Fabio Ochoa, former leader of the Medellín Cartel, is summoned to a hearing in January for a case open since 1989.
News Colombia.
Despite having served more than 25 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking and other crimes, Fabio Ochoa Vásquez’s return to Colombia, initially scheduled for December 12, has been ruled out.
According to General William René Salamanca, director of the National Police, the former member of the Medellín Cartel faces a new judicial process in Tampa, Florida, related to drug trafficking crimes committed in 1989.
In interview with The W Radio, Salamanca explained that US authorities have confirmed that Ochoa still has an “indictment” or accusation pending in the Jacksonville Court.
This new case includes charges for the sale, distribution, import and export of narcotics, as well as conspiracy to commit a crime. The seriousness of these crimes and the formal opening of the process against them complicate any plan for immediate return to the country.
The case in Florida and its impact on the return to Colombia
The process that keeps him in the United States has its origins in a file from 1989 that, despite the time that has passed, remains open.
According to recent court documents, signed by Judge Monte Richardson, Ochoa is scheduled to appear on January 28, 2025 in Jacksonville for an initial hearing on the criminal charges against him.
This appearance, described as an “initial appearance,” indicates that up to now Fabio Ochoa has not formally faced this case, which leaves open the possibility of a new trial or, eventually, the dismissal of the charges if the time that has passed is taken into account. imprisoned past.
A story that doesn’t end
Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, along with his brothers Jorge Luis and Juan David, was a central figure in the Medellín Cartel, the criminal organization that dominated global drug trafficking in the 1980s and 1990s.
Photo: DEA
Its influence on the logistics and expansion of cocaine trafficking turned the cartel into an imposing force, but also a priority objective for international security agencies.
News related: The return of Fabio Ochoa: this day the former boss of the Medellín cartel would arrive in Colombia
Captured in 1999 and extradited to the United States in 2001, Ochoa was sentenced to 30 years in prison for leading an operation that trafficked up to 30 tons of cocaine monthly between 1997 and 1999.
However, his criminal history goes back decades, including his alleged involvement in the murder of Barry Seal, a pilot and key DEA witness, in 1986.
