WASHINGTON: Mexico has sent drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and 28 cartel members to the United States. The US Department of Justice confirmed their arrival.
Caro Quintero, founder of the Guadalajara cartel, played a role in the 1985 killing of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.
Salazar’s murder was allegedly a response to a 1984 raid on Caro Quintero’s marijuana plantation in Mexico.
After spending 28 years in prison, Caro Quintero was released in 2013 due to a legal technicality.
Mexico’s Supreme Court later overturned his release, but he had already resumed criminal activities.
Fugitive Captured
Caro Quintero rejoined the Sinaloa cartel and continued drug trafficking operations across Mexico and the US.
The Mexican Navy apprehended him in July 2022 during an operation that caused 14 Marine deaths in a crash.
A navy dog sniffed out Caro Quintero while he was hiding in thick bushes.
He was one of the DEA’s most-wanted criminals for four decades due to his violent cartel operations.
DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz said the US justice system would finally hold him accountable.
Message to Cartels
Maltz emphasized that Caro Quintero’s extradition was personal for DEA agents who pursued him.
He called it a victory for the family of slain agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.
Maltz warned cartel leaders that justice would reach them no matter how long they evade capture.
Caro Quintero is scheduled to appear in a New York court on Friday for trial proceedings.
US authorities pledged to continue pursuing cartel members responsible for drug trafficking and violence.
Additional Extraditions
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office coordinated the transfer of 29 cartel members.
They were detained in various correctional facilities across the country before being extradited.
The individuals were wanted for drug trafficking and related criminal activities in the US.
The DOJ stated the extradited criminals were leaders and operatives of major cartels.
Among them were members of the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, Los Zetas, and the Gulf Cartel.
Key Individuals
Authorities identified Martin Sotelo as one of the extradited suspects.
Sotelo allegedly played a role in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd in North Carolina.
Another high-profile name is Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, accused of helping lead CJNG operations.
Los Zetas members Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga were also extradited.
The DOJ stated that these individuals were responsible for importing drugs into the US.
Crackdown on Cartels
Prosecutors accused the cartel leaders of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin.
These groups were also linked to acts of violence across Mexico and the US.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
She honored law enforcement officers who risk their lives to combat cartel violence.
Bondi reaffirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels and gangs.
Government Response
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove credited the extraditions to strong US-Mexico negotiations.
He said the White House pushed for a tough stance against transnational criminal organizations.
The DOJ emphasized its commitment to pursuing and dismantling violent cartels.
Officials said the move sends a message that cartel leaders will not escape justice.
The extradited individuals will now face prosecution under US federal law.
Continued Efforts
The US and Mexico continue to collaborate in the fight against organized crime.
Officials warned that more arrests and extraditions could follow.
Both nations are committed to reducing drug trafficking and cartel influence.
Law enforcement agencies remain focused on tracking fugitive cartel members.
Authorities stressed that justice will prevail, no matter how long it takes.
