Mexico has extradited Rafael Caro Quintero, the notorious drug lord and founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, along with 28 other cartel members to the United States, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
Caro Quintero, who allegedly orchestrated the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar, was a central figure in the rise of cartel violence across Mexico and the US. The DEA asserts that Camarena’s murder was retaliation for a 1984 raid on Quintero’s 2,500-acre marijuana farm by Mexican authorities.
After serving 28 years in a Mexican prison for Camarena’s murder, Caro Quintero was released on a technicality in 2013, though the Mexican Supreme Court later overturned the decision. Following his release, he resumed drug trafficking as a senior leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, according to the FBI.
He was recaptured in July 2022 by the Mexican Navy in an operation that tragically ended with 14 Marines dying in a Black Hawk helicopter crash. Quintero was found hiding in the bushes by a navy dog.
“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 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.
“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,” Maltz added.
Alongside Quintero, 28 other cartel members held in various Mexican correctional facilities were transferred to the US, where they face serious charges related to organized crime and drug trafficking.
The US DOJ stated that these individuals include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), including:
- Sinaloa Cartel
- Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG)
- Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas)
- La Nueva Familia Michoacana
- Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel)
“These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation of massive quantities of drugs — including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin — into the United States, alongside associated acts of violence,” the DOJ stated.
This mass extradition marks a significant step in US-Mexico cooperation in the fight against transnational drug trafficking and organized crime, bringing some of the most dangerous cartel figures to face US justice.
