Former Colombian soccer player Jhon Viáfara, remembered for his historic goal with Once Caldas in the 2004 Copa Libertadores final, regained his freedom after serving a sentence for drug trafficking in the United States.
The news was confirmed this weekend, specifically yesterday, February 7, 2026, when the first images of the former midfielder on Colombian soil were made public after his return to the country.
Viáfara, who also played for clubs such as Real Sociedad in Spain and Portsmouth in England, had been extradited to United States territory in January 2020 to face federal charges related to drug trafficking. I invite you to read: The former Libertadores champion player who was free after a conviction in the US.
This is how Viáfara was in prison
The judicial process against the former player originated in 2019, when he was captured in a joint operation in Valle del Cauca.
North American authorities accused him of participating in a network that coordinated the shipment of cocaine to Central America and the United States using fast boats and semi-submersibles between 2008 and 2018.
In April 2021, a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas sentenced him to 135 months in prison (just over 11 years). I invite you to read: The physical change of former player Jhon Viáfara, imprisoned in the United States
However, thanks to his good behavior during confinement and compliance with various prison programs, he obtained a significant reduction in his sentence, managing to leave prison approximately six years earlier than originally planned.
After his arrival in Colombia, a photograph of the 47-year-old former player was released along with journalist Jaime Orlando Dinas, confirming that he is already with his relatives in the department of Valle del Cauca. With this return, a dark chapter closes in the life of a national soccer player.
