Skip to main content
U.S.

Drug lord Fabio Ochoa Vásquez released from US prison after 25 years

Listen
Share

Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a former drug lord with the Medellín Cartel, was released from a U.S. prison on Tuesday, Dec. 3, after serving 25 years. The 67-year-old is expected to be deported back to his home country of Colombia.

Media Landscape

See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this data
Left 15% Center 69% Right 17%
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News

Ochoa, along with his two brothers, became billionaires in the 1980s by running a cocaine distribution operation out of Miami. He was also a former associate of notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

QR code for SAN app download

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

He was originally named in an indictment in the U.S. for the 1986 murder of Barry Seal, a drug-smuggling pilot for the Medellín Cartel who became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In 1990, Ochoa and his brothers surrendered to Colombian authorities. At the time, Colombia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States, so the brothers were promised they would not be turned over to U.S. authorities.

Ochoa served nearly six years in a Colombian prison and was released in 1996. He was arrested again in Colombia in 1999, along with dozens of other drug lords. Colombian authorities then agreed to extradite him to the United States in 2001.

In 2003, Ochoa was convicted of drug trafficking and cocaine distribution and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Richard Gregorie, one of the prosecutors who helped convict Ochoa, told The Associated Press that authorities were never able to seize all of his family’s illicit drug proceeds and said he expects Ochoa to have a “welcome return home.”

“He won’t be retiring a poor man, that’s for sure,” Gregorie told the AP.

Ochoa’s character was also featured in the Netflix drama series “Narcos and Griselda.”

Tags: , , ,

DRUG LORD — FABIO OCHOA VÁSQUEZ OF THE MEDELLIN CARTEL – WAS RELEASED FROM A US PRISON TUESDAY AFTER SERVING 25 YEARS.

 

HE’S EXPECTED TO BE DEPORTED BACK TO HIS HOME COUNTRY OF COLOMBIA.

 

THE 67-YEAR-OLD ALONG WITH HIS TWO BROTHERS BECAME BILLIONAIRES IN THE 1980’S WHILE RUNNING A COCAINE DISTRIBUTION OPERATION OUT OF MIAMI.

 

HE WAS ALSO A FORMER ASSOCIATE OF NOTORIOUS COLOMBIAN DRUG LORD PABLO ESCOBAR.

 

OCHOA WAS ORIGINALLY NAMED IN AN INDICTMENT IN THE US FOR THE 1986 MURDER OF BARRY SEAL – A DRUG SMUGGLING PILOT FOR THE MEDELLIN CARTEL WHO BECAME A DEA INFORMANT.

 

HE AND HIS BROTHERS SURRENDERED TO COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES IN 1990 – WHEN COLOMBIA DID NOT HAVE AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE UNITED STATES, SO THE BROTHERS WERE PROMISED THEY WOULDN’T BE TURNED OVER TO US AUTHORITIES.

 

OCHOA SERVED NEARLY SIX YEARS N A COLOMBIA PRISON – AND WAS RELEASED IN 1996. HE WAS ARRESTED AGAIN IN COLOMBIA 1999 – ALONG WITH DOZENS OF OTHER DRUG LORDS.

 

COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES THEN AGREED TO EXTRADITE HIM TO THE UNITED STATES IN 2001.

 

THEN IN 2003, OCHOA WAS CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND DISTRIBUTION OF COCAINE. HE WAS SENTENED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON.

 

RICHARD GREGORIE — ONE OF THE PROSECUTORS WHO HELPED CONVICT OCHOA TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — AUTHORITIES WERE NEVER ABLE TO SEIZE ALL OF HIS FAMILY’S ILLICIT DRUG PROCEEDS AND SAYS HE EXPECTS OCHOA WILL HAVE A WELCOME RETURN HOME.

 

“HE WON’T BE RETIRING A POOR MAN, THAT’S FOR SURE,” GREGORIE TOLD THE AP.

 

HIS CHARACTER WAS ALSO FEATURED ON THE NETFLIX DRAMA SHOWS – NARCOS AND GRISELDA.