Carlos Lehder Rivas, a founder of the notorious Medellín cartel, has been released from custody in Colombia following a court ruling that his previous drug trafficking conviction had expired. The decision, made by Judge Martha Yaneth Delgado, has reignited discussion in the Colombian legal system about justice for former cartel leaders. Lehder, now 75 years old, was arrested in late March 2025 upon arrival at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. The arrest was based on a 1995 conviction for illegal possession of firearms. However, Judge Delgado ruled that these charges were no longer valid due to the statute of limitations. "Considering the aforementioned arrest report and taking into account that on the date set, the statute of limitations of the sentence imposed on convicted Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas expired, his arrest is not legalized," Judge Delgado stated in her ruling. This latest development concludes a tumultuous journey for Lehder, who revolutionized cocaine smuggling in the 1980s by using air transportation and establishing Norman's Cay in the Bahamas as a crucial transshipment point. After his extradition to the United States in 1987, Lehder spent more than 30 years in U.S. prisons before being released in 2020 for health reasons
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