A Mexican organized crime figure who was on the US’s 10 most wanted list was arrested Friday in Mexicoas announced by the Navy.
Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested by Mexican National Police in the state of Chihuahua (north), according to Mexican media reports.
A img close to the Mexican armed forces confirmed to AFP the arrest of the founding member of the Guadalajara (southern) state cartel in the late 1970s, but declined to go into any detail.
Rafael Caro Quintero, 69, was on the US authorities’ 10 Most Wanted list after the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent Kiki Camarena in Mexico, according to the FBI.
Washington offered a $20 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
“Maintains an influential position in the Sinaloa cartel and the Car0 Quintero drug trafficking organization”always according to the FBI.
He was first arrested in 1985, tried and sentenced by the Mexican authorities to serve 40 years in prison.
But a judge in 2013 ordered his release due to a procedural issue. Mexican justice ordered his arrest again a short time later.
The USA they were also seeking his re-arrest and extradition for the kidnapping and murder of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a US agent of Mexican descent, as well as drug trafficking.
“I didn’t kidnap him, I didn’t torture him, I didn’t kill him,” said the person concerned in an interview he gave illegally to the weekly magazine Proceso in July 2016. “I was at the scene of the crime, that was my only involvement.”
Rafael Caro Quintero is one of the main characters of the TV series “Narcos”, which deals in detail with the establishment of the cartel in Guadalajarafeaturing the DEA’s secret war in Mexico and the kidnapping, torture and murder of Agent Camarena.
The leader of the Guadalajara cartel, Miguel Ángel Félix Gaiardo, has been in prison since 1989 for the murder of Kiki Camarena. He had denied involvement.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced that Washington will request the immediate extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero.
A Mexican official said he would be extradited as soon as possible. Last year, his extradition to the neighboring country was finally decided after his final appeal was rejected. The reluctance of Mexican authorities to proceed with his extradition has caused friction in the past.
THE drug lordpowerful in the 1980s, was arrested the week US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met.
His arrest, although he is no longer considered as important in the international drug trade, has great symbolic value. The DEA’s former head of foreign operations, Mike Vigil, called it “probably one of the most important of the last decade.”
The Mexican Navy also announced yesterday that 14 members were killed and another injured when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Sinaloa (north).
An investigation is being conducted into the causes of the fatal accident, however, so far, nothing indicates that the crash was connected to the operation that led to the arrest of Rafael Caro Quintero, according to the PN.
Source: News Beast
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
