Speculation is running wild on both sides of the border following the release from prison of a man once known as the supreme leader of the Gulf Cartel and founder of Los Zetas. Some individuals were expecting him to return to his hometown and reclaim the reigns of his criminal organization. Others claimed he would stay in the U.S. under witness protection. The issue caused widespread speculation and rumors to spread like wildfire.
This week, Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former top leader of the Gulf Cartel, was released from a U.S. prison, sparking widespread speculation about his future. According to a report from NBC, Cardenas Guillen is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is facing extradition to Mexico next week, where he has multiple pending criminal charges.
For several months leading up to his release, authorities in Mexico had been hearing rumors about his eventual return to Matamoros and how individuals from the Gulf Cartel were paving the way for him. Other individuals claimed that other leaders within the Gulf Cartel were moving to kill him upon his return to Mexico. Mexican news outlets ran various stories with conflicting versions about the drug lord’s release and potential return to power.
Cardenas became a highly feared figure following his rise to power in the late 1990s when he killed his way to the helm of the Gulf Cartel. Soon after, he consolidated his power by recruiting a group of former soldiers and police officers as his personal guard and hit squad. That group grew in power and became known as Los Zetas.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted Cardenas on drug trafficking charges in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2003 that Mexican military forces arrested him in Matamoros following a fierce shootout. In 2007, Mexican authorities extradited Cardenas, and he had his initial hearing in Brownsville, where much of the case was kept under seal and out of public view. While Cardenas was facing multiple life sentences if convicted, he pleaded guilty to various charges and, in 2010, received a 25-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay a $50 million fine. While it is believed that he received credit for time served since his extradition, his release this week points to Cardenas having received various sentence reductions due to his cooperation with authorities.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at
