Mexico drug lord pleads not guilty in 1985 killing of US drug enforcement agent – JURIST
Drug cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero pleaded not guilty in a Brooklyn court on Friday to charges related to his involvement in the 40-year-old killing of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
Caro Quintero was brought to federal court along with 28 other fugitive cartel members. He is facing charges for crimes committed as the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel. This cartel, once one of Latin America’s most powerful drug organizations, has since evolved into the Sinaloa Cartel. This cartel is responsible for trafficking drugs into the US and committing acts of extreme violence.
DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino stated:
Today marks a day which will be remembered in the history of the DEA. For nearly four decades, the men and women of the DEA have pursued Rafael Caro Quintero, the man responsible for the kidnapping, torture, and death of fallen DEA Special Agent Kiki Camarena, and the leader of one the most notorious and violent drug cartels. Today, Rafael Caro Quintero will finally face the consequences for the crimes he committed. No matter how long it takes, or where you hide, the DEA remains patient and committed in our global pursuit.
Caro Quintero, known as the “Narco of Narcos,” was allegedly involved in the kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985. Caro Quintero’s men abducted Camarena and took him to an unknown location. There, he was tortured for two days before the cartel boss and his men killed him.
In a show of security cooperation, Mexico sent 28 drug cartel figures to the US alongside Caro Quintero.
Caro Quintero was charged with four main crimes in his new indictment. The first charge is leading a criminal organization, which includes ten crimes. One of these is the murder of the DEA agent as part of a plot to commit murder. The second charge is for working with others to sell drugs internationally. The third involves drug distribution conspiracy. Lastly, Caro Quintero faces a charge for using firearms to support drug trafficking.
Caro Quintero is facing a mandatory life sentence and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.
