Rafael Caro Quineiro, the notorious drug mafia boss who kidnapped and killed a US Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985, has been captured in Mexico.
Quineiro, who was convicted in the case and spent 28 years in prison, was released by the Appellate Authority in 2013. However, the United States and the prosecution have criticized the action. Later, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict. However, the U.S. was strongly demanding that he be arrested and released as he went into hiding.
A joint operation by the Navy and the Attorney General’s Office led to the arrest of Quineiro, who was hiding in the town of San Simon in Sinaloa state, with the help of a dog. Caro was also included in the national registry of fugitives, the Mexican Ministry of Public Security said. However, no other information related to the arrest has been released. The arrest comes days following Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez met with Joe Biden at the White House.
Caro Quineiro was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. However, he was released following the appellate authority commuted the sentence. They were killed when Camarena’s raids disrupted drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he would immediately seek the extradition of Caro Quineiro to the United States. Anyone who kidnaps, tortures and murders American law enforcement officers cannot hide. He also stated that he is very grateful to the Mexican authorities for the capture of Rafael Caro.
Caro Quineiro was one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel, a group that smuggled drugs into the United States. The US has announced a $20 million reward for information regarding the fugitive Caro Quineiro.
