Mexico extradites notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and dozens of cartel members to the US
Mexico has extradited notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and 28 other fugitive cartel members to the United States, according to the US Department of Justice.
Caro Quintero, considered by Mexican authorities to be the founder of the Guadalajara cartel, was allegedly involved in the kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985 – an attack dramatized in the Netflix show “Narcos.”
The DEA says Salazar’s murder was in retaliation for a raid in 1984 of Caro Quintero’s 2,500-acre marijuana farm by Mexican authorities.
Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico for his role in the murder before he was released on a technicality in 2013. The Mexican Supreme Court later overturned the decision that freed him.
The fugitive returned to drug trafficking as a senior leader of the Sinaloa cartel, according to the FBI.
In July 2022, Caro Quintero was captured by the Mexican Navy during an operation that resulted in the deaths of 14 Marines in a helicopter crash. He was caught after a navy dog found him hiding in bushes.
“Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz said Thursday.
“This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”
Quintero is expected to appear in court in New York on Friday.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection said 29 people who were held in different correctional facilities across the country were transferred to the US.
They were wanted for their connections to criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, among other crimes.
The US Department of Justice said that those taken into custody Thursday include “leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).”
The DOJ said they included Martin Sotelo – also known as Alder Marin-Sotelo – who allegedly participated in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd in Charlotte, North Carolina; Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, who allegedly helped lead CJNG; and two alleged high-ranking members of Los Zetas, Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga.
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“These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence,” the DOJ statement added.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the alleged cartel members would be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.”
“As President (Donald) Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” she said.
Acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove said the extraditions were “a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity.”
CNN’s Fidel Gutierrez contributed this report. Previous reporting by Tara Subramaniam, Karol Suarez and Rey Rodriguez.
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Attorney General Pamela Bondi Announces 29 Wanted Defendants from Mexico Taken into U.S. Custody
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Today, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes. The defendants taken into U.S. custody today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel). These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.
“As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels. We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”
“The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”
“Today’s actions are a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “By prosecuting these defendants to the maximum extent allowable under the law, we honor the memory of Special Agent Camarena, Deputy Sherrif Byrd, and other victims who are far too numerous, as well as decades of hard work in the trenches by our law enforcement partners.”
“Today, 29 fugitive cartel members have arrived in the United States from Mexico, including one name that stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”
Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests that were not honored during the prior Administration, but that the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, to pursue total elimination of these Cartels. Federal prosecutors will evaluate whether additional terrorism and violence charges are appropriate based on the policy set forth in Executive Order 14157, and whether capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164, entitled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, as well as the Attorney General’s Feb. 5 guidance regarding the death penalty.
A complete list of defendants, as well as districts where they are charged and will appear in federal court in the coming days:
Mexico Defendants
Arraignment
Jurisdiction
Middle District of North Carolina
North Carolina State Court
Federal: Maximum 10 years imprisonment
State: Maximum of life imprisonment or death
Attorney General Pamela Bondi thanked the law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office for their valuable contributions to these investigations.
The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and its Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, the District of Columbia, Middle District of North Carolina, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas for handling the prosecutions of these cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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A Mexican national and armed member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 20 years and 10 months in prison…
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| Name |
Arraignment Jurisdiction |
Statutory Maximum | |
| 1 | CANOBBIO-INZUNZA, Jose Angel | Northern District Illinois | Up to life imprisonment |
| 2. | VALENCIA GONZALEZ, Norberto | Northern District of Illinois | Up to life imprisonment |
| 3. | MARTIN SOTELO, Alder, also known as “Alder Martin-Sotelo” and “Alder Alfonso Marin” |
Middle District of North Carolina North Carolina State Court |
Federal: Maximum 10 years imprisonment
State: Maximum of life imprisonment or death |
| 4. | CRUZ SANCHEZ, Evaristo | Southern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 5. | GARCIA VILLANO, also known as “La Kena,” “19,” and “Ciclone 19” | Southern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 6. | HERNANDEZ LECHUGA, Lucio | Eastern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 7. | PEREZ MORENO, Ramiro | Eastern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 8. | RODRIGUEZ DIAZ, Miguel Angel, also known as “Metro” | Eastern District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 9. | VILLARREAL HERNANDEZ, Jose Rodolfo | Northern District of Texas | Death or life imprisonment |
| 10. | CARO QUINTERO, Rafael | Eastern District of New York | Death or life imprisonment |
| 11. | CARRILLO FUENTES, Vicente | Eastern District of New York | Death or life imprisonment |
| 12. | CABRERA CABRERA, Jose Bibiano | District of Arizona | Up to life imprisonment |
| 13. | CLARK, Andrew | Central District of California | Death or life imprisonment |
| 14. | INFANTE, Hector Eduardo | Central District of California | Up to life imprisonment |
| 15. | LIMON LOPEZ, Jesus Humberto | District of Arizona | Up to life imprisonment |
| 16. | TAPIA QUINTERO, Jose Guadalupe | District of Arizona | Up to life imprisonment |
| 17. | TORRES ACOSTA, Inez Enrique | Southern District of California | Up to life imprisonment |
| 18. | GALAVIZ VEGA, Jesus | Western District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 19. | MENDEZ ESTEVANE, Luis Geraldo | Western District of Texas | Death or life imprisonment |
| 20. | MONSIVAIS TREVINO, Carlos Alberto | Western District of Texas | Up to life imprisonment |
| 21. | ALGREDO VAZQUEZ, Carlos | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 22. | LOPEZ IBARRA, Rodolfo | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 23. | OSEGUERA CERVANTES, Antonio | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 24. | RANGEL BUENDIA, Alfredo | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 25. | TREVINO MORALES, Miguel Angel, also known as “Z-40” | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 26. | TREVINO MORALES, Omar, also known as “Z-42”) | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 27. | VALENCIA SALAZAR, Erick | District of Columbia | Up to life imprisonment |
| 28. | MENDEZ VARGAS, Jesus | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
| 29. | PALACIOS GARCIA, Itiel | Southern District of New York | Up to life imprisonment |
