Mexican drug lord Cárdenas Guillén is released from a US prison and may be deported

On August 30, 2024, authorities confirmed that Mexican drug lord Osiel Cárdenas Guillén has been released from a US prison. Officials with the US Bureau of Prisons said Cárdenas Guillén is now under the supervision of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which usually means he will be deported back to Mexico.

An unnamed Mexican official said Cárdenas Guillén faces two arrest warrants in Mexico and is likely to be detained upon arrival. The former leader of the Gulf Cartel is known for his cruelty and created the bloody killer gang Los Zetas, often massacring immigrants and innocent people. In 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was sentenced to 25 years in prison and had tens of millions of dollars confiscated. Although it is not clear why he was not serving his full sentence, he was extradited to the United States in 2007.

The 57-year-old Cárdenas Guillén is from the Mexican border city of Matamoros. He made millions of dollars by transporting tons of ***e through the Gulf Cartel. He recruited former Mexican special forces soldiers to form Los Zetas and carried out terrorist acts. After Cárdenas Guillén was arrested in 2003, Los Zetas still existed for a long time. Later, it formed its own cartel and launched terrorist attacks until its top leaders were killed or arrested. Today, the Gulf Cartel has split after a bloody internal feud. Cárdenas Guillén is nicknamed "the man who kills friends." In 1999, he blocked a vehicle carrying US Drug Enforcement Administration agents and informants in the border city of Matamoros, narrowly avoiding serious consequences.