By Luc Cohen
In a significant development, Rafael Caro Quintero, identified as a prominent figure in a cartel and having served an extended period in Mexican prison for the alleged killing of a DEA agent, is scheduled to be formally charged in a U.S. federal court on Friday on counts related to drug trafficking, as confirmed by a reliable source.
Mexico recently facilitated the extradition of Caro Quintero along with 28 other individuals suspected of cartel involvement, marking the largest extradition event in the past decade. This move comes amidst the backdrop of escalating tensions fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose a substantial 25 percent tariff on Mexican imports commencing on March 4, citing dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of progress in curbing the illicit trafficking of fentanyl and the influx of migrants.
The group of extradited individuals encompasses both seasoned criminal leaders such as Caro Quintero, a co-founder of the notorious Guadalajara Cartel, whose influence once reverberated across Mexico’s criminal landscape many years ago, as well as younger figures actively engaged in the transportation of significant quantities of lethal fentanyl into the United States in more recent times.
The Guadalajara Cartel, at one point, stood as one of the most dominant drug organizations in Latin America.
Having served a lengthy prison term of 28 years in Mexico after being convicted in connection to the killing of former DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a high-profile incident amidst Mexico’s violent narco conflicts, Caro Quintero has persistently denied any involvement in the agent’s demise. He was eventually released in 2013 on a legal technicality but found himself indicted in 2020 by a federal court in Brooklyn on charges related to drug trafficking and possession of illegal weaponry, subsequently being apprehended by Mexican authorities in 2022.
Upon Caro Quintero’s arrest, former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland remarked, “Today’s arrest is the culmination of tireless work by DEA and their Mexican partners to bring Caro Quintero to justice for his alleged crimes.”
Caro Quintero is expected to make his appearance at the same courthouse in Brooklyn where Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a prominent figure in the Sinaloa cartel, was convicted on drug trafficking charges in 2019. Currently serving a life sentence at a high-security facility in Colorado, Guzman’s case serves as a notable precedent.
Also slated to appear in the Brooklyn federal court on the same day is supposed Juarez Cartel chief Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, who faces accusations from 2019 pertaining to drug trafficking activities and alleged orders for the execution of rival cartel members.
The remaining individuals extradited on the recent occasion will face legal action in federal courts across various states, including Manhattan, Texas, Illinois, California, Arizona, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
