Caro Quintero: The legendary drug lord with whom the US will ultimately strike a deal
The ‘Narco of Narcos,’ is seeking a deal to plead guilty and improve his prison conditions, where he could spend the rest of his days
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) does not forget nor forgive. Their official website features a microsite titled "Justice for Kiki" in honor of agent Enrique Camarena, who was killed in Guadalajara in February 1985. The DEA holds Rafael Caro Quintero accountable for Camarena's kidnapping, torture, and murder, branding him as "a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death."
As the "Narco of narcos" returns to the spotlight, he is currently negotiating a deal that may result in his pleading guilty to crimes committed 41 years ago. Caro Quintero, one of the founders of the powerful Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s, may emerge from this legal battle with an image quite different from the terrifying legend that has surrounded Mexican kingpins of that era: a 74-year-old, weakened man sporting gray hair, seeking forgiveness from a jury in the U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
