Mexican drug lord, who founded ultra-violent Zetas, released from US prison

31/8/2024 6:20

        One of the most notorious drug chiefs in Mexico's history, Osiel Cardenas, was released from a U.S. prison on Friday into the custody of immigration officials who may deport him.
        
        Former leader of the Gulf Cartel, Cardenas presided over some of the bloodiest gang violence in Mexico's turbulent past and has been blamed for transforming drug trafficking by embracing hyper-violent tactics such as decapitations.
        
        Cardenas founded the Zetas, an armed wing of the Gulf Cartel made up of former army special forces.
        
        He was captured after a gun battle in 2003 and extradited to the United States in 2007. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2010.
        
        The Zetas later branched off on their own and became, for a while, the most deadly crime group in Mexico before largely fizzling out.