It has recently been revealed that 29 leaders of Mexican criminal organizations have been handed over to U.S. justice in an attempt to dismantle the criminal structures and expose the political networks that protected them. Among them is Caro Quintero, directly responsible for the kidnapping and torture of DEA agent Enrique Camarena, whose case has been one of the most sensitive in the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States.
According to the official version, Caro Quintero was detained in 2022 after the White House provided relevant information to former President López Obrador. The operation has revealed complicities throughout the history of drug trafficking in Mexico, involving various actors from past governments to the current administration.
The methods of torture employed against Camarena and pilot Alfredo Zavala were particularly atrocious. The designation of the Mexican cartels as terrorists facilitated the delivery of these leaders to U.S. justice, recording interrogations that revealed the brutality of the crimes committed.
Despite questions regarding the death penalty in cases like that of Caro Quintero, who has been accused of inhumane acts, his extradition to the United States is a crucial step in the fight against organized crime. This process aims to unravel the political and judicial complicities that allowed the impunity of those involved for decades.
The Camarena case, which marks its 40th anniversary, remains a sensitive point in the relationship between both countries. Key figures in the plot, such as Manuel Bartlett, who has been pointed out by former DEA agents as being linked to the kidnapping and torture of Camarena, shed light on the complexity of this dark chapter in the history of drug trafficking.
The outcome of this case, which involves powerful figures in both Mexico and the United States, reflects the urgency of addressing the corruption and impunity that have allowed the perpetuation of large-scale criminal activities. The willingness of some criminal leaders to collaborate with U.S. justice may be a step forward in the search for truth and justice.
