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Former Drug Lord Given Chance To Appeal Conviction

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Former Medellin cartel boss Fabio Ochoa has received another chance to appeal his 2003 conviction on cocaine trafficking and other charges.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently agreed that Ochoa deserves a new hearing on whether his lawyer had an improper conflict of interest. Once one of the Colombian cartel's senior leaders, Ochoa is now serving a 30-year prison sentence.

The appeals court took no position on Ochoa's latest claim but ordered a new review by a Miami federal judge.

Prosecutors say Ochoa was involved in cocaine shipments to the U.S. that reached some 30 tons per year.

The Medellin cartel, once the world's biggest cocaine trafficker, went into decline after the 1993 killing of former kingpin Pablo Escobar.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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