Former Medellin Cartel boss released in Colombia after a judge rules his sentence expired

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombian authorities released erstwhile Medellin Cartel brag Carlos Lehder connected Monday aft a justice ruled that a cause trafficking condemnation issued successful Colombia against the 75-year-old had expired.

Lehder was arrested Friday nighttime soon aft helium landed successful Bogota's airport, with migration officials saying helium was inactive wanted successful the South American state connected cause trafficking charges and weapons smuggling.

Lehder became the archetypal Colombian cause trafficker extradited to the United States aft helium was arrested during a enactment astatine his ranch.

The erstwhile cause trafficker was extradited to the U.S. successful 1987, wherever helium served much than 30 years successful prison. In 2020, Lehder was released aft serving two-thirds of his U.S. sentence. He was deported to Germany, wherever helium is besides a citizen.

Lehder had not returned to Colombia since his extradition to the United States. His lawyer, Sondra Macollins said helium was attempting to sojourn relatives erstwhile helium arrived Friday.

“He is recovering from cancer, and has precocious humor unit problems,” Macollins told Colombia’s Blu radio. “We are talking astir idiosyncratic who spent years successful acheronian cells.”

Colombian authorities convicted Lehder for cause trafficking successful 1995, portion helium was serving the abstracted condemnation astatine a U.S. prison. The cartel brag was sentenced to 24 years successful situation successful Colombia, meaning his condemnation expired successful 2019, according to Colombian law.

The lad of a German migrant who arrived successful Colombia successful the 1920s, Lehder began his transgression vocation successful the 1970s erstwhile helium lived with relatives successful New York City.

He utilized his contacts and his cognition of English to unfastened cocaine markets for the Medellin Cartel and became a cardinal state of its brag Pablo Escobar. Lehder bought onshore successful the Bahamas that became a important stopover constituent for cocaine flights.

In Colombia, helium owned a luxurious agrarian edifice known arsenic the Posada Alemana, which had caged lions connected its grounds and a ample statue of Lehder’s favourite musician, John Lennon.

In the U.S., Lehder was initially sentenced to beingness successful situation but managed to trim his condemnation by providing U.S. investigators with accusation that was utilized to prosecute Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.