The former leader of a Mexican drug cartel has been released from a U.S. detention center, according to Fox News.
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, who led the Gulf Cartel, could return to a Mexican prison. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2010 after plotting to kill federal agents.
The cartel leader was also convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was also ordered to pay $50 million in restitution, based on the proceeds of his criminal activities. South of the border, he would face two counts.
The 57-year-old was extradited to the United States in 2007. Among other things, he created the Zetas, a group of hitmen who spread terror and could kill civilians. Osiel Cárdenas Guillén was behind the trafficking of thousands of kilograms of cocaine from 1997 to 2003.
A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Leo Silva, said the 50-year-old was responsible for a “new era” in organized crime that consisted of wanting to “sow fear” throughout the country.
