HomeFeaturesUS Hands Over Ex-Gulf Cartel Boss To Mexican Authorities

US Hands Over Ex-Gulf Cartel Boss To Mexican Authorities

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On Monday, Mexican drug kingpin Osiel Cardenas Guillen, former head of the Gulf Cartel and the ruthless Los Zetas criminal syndicate, was deported back to Mexico after serving time in a U.S. prison. This deportation appears to be an end of one of the most notorious chapters in modern narcotrafficking history.

After his arrest in 2003, Osiel Cardenas Guillen was swiftly extradited to the United States in 2007, where he eventually pleaded guilty to a series of heinous crimes, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and extortion.

His criminal activities were not just confined to narcotics; they also involved exploiting the financial systems and coercing businesses and individuals for profit.

Upon his release from prison in August, Cardenas Guillen was quickly taken into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), signaling a seamless transition from incarceration to deportation proceedings.

After being escorted by law enforcement through California’s San Diego port of entry on Monday, the 57-year-old Cardenas Guillen was transferred into the custody of Mexican authorities. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations confirmed that the handoff was carried out smoothly, without any incidents.

“By returning this dangerous individual to Mexico, where he faces serious charges, we have taken a significant step in safeguarding our communities and upholding the rule of law,” the field office’s director Samuel Olson said in the statement.

According to a federal source familiar with the case, Cardenas Guillen was transferred to the Altiplano maximum-security prison, located just outside Mexico City. In Mexico, he still faces multiple charges, adding another layer to his already complex legal situation.

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The Gulf Cartel was formerly one of Mexico’s most fearsome criminal groups, but has lost influence in recent years and split into multiple factions.

As cartel leader, Cardenas Guillen oversaw a drug trafficking empire responsible for exporting thousands of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana into the United States.

Nicknamed “El Mata Amigos” (Friend Killer), he recruited former Mexican special forces soldiers to form his personal guard, which ended up operating on its own under the name of Los Zetas, one of the country’s most bloodthirsty gangs until its collapse.

After being apprehended in Tamaulipas, a state on Mexico’s northeast border, he was extradited to the United States in 2007. His conviction in 2010 resulted in a 25-year prison sentence, accompanied by a $50 million financial penalty, marking a significant moment in the prosecution of transnational criminal operations.

Once he was captured, the Zetas increasingly operated without the Gulf Cartel’s oversight, culminating in their dramatic split in 2010. This rupture ignited a brutal power struggle, as both factions fought fiercely for control of the critical drug trafficking routes running through the eastern and northeastern parts of Mexico.

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