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29 top cartel operatives are now in U.S. custody, including Rafael Caro Quintero — the notorious drug lord responsible for the 1985 killing of a DEA agent. Security chiefs from both factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel were also among those handed over to American authorities.
Caro Quintero, a founding member of the Sinaloa cartel, once had a $20 million reward on his head as one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. He’d previously been convicted in Mexico for orchestrating the murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Martin Sotelo, another cartel member transferred to U.S. custody, is accused of involvement in Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd’s murder in 2022.
FBI
“This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”
Justice for Camarena has been decades in the making.
After serving 28 years behind bars, Caro Quintero was unexpectedly released in 2013 when a court overturned his 40-year sentence. Though Mexico’s Supreme Court later upheld the original prison term, he’d already disappeared and quickly resumed his drug trafficking operations.
FBI
His freedom ended in July 2022 when authorities captured him in the town of San Simon in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. A search dog named “Max” discovered him hiding in brush. The timing raised eyebrows — his arrest came just days after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House.
The consequences for these cartel members will be severe. All 29 individuals transferred to U.S. custody face potential life sentences. Six defendants — including Caro Quintero — could receive the death penalty if convicted.
“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,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”
