Who is Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, dreaded drug lord known as ‘friend killer’
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the notorious drug lord and former leader of the Gulf Cartel, has returned to Mexico after serving a 14-year prison sentence in the United States, CBS News has reported.
His return to Mexico is a significant moment in his criminal career, which spanned the trafficking of massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana across the US-Mexico border. Known by his chilling nickname, El Mata Amigos (“Friend Killer”), Cárdenas Guillén is infamous for his brutal methods and leadership of one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organizations.
The US Homeland Security Department confirmed on Monday that Cárdenas Guillén, 57, was deported to Mexico after completing most of his 25-year sentence, the report said. His arrest and extradition to the US in 2007 followed a major crackdown on the Gulf Cartel’s operations in the border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros, where Cárdenas Guillén had made millions moving drugs.
“By returning this dangerous individual to Mexico, where he faces serious charges, we have taken a significant step in safeguarding our communities and upholding the rule of law,” said Samuel Olson, the Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director, in a statement.
Cárdenas Guillén has left behind a legacy of extreme violence. He earned himself the nickname El Mata Amigos with his brutal tactics, particularly his recruitment of former Mexican special forces soldiers to serve as his personal guards.
The elite force later splintered off to form Los Zetas, a gang infamous for its atrocities, including massacres of migrants and civilians.
Under Cárdenas Guillén’s leadership, the Gulf Cartel rose to prominence as one of the most feared organizations in Mexico, moving tons of cocaine into the United States.
After his arrest in Tamaulipas, Cárdenas Guillén was extradited to the US, where he faced charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and extortion. In 2010, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $50 million in restitution. One notable charge stemmed from his alleged threat to kill a Texas sheriff’s deputy who refused to deliver nearly 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.
Now back in Mexico, Cárdenas Guillén has been re-arrested and transferred to the Altiplano prison, one of the country’s most secure facilities, where he faces new charges, including drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering.
Cárdenas Guillén’s return to Mexican custody marks the end of a chapter in his criminal life, but it is unclear whether his influence within the fractured Gulf Cartel and beyond will persist.
