Colombian police have confirmed the transfer of Carlos Lehder, a Medellin Cartel co-founder and former lieutenant to notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, from El Dorado International Airport to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol where he will be held in custody until a judge in Colombia resolves his legal situation.
He was the first major drug lord to be extradited to the United States, where he served a sentence of more than 30 years for drug trafficking. After his release in 2020 he was deported to Germany, where his father was born, but he has repeatedly expressed his desire to return to Colombia.
Lehder, who is 75 years of age, was traveling from Germany to Colombia, where he was arrested by immigration authorities and handed over to the police.
9News Nigeria recalls that in 2003, he was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison and fined $25,000 for being part of a group that smuggled an average of 30 tons of cocaine into the US monthly from 1997 to 1999.
The credible news outlet also recalls that by the time of Ochoa’s release, Escobar, who had been the most wanted drug lord globally, had already been killed by Colombian police a decade prior.
In 1990, Ochoa surrendered to Colombian authorities under a special law enacted by then-president Cesar Gaviria. It offered reduced sentences and protection from extradition for criminals who cooperated, admitted their guilt, and implicated their associates. He was released in 1996 after serving almost six years in a high-security facility near Medellin.
However, Ochoa returned to drug trafficking and was arrested again in October 1999 during an extensive operation that resulted in the capture of many suspected drug lords.
After being extradited in 2001, numerous cartel members provided testimony against him after accepting plea deals with US prosecutors.
Despite the elimination or capture of Medellin Cartel leaders, Colombia continues to be the leading exporter of cocaine in the world.
