U.S. To Seek Death Penalty For Mexican Drug Lord Rafael Caro Quintero After Extradition

Mexican authorities announced on Thursday the extraditions of 29 prisoners requested by the U.S. government as part of the deal to halt the 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports suggested by President Donald Trump which are set to start on March 4.

The most famous of the prisoners being extradited to the U.S. is Rafael Caro Quintero, one of Mexico's first major drug lords. He co-founded the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel and was also behind the killing of U.S. DEA agent Kiki Camarera in 1985, a story brought back to the spotlight in the Netflix series Narcos. Now, the U.S. will seek to execute him, or at least imprison him for life.

In a statement, Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said that the 29 prisoners sent to the U.S. on Feb. 27 faced charges related to drug trafficking, among other crimes. Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales, known as Z-40 and Z-42 and leaders of the Los Zetas cartel were among those being extradited as well.

"This is historical, this has really never happened in the history of Mexico," said Mike Vigil, former DEA chief of international operations. "This is a huge celebratory thing for the Drug Enforcement Administration," he added.

Who is Rafael Caro Quintero?

Also known as "El Narco de Narcos," Caro Quintero founded the Guadalajara cartel alongside Miguel Ángel Felix Gallardo in the late 1970s. He spent 28 years behind bars after being found guilty in the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Administration Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Although he walked free in 2013 when a court overturned his 40-year sentence, Caro Quintero was arrested for a second time in 2022 in the state of Sinaloa.

While he was free, "El Narco de Narcos" founded the Caborca cartel in 2017 and quickly expanded its reach from Sonora to other states across Mexico. The Caborca Cartel currently operates in the states of Quintana Roo, Chihuahua, Baja California Sur and in the State of Mexico, where they have an ongoing fight with the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) as well as La Unión Tepito for control of certain territories.

Extraditions part of trade and security negotiations

In exchange for delaying the 25% tariffs on Mexican imported goods, President Trump insisted that Mexico crack down on cartels, illegal immigration and fentanyl production. Caro Quintero's extradition coincided with a visit to the U.S. by Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico's foreign minister, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to a person who talked to the AP on the condition of anonymity, DEA head Derek Maltz provided the White House with a list of nearly 30 Mexican targets wanted in the U.S. on criminal charges, and Caro Quintero was number one on the list. His case will be brought before the Eastern District of New York. "Federal prosecutors will evaluate if the additional charges of terrorism and violence are appropriate based on the policy established in Executive Order 14157, and if the capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164," the Department of Justice explained in a document.