobar was killed in 1993. Ochoa was arrested in Colombia in 1999 and extradited to the US in 2001.
In 2003, Ochoa got sentenced to over 30 years in prison for his role in the cartel. During the 1980s, he was a top operator in Escobar’s Medellin ring, supplying 80% of the US cocaine market. The Medellin cartel was one of the most feared drug networks of the 1980s.
Ochoa’s return to Colombia met with a media frenzy. He was greeted by his relatives and hugged his daughter. Immigration officials confirmed that Ochoa is not wanted by Colombian authorities and was freed to reunite with his family.
The Medellin cartel’s legacy continues to impact Colombia. Ochoa’s return reminds the country of its tumultuous past. As Ochoa begins his new life in Colombia, he is finally free from the US prison system, closing the chapter on the Medellin Cartel Founder’s life in US custody.
As Ochoa settles into his new life, many wonder what the future holds for him. Will he attempt to rebuild his life and distance himself from his past, or will he remain a figure of controversy and intrigue? Only time will tell.
