US EditionColombian authorities arrest former drug lord Carlos Lehder
- Carlos Lehder, a former leader of the Medellín Cartel, was arrested on March 28, 2025, at Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport upon arrival from Frankfurt, Germany, as Colombian authorities cited an outstanding warrant for trafficking charges related to military-grade weapons.
- Officials confirmed that Lehder was transferred to a police facility in Bogotá and will face legal proceedings for crimes committed in Colombia before his extradition to the U.S. in 1987.
- Lehder co-founded the Medellín Cartel with Pablo Escobar and revolutionized drug smuggling, using Norman's Cay as a transshipment hub, which was pivotal for cocaine distribution to U.S. markets in the 1980s.
- His arrest highlights Colombia's ongoing efforts to address organized crime and serves as a reminder of the accountability that remains a priority for Colombian authorities.
67 Articles
67 Articles
Former Medellin Cartel boss released in Colombia after a judge rules his sentence expired
Colombian authorities have released former Medellin Cartel boss Carlos Lehder after a judge ruled that a drug trafficking sentence issued in Colombia against the 75-year-old had expired
Carlos Lehder: Medellín Cartel Co-Founder Arrested Upon Return to Colombia
Carlos Lehder, a former Medellín Cartel leader and one of the most notorious figures in the history of drug trafficking, was arrested on March 28, 2025, at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport. Colombian authorities detained the 75-year-old upon his arrival from Frankfurt, Germany, citing an outstanding warrant for charges related to the manufacturing and trafficking […]
Carlos Lehder, a former drug dealer, had already served a sentence in the United States for more than three decades; however, he was again arrested on his return to Colombia. After having paid a sentence of more than three decades in the United States for cocaine trafficking, the Colombian police found an arrest warrant in force against him.Carlos Lehder, former head of the Medellín cartel, will be temporarily detained at the headquarters of the…
Carlos Lehder’s desire to return to Colombia after nearly four decades led him to an unexpected outcome. This Saturday, Bogotá’s Trial Trial 02 legalized the capture of the former drug dealer and ordered his provisional arrest, after the previous day he was arrested after landing in Bogotá, as a tourist. At 75 years old, and after having paid a sentence of more than three decades in prison in the United States for cocaine trafficking, the former…
The Washington Hispanic
A former partner of Pablo Escobar on the Medellín cartel traveled this Friday from Germany to Colombia, where he was held by the police to verify his judicial situation. Carlos Lehder, 75, was the first great Colombian capo extradited to the United States, where he served a 30-year prison sentence. He was expelled after his release in 2020 to Germany, for his dual nationality, although he had repeatedly expressed his willingness to return to Col…
The Medellín cartel partner had been in Germany since 2020, after serving his sentence for drug trafficking in the U.S. He was arrested upon arrival in Bogotá
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