New York (AFP) – The former leader of a brutal Mexican cartel, Rafael Caro Quintero, described by the White House as the world’s “most evil” drug boss, pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in New York Friday. In a letter to the Brooklyn court opposing bail, the Justice Department called Caro Quintero, who appeared in a Brooklyn court handcuffed, “one of the most notorious drug lords of the modern era,” accusing him of torturing and killing a federal agent.
“After 40 years the man who murdered Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena is here to face justice,” said prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy in court. “This man is responsible for the death of many Americans. He and his partners are pioneers for the Mexican drug trafficking industry,” she said. Mexico sent Caro Quintero, one of its most notorious imprisoned drug kingpins, to the United States on Thursday in an effort to escape sweeping tariffs from President Donald Trump. Dubbed the “Narco of Narcos” by law enforcement, he was among 29 such cartel detainees handed over by Mexico, including fellow kingpin Vicente Carillo Fuentes, who also pleaded not guilty.
“Two extremely powerful dangerous cartel kingpins… will face the consequences of their actions,” said US attorney John Durham outside court where the two men were arraigned. He called their arrival in the United States Thursday a “historic moment.” Dozens of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents formed a security ring of steel around the defendants and the courthouse. Caro Quintero allegedly ordered the kidnap, torture and killing of DEA special agent “Kiki” Camarena in the 1980s and was on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of 10 most-wanted fugitives until his capture in 2022. “It demonstrates you can never kill a DEA agent. You will never get away with it,” said Durham.
If convicted, he and several others could face the death penalty, the US Department of Justice said, adding that prosecutors would also consider terrorism charges. “These terrorists fed off the horror and fear of their rivals and the public alike. They allegedly stopped at nothing in their pursuit of power and profits,” said Homeland Security Investigations acting special agent in charge Michael Alfonso.
The surprise extraditions come as Mexico scrambles to seal a deal with Washington to avoid being hit with trade duties that Trump has linked to illegal migration and drug flows. Trump has designated eight Latin American drug trafficking organizations — including six Mexican cartels — as terrorist organizations. “As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
“We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels,” she added. The handover of so many suspects at the same time was historic, Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), told AFP. In the past, Mexico would extradite only a few suspects at once, he said, adding: “They’re certainly hoping that it will have a positive impact on the tariff negotiations.” The DEA was “celebrating” Caro Quintero’s extradition in particular, he said.
© 2024 AFP
