Mexico has extradited notorious drug lord, Rafael Caro Quintero along with 28 other fugitive cartel members to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Caro Quintero, recognized as the founder of the Guadalajara cartel, is accused of orchestrating the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.
The DEA believes Salazar’s killing was retaliation for a 1984 raid by Mexican authorities on Caro Quintero’s massive 2,500-acre marijuana plantation.
Having served 28 years in a Mexican prison for his role in the crime, Caro Quintero was released in 2013 due to a legal technicality.
However, the Mexican Supreme Court later overturned the decision, and he resumed his involvement in drug trafficking as a key figure within the Sinaloa cartel, according to the FBI.
His freedom came to an end in July 2022 when he was captured by the Mexican Navy.
The high-stakes operation led to the deaths of 14 Marines in a helicopter crash. A navy dog ultimately found Caro Quintero hiding in the bushes.
“Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz.
“This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”
The extradition included 29 individuals detained in different correctional facilities across Mexico.
Authorities say they were linked to various criminal organizations engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and other serious offenses.
Among those extradited were high-ranking members of cartels recently labeled as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
These included figures from the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and the Gulf Cartel.
The DOJ named some key figures now in U.S. custody, including Martin Sotelo, also known as Alder Marin-Sotelo, who allegedly took part in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd in Charlotte, North Carolina; Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, an alleged leader of CJNG; and two senior Los Zetas members, Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga.
“These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence,” the DOJ stated.
U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to taking down violent criminal organizations.
“The alleged cartel members would be prosecuted ‘to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels,’” she stated.
She further emphasized the administration’s position, saying, “As President (Donald) Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs.”
Acting Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove, highlighted the administration’s approach in securing these extraditions.
“This is a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” he said.
With Caro Quintero and other cartel figures now in U.S. custody, authorities are preparing for legal proceedings that could bring long-awaited justice.
