He also cited outside pressure from the United States as the reason for Caro Quinteros re-arrest warrant. As the eldest son, the responsibility to support his mother and 11 siblings fell on Caro Quintero. Camarenas death provoked massive outrage in the United States. : A genuine miracle (for him) that he's still breathing despite 45+ years "in the game" and God knows how many betrayals and double crosses.Looking forward to Netflix dramatizing this prison riot--they've been on point with their Mexico-centric material.FF71. Updated: November 3, 2021. Rafael Caro Quintero's arrest in Sinaloa Friday is a big win for the U.S., which has long wanted to try him for the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has maintained that he is not interested in detaining drug lords and prefers to avoid violence. The comments below have not been moderated. He was at large as a wanted fugitive in Mexico, the United States, and several other countries. NATIONALITY:Mexican Caro Quintero's exploits including the murders of Camarena and Walker are depicted in the Netflix TV series Narcos: Mexico, where he is portrayed by actor Tenoch Huerta Meja. Rafael Caro Quintero himself was described by FBI officials as one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Let out of jail on a technicality, the trafficker is still at large and wanted by the FBI. The brutal murder marked a low point in US-Mexico relations. Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, had since returned to drug trafficking and unleashed bloody turf battles in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora. Their bodies were found six months later. Rafael Caro Quintero was considered the "Narco of Narcos.". "So if we weren't welcome here in Mexico, that wouldn't happen.". But how it exactly happened is still unclear. The brutal murder marked a low point in US-Mexico relations. In October, Caro Quintero's cousin, Sajid Emilio Quintero Navidad, aka "The Cadet," was arrested by U.S. authorities. Capture. A navy Blackhawk helicopter carrying 15 people crashed near the coastal city of Los Mochis during the operation, killing 14 of those aboard, the navy statement said. Today, Mexico President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador reiterated the governments stance that Mexico alone was responsible for the arrest of Caro Quintero, and the DEA was not involved. by Kayla Blanton and Brad Witter. Following the Presidents statements, spokesperson Jess Ramrez clarified that the leader was just saying that it was a legal aberration that the judge had not issued a verdict on Mr. Caro Quintero but he was not defending his release. The AP further noted that Caro Quintero has reportedly created alliances with other cartels and established an operation in the northern state of Sonora, reputedly to seize territory from Joaqun El Chapo Guzmans sons and the Sinaloa cartel. HEIGHT: 60 As news reports began to filter out of Mexico, outlining the events and those who had escaped; several US English news sites reported that one of the prisoners who escaped was Caro-Quintero. An official website of the United States government. Hours after Caro Quintero's arrest, a Mexican navy helicopter crashed near Los Mochis, Sinaloa, killing 14 people on board, said Rear Admiral Jose Orozco, who leads the navy's press office. The infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, convicted of killing a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985, was arrested nearly a decade after walking out of a Mexican prison and . U.S. officials, who put him on the FBI's Top 10 most wanted fugitives list and put a $20 million bounty on his head, said he allied with the drug trafficking organization Sinaloa Cartel. Whether Rafael Caro Quintero still has clout in the Mexican cartel underworld is uncertain. Mexico arrests drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, Sinaloa cartel leader arrested in connection to 1985 murder, 13-year-old girl leads Nebraska troopers on 100-mph chase, Illinois woman's remains found over 5 years after she disappeared. Caro Quintero came to prominence in the Mexican drug trade during the 1970s while working with the now defunct Guadalajara Cartel. Originally Published . Shortly before Caro Quintero's arrest on Friday, US ambassador Ken Salazar told a gathering of reporters there had been progress in the security relationship. In 2017 the DEA identified Caro Quintero as one of the functioning leaders of the Sinaloa cartel responsible for smuggling hundreds of tons of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine into the United States.. Wikimedia CommonsThe brutal murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in the midst of Caro Quinteros downfall. One of the most infamous drug cartel leaders in Mexican history, Rafael Caro Quintero, was arrested Friday by Mexican soldiers in Chihuahua state, according to Reuters. "El Chilin" is now chilling in hell, as reported by Houston news. 2. Also, this prison where the break happened is a state prison. Caro Quintero was from Badiraguato, Sinaloa, the same area as Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the former Sinaloa cartel leader now serving a life sentence in the United States. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. After the murders, Caro-Quintero fled to Costa Rica but was later arrested and extradited back to Mexico, where he was sentenced to 40-years in prison for murder. No Thanks The art of taxidermy and tanning to give animals 'a second life'. DEA agents based in Mexico worked with Mexican authorities to locate and arrest Quintero, DEA administrator Anne Milgram said in a note to the agencys workforce Friday evening. emailStay Connected Camarena and Avelar had not been granted easy deaths. Walker died during the ordeal but Radalat is believed to have still been alive when they were wrapped in table cloths and buried in the Mexican plains. ", First published on July 15, 2022 / 5:17 PM. Consequently, on February 7, 1985, Camarena was grabbed off the streets of Guadalajara in broad daylight. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Subscribe / CBS/AP. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/mexico-captures-infamous-drug-lord-rafael-caro-quintero/101244564, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Wikipedia:United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Aviation industry awaits answers why Qantas issued 'unusual' mayday alert, Are the climate wars really over? Photo: HECTOR GUERRERO / AFP. There had been tensions between the Mexican government and the DEA after Mexico enacted a law limiting the USagency's operations. 1 maximum security prison Almoloya de Jurez, State of Mexico. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Meanwhile, it was believed that Enrique Kiki Camarena Salazar, a Mexican-born agent in deep undercover with the DEA, tipped off authorities about Buffalo Ranch and thus dealt the head of the powerful Guadalajara Cartel a significant blow. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. It also resulted in the escape of 30 inmates. Caro-Quintero has been . Wanted by the FBI: Rafael Caro-Quintero Added to Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, Se Busca Por el FBI: Rafael Caro Quintero ha Sido Agregado a la Lista de los Diez Prfugos ms Buscados, Fugitive Wanted for the Kidnapping and Murder of a Federal Agent is Added to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice, October 24, 1952, October 3, 1952, November 24, 1952, October 24, 1955, November 24, 1955, March 9, 1963. The recent arrest of drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero in Mexico last week was the latest chapter in one of the longest tales within Mexico's drug wars. Together with our federal partners at the DEA, the U.S. Mexico's national arrest registry listed the time of Caro Quintero's detention as around midday. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The registry listed the time of Caro Quintero's arrest as around midday and said he was in transit, but no further details about the capture were immediately available. Did you encounter any technical issues? Caro Quintero was one of 12 children and his father died when he was just 14-years-old. One of the escapees was their leader "El Neto," and his second-in-command, "El Chilin" was killed during the event. Given the fact that RCQ has been held at the maximum-security federal prison Federal Social Readaptation Center No. The gang is allied with the Sinaloa Cartel and its subgroups. In Sonora, one of the state's hit hardest by Caro Quintero's efforts to reclaim his territory, there was a hope his arrest could help. claimed he has been subject to torture and isolation. Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. In Sonora, one of the stateshit hardest by Caro Quintero's efforts to reclaim his territory, there was a hope his arrest could help. MEXICO CITY . Wanted for his alleged involvement in the murder of a co-worker in Charlotte, North Carolina. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rafael Caro Quintero From. The United States, perhaps unsurprisingly, seems wary of the idea Rafael Caro Quintero wants to live out his days in peace. MEXICO CITY (CN) The United States will not get one of its most wanted drug traffickers as quickly as hoped after a Mexican judge on Monday suspended the extradition of former drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero. There is talk about a fifth COVID vaccine, but how many should I already have and who is eligible? Wanted by the United States for his role in the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, Caro Quintero was arrested on July 15 in the northern state of Sinaloa. He was on the FBI's most wanted list, with a $20 million reward for his capture through the State Department's Narcotics Rewards Program. Rafael Caro-Quintero, considered a godfather of Mexican drug trafficking and wanted for the 1985 murder of a U.S. federal agent, has been named to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Caro-Quintero was indicted in the United States Central District of California with violations of kidnapping and murder of a federal agent, conspiracy to kidnap a federal agent, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting, accessory after the fact, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, and continuing criminal enterprise. Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. Multiple splits and new alliances have taken place within the gangs and prison resulting in many clashes. Caro Quintero was first imprisoned at the Federal . Rafael Caro Quintero is still alive. On Jan. 25, he pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a filing in a federal court in California, which suggests he may have made a deal with prosecutors. "I have been in meetings with the foreign minister and with the security Cabinet, along with all our agencies that have included the new head of the DEA sitting at my right hand," Salazar said. Read More This image released by the FBI shows the wanted poster for Rafael Caro-Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985. Since we learned the government was after him [Caro Quintero], El Pelo Chino stepped in.. The agents lungs were found to contain traces of drugs that his captors had cruelly given him in order to force him to remain awake during the ordeal. Mike Vigil, the DEA's former chief of international operations, said Caro Quintero was believed to have been operating independently most recently, though there had been rumours he was back with the Sinaloa cartel. 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 victim's body was located in a wooded area with a gunshot wound to the head. But a federal judge in Mexico ruled Monday that Caro Quintero's extradition could not be fast-tracked and his case must go through the proper process. Are Jong-woo & Seul-ki Still Together After 'Single's Inferno'? 2:37 We saw that report of the 4 skulls being shipped from Mexico, but not info yet on if it was cartel related or just shipped without the proper paperwork/etc. An image released by the FBI of the wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. An appeals court overturned Caro Quintero's verdict in 2013, but the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. Infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, was captured Friday by Mexican forces nearly a decade after walking out of a Mexican prison and . He's like 70+ years old. It was too late by then; Caro Quintero was spirited off in a waiting vehicle. There had been tensions between the Mexican government and the DEA after Mexico enacted a law limiting the US agency's operations. . The FBI wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. In 2013, however, Caro Quintero was suddenly released from prison after 28 years behind bars. He was arrested in Mexico in July 2022. Heres his true story. The arrest of Caro Quintero is the most high profile drug-trafficker arrest during the administration of Mexico President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, who over the last few years had backed away from the hunt for drug bosses compared to his two predecessors. 69-year-old Rafael Caro Quintero (centre) was captured by Mexican forces yesterday nearly a decade after walking out of a Mexican prison and returning to drug trafficking, Kate beams with joy as she brushes off Prince Harry's attacks, Moment driver attempts to kidnap barista through drive thru window, 'The weather's beautiful!' The arrest came just days after Lpez Obrador met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington. Netflixs Narcos: Mexico dramatizes the brutal 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico for his role in the murder before he was released on a technicality in 2013. . Who is the most criminal person in the world? Caro-Quintero was freed from jail on August 9, 2013 after a Mexican state court concluded that he had been tried improperly. Rafael Caro-Quintero, a Mexican cartel leader wanted for his role in the murder of a DEA special agent in 1985, has been named to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He started growing marijuana on a ranch owned by his brother Jorge Luis, before setting up the Guadalajara CartelwithMiguel ngel Flix Gallardo,Juan Jos Esparragoza Moreno and others. Caro Quinteros release infuriated American officials. Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador recently appeared to defend the 2013 court decision, despite Mexicos Supreme Court later ruling it was a mistake. "I'm not part of any cartel," he said. To that end, the FBI is working closely with the DEA, the U.S. U.S. authorities also believe Caro Quintero continued to launder drug money while in prison. Now he's been caught, after a lengthy period on t. Rafael Caro-Quintero, considered a godfather of Mexican drug trafficking and wanted for the 1985 murder of a U.S. federal agent, has been named to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Photo courtesy FBI. Mr Vigil called Caro Quintero's arrest a surprise, considering LpezObrador's stated disinterest in going after drug cartel leaders, but he added that the DEA would never stop looking for someone who killed an agent. Caro Quintero was one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the . A 56-year-old Florida man who frequently traveled to the Philippines to have sex with young girls was sentenced to 330 years in prison for crimes related to child sex tourism. "There is not evidence that it was downed, nor that Caro Quintero was aboard," Rear Admiral Orozco said. Discovery Company. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A notorious drug lord on the FBIs 10 most wanted list was detained on Friday in an operation that ended in tragedy when 14 Marines who assisted in his capture were killed in a helicopter crash, Mexican Navy officials said. Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Rafael Caro Quintero with leading a continuing criminal enterprise and other drug-related crimes through his leadership of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, a faction of the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel. Sources ABC 13, Borderland Beat, Wikipedia, Borderland Beat, Me lleva la chingada con esta gente de Houston . CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An official with Mexico's navy, who was not authorised to speak publicly and agreed to confirm the action only if not quoted by name, also confirmed the arrest. [The informants] provided information like Caro Quinteros phone number that ended up on his phone records and also his location. Rafael Caro Quintero (born October 24, . And like his colleague El Chapo, if the Americans have their way Caro Quintero wont be walking free again any time soon. Also, if he was to be extradited, that would have been reported recently as every court decision and Amparo filed has been reported on the matter. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The recent arrest of drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero in Mexico last week was the latest chapter in one of the longest tales within Mexicos drug wars. The authorities had been tipped off by an undercover DEA agent and Caro Quintero, who was enraged at the loss, immediately began to plot his revenge. Several of the inmates were high-level within the Los Mexicles gang and its splinter group inside of the prison. He blamed Special Agent Camarena for a raid on a marijuana plantation in 1984. That was the information we shared with the Mexican Marines.. His tortured body was found a month later. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara, allegedly on orders from Caro Quintero. Caro-Quintero has been captured by Mexican forces . There had been tensions between the Mexican government and the DEA after Mexico enacted a law limiting the U.S. agency's operations. Ambassador Ken Salazar told a gathering of reporters there had been progress in the security relationship. He was added to the FBI's top 10 most wanted list in 2018. ABC13 Houston/AP News has since changed the article title to "Gang Leader Freed in Mexico Prison Attack that Killed 17" after realizing their error. The site was in the mountains near Sinaloa's frontier with the northern border state of Chihuahua. Share on Facebook Facebook But there are conflicting statements about how much the U.S government had to do with Caro Quinteros capture last week. Caro Quintero was one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States in the late 1970s. Last week, Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested again in Sinaloa. "There is no hiding place for anyone who kidnaps, tortures, and murders American law enforcement," U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. Infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, was captured Friday by Mexican forces nearly a decade after walking out of a Mexican prison and returning to drug trafficking, according to the Mexico's navy. The FBI wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. Drug dealers are destroying their country, he said, and the Mexican authorities are motivated to help bring RCQ in.. But, Mr Duarte said, Caro Quintero "is only part (of the conflict), the conflict doesn't end.". 1, also known as "Altiplano" since his . Five years before he was arrested by Mexican security forces at the behest of US prosecutors, Rafael Caro Quintero was making deals in the Sinaloa highlands (northwest Mexico) to shore up his . He was believed to still be involved in the illegal drug trade until his arrest in July 2022 (see below). Mexican drugs lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who is on the US most wanted list, has been arrested in the western Sinaloa state, the Mexican . Rafael Caro Quintero made his criminal name through drugs. A month later Camarena's tortured body was found. A Mexican federal court had ordered he be set free after overturning his conviction on the technicality that he had been tried in a federal court for state crimes. Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Conspiracy to Commit Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Conspiracy to Kidnap a Federal Agent; Kidnapping of a Federal Agent; Felony Murder of a Federal Agent; Aiding and Abetting; Accessory After the Fact, Share on Twitter Twitter Associated Press. A short video segment released by the navy showed Caro Quintero with his face blurred, dressed in jeans, a wet blue shirt and baggy khaki jacket, being held by both arms by men wearing camouflage uniforms and carrying assault rifles. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards. They had no participation whatsoever, said the President in his early morning news conference. From DEA: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) unveiled a billboard in Phoenix, Arizona seeking information for the capture of Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro-Quintero.The new reward is being offered by the U.S. Department of State under the Narcotics Reward Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Caro-Quintero, who kidnapped, tortured and murdered DEA . The announcement to add Caro-Quintero to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was made today during a press conference at DEA Headquarters near Washington, D.C. The reward in this case represents a serious amount of money, noted FBI Special Agent Mike Rollins, another Seattle-based agent involved in the investigation. During the nine years when Rafael Caro Quintero was in hiding, a fugitive from justice, I met him four times in four different locations in Mexico's "Golden Triangle" the vast, voluptuous expanse of Sierra Madre mountains where he had holed up for years, and where he was ultimately captured by the Mexican Navy on July 15 . Please enter valid email address to continue. Caro Quintero, whose exact age is unknown but is believed to be in his 60s, is wanted by US authorities for allegedly kidnapping and conspiring to murder Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985. 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. The Mexican Navy Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Los Mochis, Sinaloa following the operation to capture him, according to the statement. There were two pending arrest orders for him as well as an extradition request from the US government. Caro Quintero was one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States in the late 1970s. In 2018, the US federal police put a $20 million bounty on his head for information leading to his capture. Kate shines on Bedfordshire nursery visit, CCTV shows masked teenagers in supermarket before Ian Kirwan was killed, 'It's heartbreaking' - striking nurse breaks down on picket line, Jeremy found mentally unfit to stand trial for rape charges, Lethal Chaos: Starmer slams PM over 999 ambulance waiting times, President Putin says Russia's victory in Ukraine 'is assured', Ukraine's Olena Zelenska addresses the World Economic Forum, Putin lays flowers to mark Siege of Leningrad anniversary, Man rescues raccoon stuck to the tracks by the hair of its testicles, How are we going to halve inflation? 'Single's Inferno' Fans Think They Know Who Han-bin Is Dating After This IG Clue. "I have been in meetings with the foreign minister and with the security cabinet, along with all our agencies that have included the new head of the DEA sitting at my right hand," Mr Salazar said. Caro Quintero reportedly sought revenge against undercover agent Camarena afterMexican authorities raided a 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) ranch known as El Bfalo in November 1984 - burning over 10,000 tons of marijuana with a street value of $160million. The United States Department of State is offering aREWARD OF UP TO $20 MILLIONfor information leading to the arrest and/or conviction ofRafael Caro-Quintero. Lpez Obrador said Wednesday the legal appeal that led to Caro Quintero's release was "justified" because supposedly no verdict had been handed down against the drug lord after 27 years in jail. Sheriff Says It Was Cartel-Related, Morelos: CJNG Video Message Of Impending Doom For Targeted Citizens And Dogs, Ovidio: Colossal Blow To The Pride Of Los Chapitos. "Caro Quintero continues to launder the proceeds from narcotics trafficking and he maintains an alliance with drug trafficking organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, most notably with Esparragoza Morenos network," Treasury Department spokesman John Sullivan told AP in 2013, referring to the Sinaloa cartels alleged leader Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno. AP. Shortly before Caro Quintero's arrest Friday, U.S. Still at large. ALIASES: It was too late by then; Caro Quintero had been spirited off in a waiting vehicle. Quintero was on the FBI's most wanted list, with a $20 million reward for his capture through the State Department's Narcotics Rewards Program. The DEA did not immediately comment. Some activists have been threatened and even killed in Sonora amid Caro Quintero's turf wars with the sons of El Chapo. Mike Vigil, the DEA's former chief of international operations, said Caro Quintero was believed to have been operating independently most recently, though there had been rumors he was back with the Sinaloa cartel. One other Marine was injured and remains in hospital. Is Shin Dong-woo Still Single After Singles Inferno? Pinche gente chismosa y pa chingarla no se saben bien el mitoteSi vieron la noticia de unos crneos humanos que iban a mandar para USA desde un aeropuerto de Mxico? Caro-Quintero is a member of the Sinaloa Cartel and is known to frequent the area of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico. The 69-year-old founder and former leader of the Guadalajara cartel had been a top target of U.S. officials since his release from prison in 2013. Infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, . After seeing Caro Quintero walk out of a Mexican prison once already, Vigil said he hopes the government won't risk a repeat - Guzman twice escaped from Mexican maximum security prisons - and would agree to a likely U.S. extradition request. Caro Quintero was jailed in 1985, but released in 2013 and remains on . In 1985, Special Agent Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara, allegedly on orders from Caro Quintero. "I believe in Sonora, in general, there could be calm, and yes, relief for us, because I believe the disappearances will diminish," said Cecilia Duarte, an activist with a team of volunteer searchers in Sonora who look for the clandestine graves of the disappeared. So far no one has come forward to claim the millions and it is speculated that Caro Quintero remains at large somewhere in Northern Mexico. The FBI wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. In 2018 the FBI added Caro Quintero to their list of Top 10 Most Wanted criminals. There were no DEA agents present on sight but the agency did collaborate with information. He was added to the FBI's top 10 most wanted list in 2018. Caro Quintero was from Badiraguato, Sinaloa, the same area as Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, the former Sinaloa cartel leader now serving a life sentence in the United States. (DEAs Administrator Anne) Milgram is correct. Todays arrest is the result of years of your blood, sweat, and tears. This image released by the FBI shows the wanted poster for Rafael Caro-Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985. At the age of 53, the Narco of Narcos walked free again. "So if we weren't welcome here in Mexico that wouldn't happen.". Rafael Caro Quintero walked free while serving a 40-year sentence for the torture-murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985, and has since apparently . emailStay Connected (Image courtesy: FBI) The plea argued insolvency, stating that Quintero is "more than 60 years old, is neither retired nor has a pension, and given the fact that he is a fugitive from the law, cannot work or perform any activity to earn money., This article was originally published on July 31, 2020, Kai The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker Was Arrested Months After His Viral Interview. In retribution, Caro Quintero is said to have ordered the kidnap of Camarena and his pilot Alfredo Zavala Avelar on February 7, 1985, in Guadalajara. After stints as a cattle rancher and working on corn and bean plantations, Caro Quintero realized that there was vastly more money to be made in a less traditional crop and began dabbling in growing marijuana under the guidance of a famously elusive Mexican drug lord Pedro Avils Prez. Caro Quintero, known as the narco of drug traffickers, is considered by Mexican authorities to be the founder of the Guadalajara cartel. This isn't the first riot at the prison, with 11 killed in August of the past year in the prison and the surrounding area. News that a Navy helicopter crashed some 130 kms away from where Caro Quintero was arrested in Choix, Sinaloa, killing 14 Mexican soldiers, further muddled matters.