Colombian drug trafficker who fled US prison in 1994 caught

A convicted drug trafficker from Colombia who fled from a U.S. prison in 1994 has been captured in Texas and pleaded guilty to escape.

Prosecutors say 47-year-old Juan Carlos Marin-Cardona pleaded guilty Wednesday in San Angelo to escaping from federal custody.

Tom Green County jail records show Marin-Cardona is held without bond pending sentencing of up to five years in prison.

Records show Marin-Cardona in 1993 was sentenced in Miami to nearly six years for importation of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Marin-Cardona was assigned to a prison in Eden, Texas, 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Austin.

Martin-Cardona escaped in November 1994. Investigators eventually traced him back to Colombia.

Investigators say Martin-Cardona was detained in March during a layover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.