Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, a notorious Mexican drug lord known for leading the Gulf cartel and later creating the Zetas, has been deported from the U.S. and handed over to Mexican authorities. The 57-year-old was returned to Mexico after serving 14 years in U.S. custody, where he had been serving a 25-year prison sentence.
Mexican officials immediately re-arrested Cárdenas Guillén upon his arrival and took him to the Altiplano prison near Mexico City. The charges against him in Mexico include homicide, illegal possession of a firearm, drugs, organized crime, and money-laundering. ICE stated that Cárdenas Guillén is wanted in Mexico as he is a Mexican citizen.
Cárdenas Guillén, whose nickname was "El Mata Amigos" or "The one who kills his friends," was once feared throughout Mexico for his violent reputation. He was known for moving tons of cocaine and making millions of dollars while leading the Gulf cartel. The Zetas, the gang of hitmen he later created, were infamous for committing acts of terror such as slaughtering dozens of people and dumping hacked-up bodies on roadways.
In 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the U.S. for charges including threatening to assault and murder federal agents. He was also ordered to forfeit $50 million from his criminal enterprise. He was eventually captured in 2003 and extradited to the U.S. four years later.