Fabio Ochoa, center, is swarmed by media upon his arrival at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia, December 23, 2024.
Fabio Ochoa, center, is swarmed by media upon his arrival at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia, December 23, 2024. (Fernando Vergara/AP)]
(The Post News)- Notorious Colombian drug lord Fabio Ochoa has been released from prison after serving 20 years of a 30-year sentence in the United States. Ochoa, 67, was a key operator of the infamous Medellin cartel and amassed a fortune in the 1980s alongside his brothers and cartel leader Pablo Escobar.
Upon his arrival at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia, Ochoa was met by immigration officials and promptly released, with no police present to detain him. Colombia’s national immigration agency confirmed that Ochoa was freed to join his family, with no outstanding warrants or charges against him in Colombia.
Ochoa’s release marks the end of a decades-long saga that saw him indicted, imprisoned, and eventually extradited to the US. His conviction and 30-year sentence were the result of his involvement in a major drug smuggling conspiracy, although he was the only defendant to opt for trial, resulting in a significantly longer prison term.
As Ochoa returns to Colombia, authorities expect him to be welcomed back with open arms, and potentially, access to his remaining illicit wealth. “He won’t be retiring a poor man, that’s for sure,” said Richard Gregorie, a retired assistant US attorney who prosecuted Ochoa’s case.
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