Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, a notorious drug lord from Mexico, has been released from a U.S. prison after serving a significant portion of his 25-year sentence, confirmed authorities on Friday. According to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons official, Cárdenas Guillén was released and handed over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, indicating a possible deportation back to Mexico. A Mexican official, preferring anonymity, disclosed that Cárdenas Guillén has two outstanding arrest warrants in Mexico, suggesting he may face detention upon his return.
The former leader of the Gulf cartel gained notoriety for his brutal acts, including the creation of the ruthless Zetas gang, responsible for heinous crimes such as massacring migrants and innocent individuals. In 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to forfeit substantial amounts of money. Despite being extradited to the U.S. in January 2007, it remains unclear why he did not complete his full sentence.
Originally from the border city of Matamoros, Mexico, Cárdenas Guillén orchestrated the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine and amassed considerable wealth through the Gulf cartel, operating from Reynosa and Matamoros. He founded the Zetas, recruiting ex-Mexican special forces personnel to form a lethal private army and hit squad notorious for brutal acts of violence, including mass killings and decapitations.
Although Cárdenas Guillén was captured in 2003, the Zetas continued their reign of terror and eventually branched out into their own cartel, orchestrating violent attacks across Mexico before facing a series of leadership arrests in 2012-2013. A splinter group of the Zetas, the Northeast cartel, currently controls Nuevo Laredo on the U.S.-Mexico border.
In contrast, the Gulf cartel, under Cárdenas Guillén’s leadership, has disintegrated due to over a decade of internal conflicts between factions like The Metros, The Cyclones, The Reds, and The Scorpions. Known by the moniker “El Mata Amigos,” which translates to “The one who kills his friends,” Cárdenas Guillén engaged in audacious acts, such as a confrontation in 1999 where he intercepted a vehicle carrying two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and their informant in Matamoros, issuing threats before eventually retreating.
The release of Cárdenas Guillén raises concerns about the potential implications and security risks associated with his return to Mexico, where he is wanted for multiple offenses. Although his criminal legacy endures through offshoot organizations like the Northeast cartel, the repercussions of his reentry into the criminal landscape remain uncertain.
