Title: Ex-Cartel Leader Fabio Ochoa Returns to Colombia After U.S. Imprisonment
Former Medellín Cartel narcotraficant, Fabio Ochoa, returned to Colombia on Monday, December 23, following his deportation from the United States after serving his sentence. Ochoa arrived on a chartered flight funded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with over 100 other deported individuals.
Upon arrival, Ochoa was escorted by U.S. agents and handed over to Colombian Migration authorities. After registration and verification of his identification and judicial records, it was confirmed that he has no outstanding criminal charges. Consequently, he was released and allowed to continue his journey to Medellín, where he planned to reunite with his family.
In his first public statements since his arrival, Ochoa expresseed no remorse for his past actions with the Medellín Cartel. He stated, "I don’t regret anything I did with the Medellín Cartel. I didn’t do it with the intention of doing harm, and for this case, I am not guilty. I was set up." He also described his return to Colombia as "marvelous."
Ochoa’s arrival attracted significant attention from Colombian authorities. The Director of the National Police, General William René Salamanca, confirmed that the agency and the Prosecutor’s Office would meet with U.S. delegates to review Ochoa’s legal situation. Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, also expressed that authorities would closely monitor Ochoa and other former criminals.
Fabio Ochoa is a member of the Ochoa family, which built a narco-empire alongside Pablo Escobar. They were accused of shipping hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States and other countries worldwide.
Ochoa was captured in 1999 during Operation Millennium. In 2001, the Colombian government authorized his extradition to the United States, where he was sentenced in 2003. He spent the last years of his imprisonment at the Jesup prison in Georgia, working on renewable energy projects. Before his return to Colombia, Ochoa was transferred to the Milan Federal Correctional Institution, a minimum-security prison, to begin preparations for his departure.
Colombian Migration authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing immigration laws and maintaining security in the country following Ochoa’s arrival. As Ochoa returns to Colombia, the authorities will closely monitor his activities to ensure public safety and maintain justice.
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