Notorious drug cartel leader removed from US by ICE.

Mexican authorities received Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the leader of the Zeta cartel.

Notorious drug cartel leader removed from US by ICE.
Notorious drug cartel leader removed from US by ICE.

An infamous Mexican drug lord who led a ruthless cartel has been extradited from the U.S. and delivered to Mexican authorities, where U.S. officials claim he is wanted for murder and other offenses.

On Monday, ICE announced that Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, 57, was handed over to Mexican law enforcement after serving 14 years in U.S. custody, most of his 25-year U.S. prison sentence.

Cárdenas Guillén was re-arrested by Mexican authorities and taken to the Altiplano prison, a maximum-security facility west of Mexico City, for charges related to drugs, organized crime, and money-laundering, according to a Mexican federal official who spoke to The Associated Press but requested anonymity.

Cárdenas Guillén is wanted in Mexico for homicide and illegal possession of a firearm, and it is believed he was deported to Mexico due to his Mexican citizenship.

Osiel Cardenas Guillen
Osiel Cardenas Guillen, 57, was returned to Mexico and handed over to Mexican authorities, ICE said Monday. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

A photo of Cárdenas Guillén, a former drug lord known for his violent reputation, was shared by ICE. He was handcuffed and two officers in helmets and flak vests held each of his arms.

Osiel Cardenas Guillen
Cardenas Guillen is seen leaving a federal courthouse after pleading not guilty to charges connected to running a cartel, in Houston, Feb. 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File)

Reynosa and Matamoros-based Gulf cartel leader Cárdenas Guillén, known as "El Mata Amigos," once moved tons of cocaine and made millions of dollars.

The Zetas, a notorious gang of hitmen in Mexico, were responsible for numerous acts of terror that resulted in the slaughter of dozens of people, decapitation of victims, or the dumping of heaps of hacked-up bodies on roadways, according to The Associated Press.

Osiel Cárdenas Guillén in custody
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén is escorted by members of Mexico's Federal Agency of Investigations in Mexico City in January 2007. (Reuters/Attorney General's office)

In 2003, Cárdenas Guillén was eventually captured and later extradited to the U.S. in 2007.

In 2010, Cárdenas Guillén was convicted of threatening to assault and murder federal agents and was given a 25-year prison sentence, along with a requirement to forfeit $50 million from his criminal enterprise.

Planet Chronicle' Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

by Stephen Sorace

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