U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has successfully deported Osiel Cardenas Guillen to Mexico, with assistance from ERO San Diego, Harlingen, Texas, Mexico City, and the International Operations Division. Cardenas Guillen, aged 57, is a notorious member of the Zeta cartel and is wanted in Mexico for homicide and illegal possession of a firearm.
“The successful removal of Osiel Cardenas, a notorious international fugitive, underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and justice,” said ERO Chicago Field Office Director Samuel Olson. “This operation…demonstrates the power of collaboration in law enforcement.”
Cardenas was apprehended by ERO officers at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. Subsequently, he was moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center before being smoothly transported through the San Diego Port of Entry, where he was seamlessly transferred to Mexican authorities.
Cardenas first arrived in the United States on August 27, 1992, through Brownsville, Texas, using a Border Crossing Card. However, his entry into the country was marred by trouble as he was apprehended for possessing around two kilograms of cocaine with the intention to distribute it. Eventually, he was found guilty and received a 63-month prison sentence by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Cardenas was transferred to Mexico in December 1993 through a treaty between the United States and Mexico that dealt with penal sentences. In March 2000, he was indicted on various charges, including drug trafficking and assault on federal officers.
In January 19, 2007, with the collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Mexican authorities, Cardenas was successfully extradited back to the U.S. to face trial in Texas. After a comprehensive trial, he was convicted in March 2010 on multiple charges, which included conspiracy to distribute drugs and making threats against federal agents.
In February 2022, ERO Chicago placed an immigration detainer on Cardenas when they encountered him at USP Terre Haute. Later that year, ERO Mexico City notified ERO Chicago about the existence of active arrest warrants against him in Mexico.
The Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is tasked with ensuring domestic immigration enforcement by apprehending individuals who pose a threat to community safety or who have violated immigration laws.