In a shocking turn of events, one of the founding members of the infamous Medellín drug cartel, Fabio Ochoa Vasquez, has returned to Colombia after spending over two decades behind bars in the United States for his involvement in drug trafficking. At 67 years old, Ochoa’s return has sparked curiosity and controversy, given his prominent role in the violent, global cocaine empire led by Pablo Escobar.
The Rise of Fabio Ochoa Vasquez in the Medellín Cartel
Fabio Ochoa Vasquez was born in Colombia in 1957, when the country was going through political insecurity and economic instability. Ochoa had plunged into the Medellín cartel, a drug operation that controlled the cocaine trade, by the 1980s. Ochoa, who quickly rose through the ranks as Escobar’s close most trusted associate.
Has shipping out vast amounts of cocaine to the United States given the Medellín cartel — who may have controlled up to 80 percent of the cocaine market at its height — the name. But Ochoa played a crucial role in organizing the shipments that brought in tens of millions of dollars a year to the cartel and its violence.
Ochoa’s Role as a Senior Lieutenant
Ochoa was one of Medellín cartel’s senior lieutenants charged with overseeing day to day operations of the cartel, including cocaine production, transportation and distribution. There was a huge network involved and he was deeply involved in managing that network that was spread around in different countries. As a major player in the cartel he was at the crossroads of one of the most deadly and strongest drug gangs in history.
In fact, violent tactics used by the cartel were well documented during this time. They had bombings take place, they had assassinations taking place, and they had extortion going on in order to keep their control of their drug empire. Eventually, these methods caused Colombia and the United States to increase their pressure on one another to take stronger action against drug trafficking.
The Extradition to the US
Ochoa was extradited to the United States in 2001, after serving time in Colombia for his part in the Medellín cartel. He faced serious charges: he had been caught smuggling large amounts of cocaine into the US between 1997 and 1999. At this time, the cartel was responsible for moving an average of 30 tons of cocaine a month.
Ochoa was sentenced to more than 30 years in US prison for his crimes in 2003. The case against him was part of the US government’s larger campaign to dismantle the Medellín and Cali cartels, which had ravaged US and Colombian societies for