Drug Lord Osiel Cardenas Guillen Transferred to Mexican Custody

Osiel Cardenas Guillen, former leader of the Gulf Cartel, has been deported from the U.S. to Mexico. After his release from a U.S. prison, he faces new charges including organized crime in Mexico. Known for extreme violence, he also founded the Zetas cartel.

Mexican authorities have taken custody of Osiel Cardenas Guillen after his deportation from the United States on Monday. The former Gulf Cartel leader was handed over at Tijuana, a strategic border city, according to two federal officials who provided information to Reuters.

A source revealed that Cardenas Guillen has been incarcerated at Mexico's Almoloya prison, where he now confronts three criminal charges, among them one for organized crime. This follows his August release after serving over two decades in a maximum-security U.S. prison. Post-release, he was detained by U.S. immigration.

In his earlier reign before a 2003 gun battle led to his capture, Cardenas Guillen was infamous for his role in escalating gang violence in Mexico. He is credited with transforming the drug trafficking landscape by adopting brutal tactics, such as decapitations. Cardenas Guillen also established the fearsome Zetas cartel, initially part of the Gulf Cartel, known for its members from former army special forces and its reputation for extreme violence.

(With inputs from agencies.)