Infamous drug lord RafaelCaro Quintero walked free Friday after 28 years in prison when a court
overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of a U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration agent, a brutal murder that marked a low point
in U.S.-Mexico relations.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday it was extremely
disappointed by the release of the man convicted in the killing of DEA agent
Enrique Camarena, calling it "deeply troubling."
Mexico's Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said in a
statement that he was "worried" about the court's decision, adding
that his office is analyzing whether there are any charges pending against Caro
Quintero.
Caro Quintero, 60, was a founding member of one of Mexico's
earliest and biggest drug cartels. The court ruled Wednesday that he had been
improperly tried in a federal court for a crime that should have been treated
as a state offense. Prison officials were notified of the ruling on Thursday,
and an official at the Jalisco state prosecutors' office said the drug lord
left prison before dawn on Friday. The official was not authorized to speak on
the record.
News media were not alerted until hours after the release,
and U.S. authorities apparently received no prior notification.
"The Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement
Administration learned today that early this morning RafaelCaro Quintero was released from prison," said Justice
Department spokesman Peter Carr.
The DEA, meanwhile, said it "will vigorously continue
its efforts to ensure Caro-Quintero faces charges in the United States for the
crimes he committed. "
Caro Quintero still faces charges in the United States, but
Mexico's Attorney General's Office said it was unclear whether there was a
current extradition request.
Apparently, the U.S. had requested his extradition for the
Camarena killing — something Caro Quintero can't be tried twice for — but may
not have filed extradition requests for pending U.S. drug charges.
The U.S. Department of Justice said it "has continued
to make clear to Mexican authorities the continued interest of the United
States in securing Caro Quintero's extradition so that he might face justice in
the United States. "
Caro Quintero helped establish a powerful cartel based in
the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa that later split into some of
Mexico's largest cartels, including the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels.
He is still listed as one of the DEA's five top
international fugitives, and U.S. authorities believe he continued to control
the laundering of drug money from behind bars.
"Caro Quintero continues to launder the proceeds from
narcotics trafficking and he maintains an alliance with drug trafficking
organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, most notably with Esparragoza
Moreno's network," said Treasury Department spokesman John Sullivan,
referring to Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, also known as "El Azul,"
or "Blue" because of the dark color of his skin, who is allegedly a
top leader of the Sinaloa cartel.
In June, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against
18 people and 15 companies that allegedly moved money for Caro Quintero.
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Courtesy:abcnews
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