Colombian Drug Lord ‘Chupeta’ Released After Shocking El Chapo Deal!
In a shocking twist, Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadia, infamous kingpin of the Norte del Valle Cartel, has just been released from a 20-year prison sentence under a deal that could see him walking free in 2024.
Reports from South America reveal that Chupeta, as he’s infamously known, has now entered the witness protection program in the United States. This marks a new chapter in his controversial saga.
But the plot thickens; Chupeta successfully relocated his immediate family to the U.S., where they, too, will receive protection.
This notorious criminal confessed to orchestrating the murders of 150 individuals and trafficking a staggering 500 tons of cocaine.
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadia, aka Chupeta. Photo: US Department of State
Despite his dark past, U.S. authorities recognized his potential as a star witness against other drug lords, aiming to bring down the notorious El Chapo.
Chupeta struck a deal that significantly reduced his sentence in exchange for divulging the intricate web of cocaine transport between his cartel and the infamous Sinaloa Cartel.
Insight Crime reported previously that after testifying against El Chapo, Chupeta also provided crucial evidence against Jesús “El Rey” Zambada, a key figure in the Sinaloa Cartel.
Chupeta revealed his role in sending countless tons of cocaine to Mexico, where it was then trafficked across the U.S. border.
“El Mayo”
Throughout his notorious career, Chupeta boasted about exporting 500 tons of cocaine using planes, ships, and even semi-submersibles.
He is also known for undergoing a series of poorly executed facial surgeries to evade capture.
Rising through the ranks in the Cali Cartel during the 1980s, Chupeta started as a horse trainer before becoming a key player in drug trafficking.
Once the Cali Cartel crumbled, Chupeta’s organization emerged as a formidable force, eventually becoming the primary supplier to the Sinaloa Cartel.
In a spectacular operation, his cartel reportedly dispatched 14 cocaine-laden planes to Mexico in just one night.
‘El Chapo’ was extradited to the US from Mexico, his arrest left his sons in charge of the cartel, which led to the infamous ‘Battle of Culiacan
Chupeta was candid about bribing Colombian politicians and officials with millions of dollars during the 1990s to buy time against extradition to the U.S.
He even bribed police, military personnel, judges, and a phone company engineer to keep tabs on any surveillance.
In March 1996, Chupeta turned himself into Colombian authorities, receiving a 24-year sentence, but was released early in 2002.
He fled to Brazil, but his past caught up with him as U.S. authorities continued the chase, leading him to undergo cosmetic surgery to alter his identity.
Voice recognition technology ultimately played a pivotal role in his capture in Brazil in 2008.
Later, he was extradited to the U.S., where he faced serious charges and provided crucial testimony in the landmark trial against El Chapo, who now finds himself behind bars for life.
