Mexico City: The U.S. government deported notorious drug lord Osiel Cardenas on Monday, transferring custody of the former Gulf Cartel leader to Mexican authorities at the border city of Tijuana, two federal officials told Reuters.
One of the officials revealed that Cardenas, who was known for his brutal and hyper-violent tactics, was taken to Mexico’s Almoloya prison. He currently faces three outstanding criminal charges in Mexico, including one related to organized crime and another involving the use of illegally obtained funds.
Cardenas, 57, was released from a U.S. maximum-security prison in August after serving over two decades behind bars. Since his release, he had remained in U.S. immigration custody.
In a statement, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Cardenas’ deportation, saying he was “handed over to Mexican law enforcement without incident” at the San Diego-Tijuana border crossing.
“The successful removal of Osiel Cardenas, a notorious international fugitive, underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and justice,” said Samuel Olson, head of ICE’s enforcement and removal field office in Chicago, which oversaw the deportation process.
Before his capture in 2003 following a fierce gun battle, Cardenas led some of Mexico’s most violent gang operations, transforming the Gulf Cartel through the use of ruthless tactics, including widespread decapitations and brutal killings.
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The Gulf Cartel, one of Mexico’s oldest organized crime groups, has roots dating back nearly a century. However, it has been overshadowed in recent years by more powerful cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Cardenas is also credited with founding what eventually became the Zetas Cartel, an armed wing of the Gulf Cartel composed of ex-military special forces. Known for their extreme violence, the Zetas later split from the Gulf Cartel and for a time were Mexico’s most feared and deadly crime syndicate.
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The Zetas pioneered strategies to diversify cartel operations beyond drug trafficking, engaging in large-scale extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and terrorizing residents and businesses in areas under their control.
Cardenas’ deportation marks a significant moment in the ongoing fight against organized crime in Mexico, as authorities continue to pursue accountability for his violent reign and criminal legacy.