Nearing US Extradition: Appeals Court Rejects Rafael Caro Quintero's Final Motions

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Rafael Caro Quintero is out of legal options to prevent his US extradition process from being approved by the Mexican government (photo credit: Infobae)

A Mexican appeals court declined to accept several forms of evidence that alleged drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero submitted as part of his final efforts to prevent his extradition to the US. This decision was finalized by judge María del Carmen Sánchez Cisneros.

The defense only has one more legal option available for Caro-Quintero.

According to Milenio, Caro-Quintero can issue a motion once Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) officially approves of the extradition. There are virtually no more actions he can take to prevent the extradition from being approved.

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Rafael Caro-Quintero Pleads Not Guilty in New York Court to Killing DEA Agent 'Kiki' Camarena

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

At Rafael Caro-Quintero's arraignment in New York federal court, Assistant US Attorney Saritha Komatireddy said Caro-Quintero "pioneered Mexican drug trafficking" and the violent enforcement of his cartel's turf. 

His court-appointed attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and did not contest pretrial detention. Caro Quintero was among 29 top drug operatives in Mexico who were expelled and transferred to the U.S. under pressure from the Trump administration.

Judge Robert M. Levy clarified in court Caro Quintero was expelled from Mexico under a provision within the national security law, which permits the Mexican government to remove an individual without undergoing the formal extradition process.

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Convicted of DEA Agent's Murder Caro Quintero Ordered Released

by Chivis Martínez for Borderland Beat

Federal District-After 28 years of being in prison , a federal court in Guadalajara acquitted and ordered the release of Rafael Caro Quintero, one of the historical leaders of drug trafficking in Mexico. (photo below from 2005)

The court finds he was improperly tried for the 1985 torture and murder of agent DEA, Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar.  According to official sources, the First Appellate Court granted an injunction in favor of the drug lord because he felt the American's murder, which occurred in February 1985, should have been tried in state, not in the federal court as it was. 

The legal finding focused on the fact that agent Camarena did not hold a diplomatic or consular  status necessary to litigate the case in federal court.

Court officials court notified its decision to the Second Unit Court of Jalisco,  they in  turn issued the order of release in favor of drug trafficker.  At  the federal level and there is no new case against Caro Quintero, because all processes accumulated in a single file, the same one that has just been acquitted.  

Therefore, prison authorities  at the state prison in El Salto, Jalisco,  determined that he would be released, he left the prison at dawn, hours before the court ruling was made public. 

Caro Quintero ordered Camarena kidnapped, tortured and killed, purportedly because he was angry about a raid on a 220-acre (89-hectare) marijuana plantation in central Mexico named "Rancho Bufalo"  which  was seized by Mexican authorities due to at Camarena's intelligence.

The raid netted up to five tons of marijuana a lost to the cartel of an estimated $8 billion in lost sales.

 

In November 1984, 450 soilders with helicopter support raided the ranch and seized the marijuana crop.

 

Camarena, had gained the trust, and friendship, of Caro Quintero, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo aka "El Padrino", and Manuel Salcido, considered the premier capos.  He became close friends with them all but particularly Felix Gallardo.  Camarena promised them they would be protected from the region of  TJ to Guerrero and he guaranteed them  impunity. 

 

It was in March of 1984 that the capos discovered it was Camarena that betrayed him.  He was ordered picked up, tortured and killed.

 

After pressure by Washington, with the Mexican government and the DEA working together they captured the three men suspected of Camarena's killing.  This posed a serious problem to the cartel as their leaders were incarcerated.  It was Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno aka "El Azul", that suggested the solution of distribution of territories.

 

Azul was one of the most respected capos, hence the suggestion was accepted and the territories were divided into four major cartels:

 

Tijuana Cartel: operated by Arellano-Felix and Jesus "Chuy" Labra

Sinaloa Cartel: operated by Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman Loera and Hector Luis Palma Salazar

Golfo Cartel: operated by Juan Garcia Abrego

Juarez Cartel: operated by Amado Carrillo Fuentes aka "Lord of the Skies"

Caro Quintero was  born in La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa. Quintero was a co-founder, with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo,, of the Guadalajara Cartel and Sonora Cartel. Upon the cartels' disintegration, its leaders were incorporated mostly into the Tijuana cartel and Sinaloa Cartel.

Camarena (at left) was kidnapped, in Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco  and a major drug trafficking hub. His body and that of his Mexican pilot, both reflecting signs of extreme torture, were found a month later, buried in shallow graves. 

Camarena was subjected to some of the worse known methods of torture in drug war history.  A physician was forced to revive Camarena when he was on the brink of death to subject the agent to further torture.

In June of this year the US Government placed sanctions  on those involved in the Camarena murder, including Caro Quintero.

Camarena is considered a hero by the DEA Agency, American officials accused their Mexican counterparts of letting Camarena's killers get away. Caro Quintero was eventually hunted down in Costa Rica.

Mexican journalists and some politicians are referring to the release as an outrage and that the justice system is characterized as a joke.  

Upon release of the drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, the Government of Jalisco watch to maintain order against possible criminal reconfiguration between criminal groups, said the governor, Sandoval Aristotle.

 "I repeat, today marks a shame, the federal courts today decided to grant this freedom and we will act according to our faculties and powers remain calm and of course the order, monitoring and responding to any situation much relevant information ... ".

U.S. was not given prior notification, “The Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration learned today that at dawn Rafael Caro Quintero was released from prison," said Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr.

The DEA, meanwhile, said it "will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro-Quintero faces charges in the United States for the crimes he committed.

Caro Quintero faces charges in the United States, but Mexico's Attorney General's Office said it was unclear whether there was a current extradition request.

Apparently, the U.S. had requested his extradition for the Camarena killing — something Caro Quintero can't be tried twice for — but may not have filed extradition requests for pending U.S. drug charges.

"We have  continued to make clear to Mexican authorities the continued interest of the United States in securing Caro Quintero's extradition so that he might face justice in the United States”, was the statement from  the Department of Justice. ..continued next page..

Video is from the Camarena Legacy Foundation-In the video his family speak about Kiki's life and the murder, his oldest son was only 11 years old at the time of his father's death.

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Rafael Caro Quintero Extradition Delay, There Will Be An Amparo Trial

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

Yesterday, judges ruled on two of Rafael Caro Quintero’s amparo filings. In one, a judge ruled that he cannot be deported from Mexico to the US until his other amparo claims against extradition have been reviewed and ruled on.

Two Amparos Down, More Still To Go 

On July 16, 2022, Rafael Caro Quintero was officially notified of the provisional arrest warrant for extradition purposes inside Altiplano prison. This notification is the first step outlined in the US-Mexico extradition treaty. 

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DEA Planning for Early 2024 Extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Former Guadalajara Cartel leader Rafael Caro-Quintero (left) and US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (right)

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) expects the extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero from Mexico to occur in early 2024. Caro Quintero is wanted in the US for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena.

DEA official  George Papadopoulo told Grupo Reforma that the US government does not expect for the extradition to delay past 2024. 

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RCQ, "El Rafa", Denied Amparo against US Extradition

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Milenio y Zeta
             
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) of Mexico refused to protect drug trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero against extradition to the United States which is ordered against him, so if he was arrested he could be sent to the US where he has outstanding warrant for his prosecution. 

During the session on Wednesday, the First Chamber unanimously endorsed the ruling of Minister Luis María Aguilar, who determined to deny the protection of justice to this criminal leader.  Since 2014, RCQ has held up through the amparo process in a  Mexican federal court the extradition treaty between Mexico and the United States.

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Rafael Caro Quintero Arrested. Day 1

Borderland Beat Contributors

This was a live post that was periodically updated with the latest information by Borderland Beat contributors. 

Rafael Caro Quintero, the leader of the Caborca Cartel and a top target of the United States government has been captured by the Mexican Navy in San Simón, Sinaloa. There were initially multiple conflicting reports as to the location of his arrest, first having the operation taking place in Guachochi, Chihuahua.

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Mexican Court Approves US Extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

Former Guadalajara Cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero (left) and US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (right)

The long battle to extradite drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero is finally over, should he be arrested.

A Mexican tribunal court approved Caro Quintero for extradition after denying a motion he had issued to prevent Mexican authorities from sending him to the US. Caro Quintero's defense team argued that being extradited to the US meant he would face double jeopardy.

In Mexico, Caro Quintero was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 1985 murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena Salazar and the Mexican pilot Alfredo Zavala Avelar. In the US, Caro Quintero is also wanted for Camarena's murder, and the US government has publicly express over the years that he will be tried for his death should he be extradited. Caro Quintero argued that this was double jeopardy.

According to Article 15 of the Extradition Treaty between Mexico and the U.S., the Mexican government will not extradite a Mexican national unless multiple conditions are met. Among them include that the Mexican national does not face double jeopardy (i.e. being charged for Camarena's murder in Mexico and then in the US).

However, the tribunal court responded by denying Caro Quintero's motion and explained that although the US extradition request does contain the Camarena murder charge, it also includes other charges like drug trafficking and money laundering, which in itself makes the extradition request legitimate.

In addition, it is worth nothing that the murder charge Caro Quintero would face in the US is different than the one he was convicted for in Mexico. In Mexico, he was convicted of murder at the state-level with no aggravating factors.

But in the US, Caro Quintero is facing a federal violation of 18 U.S. Code § 115. This code covers a specific type of murder: whoever kills or attempts to kill any officer or employee of the United States. This aggravating factor in the murder charge was enough for the court to rule it is not double jeopardy.

Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was freed from a Mexican state jail on a legal technicality in 2013, but an arrest warrant was issued by federal authorities a few months after his release. He is currently a fugitive and is believed to be in hiding in Mexico.

Sources: El Sol de Mexico; El Economista; El Financiero; LII; Borderland Beat analysis

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Court Rejects Motion Issued by Rafael Caro Quintero; Judge He Wanted Out Will Preside in Extradition Hearing

"MX" for Borderland Beat

A Mexican federal court rejected a motion issued by Rafael Caro Quintero, who intended to prevent judge Francisco Javier Sarabia Ascencio from presiding in his extradition hearings.

Sarabia Ascencio has presided over Caro Quintero's extradition case over the years and once granted him a petition that slowed his US extradition request. A Mexican media outlet stated that Sarabia Ascensio reportedly received payments from Caro Quintero in exchange for favorable court rulings.

But a few months ago Caro Quintero told the court that he no longer wanted Sarabia Ascencio in his hearings, which suggested a possible fall out with the judge in question.

This is not the first time that Caro Quintero has issued motions to prevent certain judges from presiding in his cases. In 2015, he issued a motion to prevent judges Arturo Zaldivar Lelo de Larrea and Luis Maria Aguilar Morales from having a decision on whether Caro Quintero's extradition was allowed under the US and Mexico Extradition Treaty.

Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, is wanted for the 1985 murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.

In 2013, he was freed from a Mexican state jail on a legal technicality, but an arrest warrant was issued by federal authorities a few months after his release. He is currently a fugitive and is believed to be in hiding in Mexico.

If Caro Quintero is ever arrested in Mexico, officials say he will likely be extradited to the US. In the US, he is wanted for kidnapping and murder of a US federal officer, as well as drug trafficking, money laundering and for leading a continuous criminal enterprise.

The US government is offering a US$20 million bounty for his capture. This is the highest reward the U.S. offers for a Mexican criminal.

Sources: Milenio; Debate de Sinaloa; El Economista; NRT Mexico; Borderland Beat archives

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Rafael Caro Quintero Arrested. Day 2

Borderland Beat Contributors 

Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested yesterday, July 15, 2022, by Mexican federal forces. 

This was a live post that was periodically updated by Borderland Beat contributors with the latest information that came out on Rafael Caro Quintero. 

Quick Review

Who

Rafael Caro Quintero, the Mexican cartel leader who had the highest bounty offered by the US government, with a $20 million reward offered. The large reward being offered by the US for his capture is, in part, due to his alleged involvement in the abduction, torture, and murder of US DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. 

He is the leader of the Caborca Cartel, which mainly operates in the state of Sonora. He was one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel. For all the extra background information you need to know on who he is, please see this post.

What

Mexican Navy Marines arrested Rafael Caro Quintero who was hiding out in a remote mountainous area. A military canine, a bloodhound named Max, was specifically credited with finding him, after tracking him down based on his scent. 

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U.S. Says Wife of Rafael Caro Quintero is Conducting Cartel Activites on his behalf

Lucio R. Borderland Beat posted by Siskiyoukid

Mexican Drug Lord Continues to Use Family Members to Hold His Assets

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Mexican national Diana Espinoza Aguilar (a.k.a. Altagracia Espinoza Aguilar) today as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).  Espinoza Aguilar acts for or on behalf of her reported common-law husband, Rafael Caro Quintero, by holding certain assets and conducting activities on his behalf.  Caro Quintero, a major Mexican narcotics trafficker, is a fugitive from U.S. justice and was also the mastermind of the murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent (SA) Enrique Camarena in 1985.  As a result of today’s action, any assets that Diana Espinoza Aguilar may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with her.

“Today’s designation of Diana Espinoza Aguilar demonstrates yet again that her reported common-law husband, fugitive drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, relies heavily on the support of his family members,” said John E. Smith, Acting OFAC Director.  “Treasury, in coordination with DEA, is committed to targeting Caro Quintero until he is brought to justice and his organization is dismantled.”

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Rafael Caro Quintero girlfriend speaks out

Diana Espinoza Aguilar is girlfriend of Rafael Caro Quintero, the fugitive and former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel. The woman, denies being a criminal and narrates the story of her relationship with the man who claims to be away from illegal activities ... and they put their hopes on the Supreme Court, which must decide if the extradition request against Caro Quintero is legal or not.

Diana Espinoza Aguilar, 45, is originally from Matachi, Chihuahua, she has a figure that, wherever she goes, she attracts people attention. But since May she attracted the attention of someone who keeps her awake: the United States Department of the Treasury announced her name and her picture, and accused her of being a drug trafficker and facilitating illegally economic resources to her boyfriend, Rafael Caro Quintero , one of the most wanted by the DEA.

In an interview with Proceso, Espinoza, the girlfriend of Caro Quintero for six years now speaks for the first time of her relationship with him. She also explains the legal strategy that they are working on to stop being a fugitive and responds to accusations of money laundering.

"I am innocent, I have absolutely nothing to do with what they are telling the media: that I'm a drug dealer, a money launderer for Rafael Caro Quintero ... I'm his wife, I am the mother of his child," she says.

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Rafael Caro Quintero Wants to Delay Extradition Hearing; Claims He Is Poor and That Judge Is Plotting Against Him

"MX" for Borderland Beat

Rafael Caro Quintero

Rafael Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, asked a Mexican federal court to postpone his U.S. extradition hearing earlier this week. He also asked the judge to declare him unable to participate in the deliberation of the case.

Despite the fact that the U.S. and Mexican government suspect him of laundering millions of dollars through businesses across Mexico, Caro Quintero told the court that he lived in poverty. He also said he was too old to work and did not have a pension. 

Caro Quintero also wants to replace Juan José Olvera López, the presiding judge on his extradition case. He claims that the judge is plotting against him and has already told his colleagues that he will deny his legal motions. Caro Quintero is upset that his hearing was made public because he asked the court to not release any details. 

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Caro Quintero Fights In Court To Avoid Being Brought To Justice In The U.S.

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Attempts by Rafael Caro Quintero, one of Mexico's biggest drug traffickers on record, to avoid being sent to the United States have been constant. He has even sought to take his legal situation to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) to stop a possible extradition.

Judicial records indicate that the founder of the Guadalajara Cartel and accused of the alleged kidnapping and murder of a federal DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, in 1985, has filed a total of 19 amparo lawsuits before the federal justice system.

Most of them have been to avoid being sent and tried for various crimes in the U.S., but others seek to revoke the arrest warrant issued against him for organized crime and drug trafficking and some others to guarantee him better health services in the maximum security prison of Altiplano, in Almoloya de Juarez, State of Mexico.

Just last June 3, a federal court denied him an injunction against an alleged arrest warrant for extradition to the United States.

The magistrates of the Second Collegiate Court in Criminal Matters of the State of Mexico unanimously confirmed the decision of Judge Tania Rosalinda Méndez, in Federal Amparo Proceedings in the State of Mexico, who refused to grant the drug trafficker amparo protection.

A month earlier, the Supreme Court refused to review an injunction filed by Caro Quintero's lawyers against his extradition to the United States.

Of the 19 amparos filed by the drug trafficker's lawyers, only 5 have been resolved against him, the rest are ongoing in courts and tribunals in the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Mexico City.

How was Caro Quintero's capture and recapture?

Caro Quintero was the founder of the Guadalajara cartel along with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, with whom he began working in the 1970s. During the 1980s, he acquired so much power that he was nicknamed: "Narco de Narcos" (Narco of Narcos).

He was arrested in San José, Costa Rica, on September 18, 1985 and later extradited to Mexico.

On December 12, 1989, Caro Quintero was sentenced for the crimes of kidnapping, aggravated homicide, planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and trafficking marijuana, supplying cocaine and criminal association. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

He was in the Federal Center for Social Readaptation of Altiplano, in the State of Mexico. In 2007 he was transferred to the maximum security prison of Puente Grande, where he was held until 2010, when he was transferred to the Guadalajara Preventive Prison.

Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison and was released by a judge.

On August 9, 2013, Rafael Caro Quintero was released after serving 28 years in prison. A court in Guadalajara ordered his immediate release because it considered that the murder of the U.S. agent in February 1985 should have been tried in the common courts and not in the federal courts.

On July 15, 2022, one of the most wanted drug lords in Mexico and the United States was recaptured while hiding in the bushes of the town of San Simon, in Choix, Sinaloa.

Following his recapture, U.S. authorities indicated that they will request Caro Quintero's extradition for the DEA agent's crime, which is a federal crime in the United States.

Caro Quintero is also charged with cocaine trafficking, running a "criminal enterprise", i.e. a cartel, criminal association and violent crimes, as well as kidnapping and murder.

Tv Azteca

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Attorney Generals of US & Mexico Agree to Work Together on Caro Quintero's Extradition

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and FGR Head Alejandro Gertz Manero will work to extradite Caro Quintero to the US.

The Attorney General of the United States and his Mexican counterpart from the Attorney General's Office (FGR) held a call to reaffirm the extradition request of Rafael Caro Quintero recaptured in the cradle of the Sinaloa Cartel last week.

Merrick B. Garland and Alejandro Gertz Manero, head of the FGR, spoke by telephone on July 21, where they discussed sending the capo accused of multiple charges, including the kidnapping and murder of Enrique Camarena Salazar, "Kiki", an agent of the Administration of the Drug Enforcement (DEA) in 1985.

"The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue working in unison on the extradition of Caro-Quintero," the Justice Department said in a brief statement.

According to the US authorities, the talk between the two officials took place during the afternoon. This is the first official communication reported after Caro Quintero was made available to the ministerial authorities and was notified of the extradition request for crimes charged in the US.

In addition to thanking the arrest led by the Secretary of the Mexican Navy (Semar), Garland reiterated his condolences to relatives of the 14 sailors who died after the crash of a helicopter in which they were traveling after participating in the operation to find the Narco of drug traffickers in Choix, Sinaloa.

"Attorney General Garland offered his condolences to the families and loved ones of the Mexican military who gave their lives in the service of their country last week," added the US official about the alleged accident on July 15 in a corn field in Los Mochis.

According to the Department of Justice, the call with Gertz Manero was also to continue in the line of binational collaboration for cases that are committed on both sides of Mexico and the United States, in order to find those responsible for various crimes.

"They are committed to continuing to build on a successful collaboration in criminal investigations and prosecutions of cross-border crimes," concluded the Merrick B. Garland press office.

The FGR has not issued any further comments on the communication between the officials. Nor has it reported on the judicial process that awaits the person who was a founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. 

According to reports, the entire process will be reserved, under the previous judicial system. The completed order is for extradition purposes, after releasing the accused in 2013 for a justified appeal in the courts of Guadalajara that was then rejected by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation in 2015.

The DEA indicated that the recapture of Caro Quintero was a prolonged collaboration between the security institutions headed by the DEA. But the United States Ambassador in Mexico, Ken Salazar, as well as Mexican President AMLO tried to curb those attributions leaked to the press and reiterated that the credit belonged to Semar.

Garland's call to Gertz Manero comes after the sister of the "Narco de Narcos" obtained an injunction so that her family member would not be transferred from the prison where he is located in the maximum security prison of the Altiplano, State of Mexico. The lawsuit charges that the authorities did not follow the extradition procedure and a legal battle is expected before the capo is sent to the country that has requested him for 37 years, when he was arrested in Costa Rica, he spent 28 years in prison and managed to free the prison until last July 15.

UPDATED

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland spoke by phone with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon. The two leaders previously met in Mexico City during the first U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue (HLSD). During today’s call, Attorney General Garland expressed his gratitude to Secretary Ebrard and the Government of Mexico for successfully arresting Rafael Caro-Quintero. The Attorney General also offered his condolences to the families and loved ones of the Mexican servicemembers who gave their lives in service to their country last week. The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to working expeditiously on the extradition of Caro-Quintero, who is wanted in the United States on a number of criminal charges, including his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985.

Source DOJ, Infobae, DOJ

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Semar Black Hawk Helicopter Crashes After RCQ Operation Killing 14 Marines Near Los Mochis, Sinaloa

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Shortly after the operation capturing wanted fugitive Caro Quintero, a Black Hawk helicopter crashed killing 14 Mexican Marines with 1 surviving in critical condition.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed that 14 agents of the Secretary of the Navy of Mexico (Semar) died in the crash of a helicopter after they participated in the operation that led to the capture of Rafael Caro Quintero, the Narco de narcos, in Sinaloa.

The locations of Rafael Caro Quintero's capture and the Semar helicopter crash shortly after. The Black Hawk UH-60M was likely returning to base while near the Los Mochis airport.

It should be remembered that this Friday it was reported that Rafael Caro Quintero, former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel, was apprehended in San Simón, Choix, Sinaloa, after an operation in which elements of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) and elements of the Attorney General's Office participated (FGR). 

Max, a trained Bloodhound tracked RCQ finding him hidden in the bushes of the mountains of San Simon.

The capture of Caro Quintero was after a canine named "Max," from the Secretariat of the Mexican Navy found him in the bushes in the town of San Simón, Choix, Sinaloa. Max is a female of the Bloodhound breed and is distinguished by her extensive tracking ability, for which she specialized in the search for weapons and money in the field, which is why she was included in this Friday's successful operation.

Federal troops, including agents from the Attorney General's Office, located RCQ who has two arrest warrants and a request for extradition to the United States.

After the arrest of Rafael Caro Quintero, a helicopter owned by the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) crashed on the afternoon of July 15 near the Los Mochis International Airport, in Sinaloa. The aircraft in which Semar Marines were traveling was not shot down, but Semar will investigate the causes that led to the accident in Los Mochis.

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

Units of the Municipal Police arrived at the site together with elements of the Mexican Red Cross and under the supervision of another Semar aircraft, who confirmed the fatal victims of the accident, which occurred in the Topolobampo Industrial Zone, near the Los Mochis highway, Topolobampo towards the port.

"Right now our volunteers from the Los Mochis Red Cross are working on the collapse of a Navy helicopter, supporting the crew's relief efforts with three ambulances, a rescue car, and 11 elements," the institution reported at the time.

Caro Quintero was transported by plane after his capture in Sinaloa.

The authorities airlifted the detainee from Sinaloa via plane to the Mexico City International Airport, where a convoy from Semar and the FGR moved to the Altiplano maximum security prison. However, authorities have not confirmed whether the armored vehicle that left the airbase was carrying the capo. But the FGR has already assured the destination. “The extraditable person will be interned at the Social Rehabilitation Center Number 1 (Altiplano), in Almoloya, State of Mexico,” reported the unit headed by Alejandro Gertz Manero after his arrest.

The United States has requested his extradition and it is likely to take place quickly.

Some photographs showed the journey of Caro Quintero, heavily escorted by federal agents.

Statement Excerpts from the US and Mexico

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
AMLO pointed out that the members of the Navy who died in the crash of a helicopter belonging to the unit near Los Mochis, in Sinaloa, supported the capture of Rafael Caro Quintero, founder of the Guadalajara cartel.

“I send my most sincere condolences and hugs to his family, colleagues and friends. The Secretary of the Navy, José Rafael Ojeda Durán, has informed me that an investigation will be ordered to find out the causes of the crash of the helicopter in which they were traveling when they were about to land in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, after fulfilling the mission of supporting those who they executed the arrest warrant against Rafael Caro Quintero,” AMLO highlighted on his social networks.

Secretary of Public Security (SSP) of the State of Sinaloa, Cristóbal Castañeda

"We regret the death of 14 members of the @SEMAR_mx who, in the performance of their duty, lost their lives after the aircraft they were flying collapsed in the city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa"

President of the Senate Olga Sánchez Cordero

Senators ask to investigate reasons for the helicopter crash in Sinaloa Senators from all parties requested that the causes of the helicopter crash near Los Mochis be investigated after fulfilling the mission of supporting those who executed the arrest warrant against Rafael Caro Quintero.

In social networks, the President of the Senate, Olga Sánchez Cordero wrote: “I join in the condolences to the Mexican Navy and the relatives of the deceased sailors, always in the delivery and at the service of our country, after the crash of the helicopter in which they were traveling. I also join the request that these facts be investigated.”

US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

“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.

“We join in mourning the 14 Mexican servicemembers who gave their lives in service to their country and extend our condolences to the loved ones they left behind.”

Ken Salazar United States Ambassador to Mexico 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mexican Marines who gave their lives in service to their country, and their families and comrades left behind. Their bravery and sacrifice will be honored as we seek to achieve greater security for both of our nations."

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram
Today, our incredible DEA team in Mexico worked in partnership with Mexican authorities to capture and arrest Rafael Caro Quintero, who is charged in the United States with the torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Kiki Camarena and with many other crimes. For more than 30 years, the men and women of DEA have worked tirelessly to bring Caro Quintero to justice. Today’s arrest is the result of years of your blood, sweat, and tears. 

Without your work, Caro Quintero would not face justice. Thank you. I am grateful for each and every one of you. I am grateful also to the men and women of the Mexican Navy, Semar. We mourn the tragic deaths of the 14 Mexican marines who lost their lives today in service to their country. 

Sources Semar, Borderland Beat, Infobae, Infobae, Infobae, DOJ, DEA, Milenio

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US Furious over Rafael Caro Quintero's release

Borderland Beat

MEXICO CITY -- U.S. law enforcement officials expressed outrage over the release from prison of Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and vowed to continue efforts to bring to justice the man who ordered the killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

 Convicted of DEA Agent's Murder Caro Quintero ordered Released

Caro Quintero was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of DEA agent Enrique Camarena but a Mexican federal court ordered his release this week saying he had been improperly tried in a federal court for state crimes.

The 60-year-old walked out of a prison in the western state of Jalisco early Friday after serving 28 years of his sentence.

 The U.S. Department of Justice said it found the court's decision "deeply troubling."
"The Department of Justice, and especially the Drug Enforcement Administration, is extremely disappointed with this result," it said in a statement.

The Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents in the United States said it was "outraged" by Caro Quintero's early release and it blamed corruption within Mexico's justice system for his early release.

"The release of this violent butcher is but another example of how good faith efforts by the U.S. to work with the Mexican government can be frustrated by those powerful dark forces that work in the shadows of the Mexican `justice' system," the organization said in a statement.

The DEA, meanwhile, said it "will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro-Quintero faces charges in the United States for the crimes he committed."

But experts say the case against Caro Quintero was flawed from the beginning and his release is the result of a stronger federal justice system in Mexico, and it's not likely to have an impact in U.S.-Mexico relations.

Caro Quintero was a founding member of one of Mexico's earliest and biggest drug cartels. He helped establish a powerful cartel based in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa that later split into some of Mexico's largest cartels, including the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels.
But he wasn't tried for drug trafficking, a federal crime in Mexico. Instead, Mexican federal prosecutors, under intense pressure from the United States, hastily put together a case against him for Camarena's kidnapping and killing, both state crimes.
"What we are seeing here is a contradiction between the need of the government to keep dangerous criminals behind bars and its respect of due process," said Raul Benitez, a security expert at Mexico's National Autonomous University.

"The United States wants Mexico to comply with due process but it is likely that due process was not followed when many criminals were caught 10 or 15 years."

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Carlos Caro Quintero, Brother of RCQ, Arrested in Mexico City

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat

Carlos Caro Quintero, the brother of Rafael Caro Quintero, was arrested in Mexico City on charges of illegal firearm and drug possession. 

The Arrest

At 4:00 pm on February 6, 2023, Mexico City’s Head of Security, Omar Garcia Harfuch, announced on Twitter that: 

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Rumors Growing: RCQ, Rafael Caro Quintero Recent Photo Surfaces, Seen in Sinaloa ?

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: RadioFormula y Vanguardia

In a photo that spread through social networks, the drug dealer re-appeared next to a young man whose identity is unknown, RCQ appears in the image with black hair and a few extra pounds.

While the governments of Mexico and the United States look for him and even offer a millionaire reward for his capture, Rafael Caro Quintero , one of the founders of the late Guadalajara Cartel , walks and has been seen in different Municipalities of Sinaloa.

In 2016, Caro Quintero said in an interview with the journalist Anabel Hernández that he retired from drug trafficking, however, it is rumored that he created his own criminal organization or that he joined the Sinaloa Cartel along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the children of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán .

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Another Narco Weakling Denies Who He Is

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Video translation is as follows:

The old school boss Rafael Caro Quintero assures that he is not Rafael Caro Quintero. This is one of the arguments that he presented before a federal court to avoid his extradition to the United States, arguing that he is not the drug lord that the US Department of Justice is looking for. According to judicial documents to which Reforma had access, Caro Quintero requested that 10 expert opinions be carried out. 

Among them those of the physical identity system and forensic photography to try to demonstrate that his capture was a mistake and that in any case the real drug trafficker is still out there. As in the formal extradition request, the Americans offered a video in which the drug trafficker appears. He also requested that computer experts be applied in analysis of audio, video, photographs, and stenographic transcriptions. 

As well as acoustics, phonetics, forensics, and voice analysis. The informative note clarifies that although Caro Quintero hasn’t denied his name in the process. He has a legal strategy position with which he wants to convince that scientifically his features don’t coincide with those of the 7 photographs or a video submitted in the extradition file. In this type of procedures, the photos and images in general presented by the requesting country are the only ones that can be taken into account to establish the identity of the extraditable person. 

This argument is the same one raised by Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Chapo Guzmán, as well as other drug traffickers. Like Eduardo Arellano Félix aka El Doctor and Marco Antonio Paredes Machado, Chapo's operator in Sonora among others. Extradition trials can only be litigated with two arguments or exceptions: proving that the detainee is not the person sought by the requesting country and proving that the formal process doesn’t comply with the extradition treaty between the two countries. 

Caro Quintero has implemented a legal strategy with the purpose of significantly prolonging his extradition to the United States. An action that they consider that he has at his disposal. This perception is based on the absence so far of a legal ruling by Judge Marcela Castro Núñez in charge of the extradition process. Furthermore, it is expected that even after this determination the Secretary of Foreign Affairs should make a ruling, probably followed by the presentation of an amparo by the boss. 

Which will require resolution in two additional instances. This complete procedural course is estimated to take more than one year to complete. On the one hand, Caro Quintero argues that the extradition request violates the legal principle of Non bis in ídem, which establishes that no one can be tried twice for the same crime. The reasoning is that since he was already tried in Mexico and sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Camarena in 1985, he cannot be tried again for the same crime in the United States. 

It is important to note that when the United States presented the formal extradition request, it didn’t only request his surrender for the Camarena case. It was also for three other accusations that the United States had not previously processed for his provisional detention. The Americans also formally requested his extradition to stand trial on four criminal charges. So, if the extradition in the Camarena case fails, the Americans have other actions pending in different courts.

Grillonautas 2

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