HomeNewsBriefMexico Files for Arrest of Released Capo at US Request
BRIEF

Mexico Files for Arrest of Released Capo at US Request

EXTRADITION / 15 AUG 2013 BY MARGUERITE CAWLEY EN

In an attempt to placate US officials, Mexico has filed a provisional arrest warrant to facilitate the capture and extradition of former drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, a participant in the murder of a US anti-drug agent in the 1980s who was released early on a technicality earlier this month.

Caro Quintero, one of the founders of the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel, was found guilty of the 1985 murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena Salazar and sentenced to 40 years in prison in Mexico. However, in the dawn hours of August 9, he was released after serving 28 years of his sentence, following a court ruling that he should have been tried at the local, rather than the federal level because Camarena did not technically hold a diplomatic post. The killing of a diplomat is what made it a federal case in the first place, and therefore the ruling nullified any judgement on that level.

Following a strongly critical reaction to the decision by US officials, the Mexican Attorney General's Office has now confirmed the issuing of a provisional arrest warrant for Caro Quintero, which would allow the US to file for his extradition on separate charges that he faces in a California Federal District Court. If the former drug lord is newly detained, the US will have 60 days to file an official extradition request, reported Animal Politico.

InSight Crime Analysis

The basis for Caro Quintero's release is embarrassing for the Mexican government and causing an unnecessary strain on relations between the United States and Mexico. A letter -- filed to the Mexican government just days after Camarena's assassination -- from a diplomatic functionary states that Camarena worked for the embassy but did not have a "diplomatic" post. The judges found this "ambiguous" and "confusing," according to an analysis of the decision by Reforma's Victor Fuentes, and, on that basis, freed Caro Quintero.  

This doesn't appear to be a top-level decision, but Caro Quintero's early release has threatened to create bad blood between the United States and Mexico, which cooperate closely on security matters. The decision hits close to home for the United States and in particular the DEA, which still has Caro Quintero on its most wanted list and counts Camarena as one of the few agents it has lost in service.

The decision also serves as another indication that Mexico's justice system is one of the weakest links in the country's fight against drug trafficking. 

In either case, Mexico's government appears willing to put resources into getting Caro Quintero back in custody.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

HUMAN TRAFFICKING / 15 JUL 2022

A recent report has shed new light on how temporary work visa programs for migrant laborers can backfire.

DISPLACEMENT / 24 NOV 2021

Winning a lottery prize of close to $1 million should have been a positive, life-changing event for a kindergarten and…

JALISCO CARTEL / 9 MAY 2022

Mexico City authorities have sustained a two-year crackdown on the city’s largest gang, La Unión Tepito, arresting hundreds and freezing…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.