The septuagenarian capo Rafael Caro Quintero, former founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, is currently facing U.S. justice on charges that could lead him to life imprisonment or the death penalty. Accused of drug trafficking, organized crime, firearm use, and murder, Caro Quintero pleaded not guilty during a hearing in the federal court of the Eastern District of New York last Friday, February 28.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicated that the charges against Caro Quintero could carry severe penalties, including the murder of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, a crime that took place in 1985 and has earned the capo a reward of up to 20 million dollars for his capture.
After decades of evading justice, Caro Quintero was surrendered to the United States from Mexico in an operation that shocked due to its magnitude. More than a hundred DEA agents, about thirty workers from the Department of Justice, and a dozen international journalists were present at the hearing for the reading of the charges.
The historic leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, known for his vast fortunes and influence in the drug trafficking world, has been a central figure in the fight against organized crime in Latin America. Despite having been arrested and sentenced in the past, he was released in 2013 after several cases against him were dismissed, allowing him to resume his illicit activities.
Despite previous attempts to bring him to U.S. justice, legal obstacles had prevented his extradition. However, in a recent operation, the Mexican government surrendered Caro Quintero to U.S. authorities, ending years of evasion of justice and taking an important step in the legal process against him.
