Fabio Ochoa Released After 25 Years in U.S. Prison

Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a prominent figure in the Medellin cocaine cartel, has been released from a U.S. prison after serving 25 of his 30-year sentence and is expected to be deported back to Colombia. Ochoa, aged 67, and his brothers became billionaires in the 1980s due to their involvement in the cocaine trade, famously running a distribution center in Miami under the notorious cartel leader Pablo Escobar. His criminal activities included a 1986 indictment for the murder of a DEA informant, Barry Seal, and a 2001 indictment in Miami related to a drug smuggling conspiracy, where he was the only defendant to stand trial. Ochoa's story has been depicted in popular media, including the Netflix series 'Narcos' and the film 'American Made'. Despite his conviction, authorities were unable to recover all of the Ochoa family's drug profits. Ochoa's release marks a significant moment in the history of drug trafficking as Colombia's influence in the trade has shifted to Mexico over the years.