Guadalajara Drug Cartel Co-founder Rafael Caro-Quintero Arrested In Sinaloa, U.S. Seeks Extradition To Face A Homicide Charge For DEA Agent Camarena's Death In 1985

Mexican feds arrested the former Guadalajara Cartel leader involved with a DEA agent's torture and homicide in 1985. The U.S. is seeking a quick extradition for Caro-Quintero who lost his last appeal in Mexico to avoid extradition.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

July 16, 2022

Sinaloa, Mexico - On Friday,  Rafael Caro-Quintero, 69, the former Guadalajara drug cartel leader who walked out of prison in 2013 over an appeal decision was arrested in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico. Caro-Quintero was hiding in the mountain range bush near the Town of San Simón in the municipality of Chiox in the State of Sinaloa when a government military police K-9 dog named Max led federal authorities to the wanted fugitive around midday, according to the Mexico's Attorney General's Office. Caro-Quintero was given water and then he conversed with his captors.

The joint operation between military Navy police from the Secretary of the Navy and Mexico's Attorney General's Office successfully led to the capture of Caro-Quintero.

Caro-Quintero was taken to the Altiplano maximum Mexican federal prison to await quick extradition to the U.S.. During the operation to capture Caro-Quintero, 14 Mexican Naval Marines died after their Blackhawk helicopter accidentally crashed, only one survivor was reported.

Caro-Quintero spent 28 years in prison of a 40 year sentence in connection with the February 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of both DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar and his pilot Alfredo Zavala Avela, a Mexican national. 

Caro-Quintero and several other suspects in 1985 ordered Camarena killed after their $10 billion dollar marijuana and drug manufacturing ranch called the Buffalo was raided and confiscated by Mexican federal authorities. Camarena and his pilot were kidnapped in Guadalajara and then their bodies were discovered in a shallow grave a month later. Both Camarena and his pilot's bodies showed signs of torture before being killed. 

A $20,000,000 reward was offered for Caro-Quintero by the U.S. government for any information leading to the arrested and conviction of Caro-Quintero. He was on Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 10 most wanted list.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the following statement Friday on the capture of Rafael Caro-Quintero, one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Caro-Quintero was wanted for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985.  

"There is no hiding place for anyone who kidnaps, tortures, and murders American law enforcement. We are deeply grateful to Mexican authorities for their capture and arrest of Rafael Caro-Quintero. 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, including the torture and execution of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. We will be seeking his immediate extradition to the United States so he can be tried for these crimes in the very justice system Special Agent Camarena died defending.