A Mexican federal judge issued an injunction to delay any attempts by the U.S. to extradite infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who is wanted for the murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
On Monday, Mexican Judge Francisco Resendiz Neri granted an injunction requested by Beatriz Angelica Caro Quintero, the drug lord’s sister. The injunction halts any expedited attempts by Mexico to turn over Caro Quintero until a full extradition trial takes place. The move could take years due to Mexico’s controversial court system.
Mexico’s Navy (SEMAR) arrested Caro Quintero over the weekend in a rural area near Choix, Sinaloa. According to SEMAR, a tracking dog was used to find him hiding in a brush area. Hours after the arrest, the Mexican government confirmed that one of their naval helicopters had crashed in the area, killing 14 SEMAR members, including some who were part of the Caro Quintero capture team. Officials claim the crash was accidental and not retaliatory.
Caro Quintero is wanted in the U.S. for his alleged role as one of the masterminds behind the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Caro Quintero spent 28 years in a Mexican prison for that crime, but was mysteriously released by a judge in 2013 and had been on the run to date.
Caro Quintero’s arrest sparked some political controversy when news outlets quoted an internal memo by DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, where she praised Agent Camarena’s sacrifice and claimed that the agency’s team in Mexico worked with Mexican authorities to arrest Caro Quintero. Politicians in Mexico used those stories to criticize President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for working with the DEA despite his record of attacks on the U.S. agency.
Late on Friday, the DEA’s chief Anne Milgram sent out this message stating that the DEA team in Mexico had worked alongside Mexican authorities to capture #CaroQuintero.
AMLO says this is untrue. pic.twitter.com/IPkmUykUME
— José Díaz Briseño (@diazbriseno) July 18, 2022
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar issued a statement claiming the U.S. government had no role in the arrest.
Statement by Ambassador Salazar (@USAmbMex) https://t.co/Z3oG76PKUN
— Embajada EU en Mex (@USEmbassyMEX) July 16, 2022
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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