Item 1 of 3 Mexican cartel figure Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of a U.S. anti-narcotics agent, is escorted by FBI agents as he arrives on U.S. soil at an airport in New York, U.S., February 27, 2025, after Mexico handed over major figures in the country’s criminal underworld to U.S. authorities. Handout via REUTERS
[1/3]Mexican cartel figure Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of a U.S. anti-narcotics agent, is escorted by FBI agents as he arrives on U.S. soil at an airport in New York, U.S., February 27, 2025, after Mexico handed over major figures in… Purchase Licensing Rights
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NEW YORK, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Alleged drug cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero, who spent decades in prison in Mexico for the murder of a U.S. drug enforcement agent, pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court on Friday to drug trafficking charges that could result in his execution.
Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico after being convicted of murdering former DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, one of the most notorious killings in Mexico’s narco wars.
The violent story of the capo and murdered DEA agent featured prominently in Netflix’s 2018 “Narcos Mexico” series.
Caro Quintero, who denied involvement in Camarena’s murder, was indicted in absentia in Brooklyn federal court in 2020 on drug trafficking and weapons charges, and recaptured by Mexican authorities in 2022.
On Thursday, Mexico’s government expelled Caro Quintero and 28 other suspected cartel members, its biggest handover in years. Trump had threatened to order 25% tariffs on Mexican goods starting on March 4 over slow progress on stemming fentanyl as well as U.S.-bound migrant flows.
Before entering the not guilty plea, Caro Quintero walked slowly as U.S. marshals led him toward the defense table and stood behind him for nearly a minute as they unshackled cuffs around his wrists before he took his seat.
Caro Quintero, 72, sporting thick white hair and wearing a blue shirt over an orange undershirt tucked into beige pants, spoke with his lawyer, Michael Vitaliano, and a Spanish interpreter for several minutes before the proceedings began.
“Buenas tardes, senor, good afternoon,” Levy said in both English and Spanish after the case was called.
“Buenas tardes,” Caro Quintero replied.
His defense lawyer, Vitaliano, entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.
Thursday’s mass transfer featured mostly aging gang leaders such as Caro Quintero, co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, who reigned over Mexico’s criminal underworld decades ago.
Some other drug lords likely continued to run criminal rackets from behind bars, according to security analysts, but Mexico’s volatile gangland leadership has mostly moved on.
The White House called Caro Quintero “one of the most evil cartel bosses” on Friday. The statement cited an order issued last month by U.S. President Donald Trump labeling several Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, accused by prosecutors of being a one-time Juarez Cartel boss, was also among the group expelled to the U.S. Like Caro Quintero, he also entered a not guilty plea.
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Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Alistair Bell, David Gregorio, Christian Plumb and Daniel Wallis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Reports on the New York federal courts. Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina.