Federal authorities added top Sinaloa Cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List. He is wanted for the 1985 kidnapping and murder of federal agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
During a televised news conference, the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Department of State announced a $20 million reward for information leading to Quintero’s capture. The drug boss is believed to be hiding in Mexico and playing a key leadership role in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
The U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced a new indictment targeting Quintero for his role in the criminal enterprise as well as Camarena’s murder.
“As alleged in the indictment, Caro Quintero is drug kingpin responsible for a murder conspiracy targeting those who posed a threat to his drug trafficking organization, including DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena who bravely worked to stop traffickers like the defendant from flooding our country with dangerous narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donahue in a prepared statement.
According to prosecutors, Quintero was a key leader with the Guadalajara Cartel, now known as the Sinaloa Cartel–considered the largest drug trafficking organization in the world. Quintero was convicted and found guilty in Mexico for the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena, but a judge in Mexico ordered his release in 2013 on a “technicality.” The drug lord was released before the U.S. was able to request extradition.
In 2016, Quintero gave an exclusive interview to Mexican journalist Anabel Hernandez from Proceso. Quintero claimed to be an aging man who just wanted to retire. The drug lord said that any allegations against him were political vendettas. According to U.S. authorities, since his release, Quintero went back to a leadership role in the Sinaloa Cartel.
Quintero is linked to marijuana smuggling from 1980 until the present time and cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin from 2015 to date. Prosecutors claim that as the leader of the criminal enterprise, Caro Quintero used hitmen to perform murders and kidnappings in Mexico, as well as silence potential witnesses and anyone that worked with authorities.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.