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Notorious Colombian drug lord released from prison

Carlos Lehder, an original 'cocaine cowboy,' is out after serving a long prison sentence in the U.S.

MIAMI — A notorious Colombian drug lord is now a free man.

Carlos Lehder is one of the original "cocaine cowboys" and Pablo Escobar's crime partner, according to CBS Miami.

Lehder's lawyer says he caught a plane to his new home in Berlin, Germany on Monday, after being released from a Florida prison. He was being held there as part of the government's witness protection program.

Lehder was originally sentenced to 135 years plus life, but after agreeing to testify against former Panamanian dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega, he had his sentence reduced to 55 years.

If you've seen "Narcos" on Netflix, you may have heard the name before.

The show highlights Lehder as the co-founder of the Medellin cartel, which dominated the global cocaine trade in the 1980s.

He is a dual German-Colombia citizen. His lawyer says Lehder has no interest in returning to Colombia and German authorities helped him get settled in his new home.

RELATED: Police arrest cartel member implicated in notorious kidnapping portrayed in Netflix show

RELATED: Safe found at Pablo Escobar's former mansion in Miami

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