Pablo Escobar's Crime Partner Carlos Lehder Released From Prison

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Inmates gather in the overcrowded Puraquequara prison on February 18, 2016 in Manaus, Brazil. The prison holds nearly 1,400 inmates, around twice as many as it was designed for. Brazil now holds the fourth-largest prison population in the world, behind the U.S., Russia and China, with the number of Brazilians behind bars nearly doubling in the past decade. The prison system currently holds more than 600,000 inmates, 61 percent over capacity, according to Human Rights Watch.
Carlos Lehder has been released from prison after 33 years.

One of Colombia's cocaine cowboys is now out of prison. Carlos Lehder, Pablo Escobar's crime partner in the Medellin Cartel, was released from prison this week after serving 33 years behind bars. Lehder, who acquired German citizenship through his father who immigrated to the country from Colombia, was transported back to Germany after being released from a Florida prison where he was being held for witness protection.

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Per AP, he was declared a leader of the Medellin Cartel that had admiration for Hitler and John Legend. He was also included as one of the characters in Narcos that's gained heavy popularity on Netflix. He was initially extradited to the United States in 1987 after the U.S. government for his role in the cartel. Though he was initially facing a 135 year sentence, he ultimately testified against Panamanian politician Gen. Manuel Noriega who had close ties to the cartel.

"Nobody accused of drug trafficking goes to trial in the U.S. anymore," Lehder's attorney, Oscar Arroyave, said. He explained that it's because it's incredibly pricey for defendants to fight charges and ultimately lose their case in a jury trial. "Had he pled guilty, he would’ve been home 15 years ago. In today’s world, there are drug traffickers far bigger that Carlos Lehder who pay five to six years.”


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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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