Rafael Caro Quintero, known as “The Narco of Narcos,” is one of the most iconic figures in organized crime in Mexico. His name is associated with the founding of the Guadalajara Cartel, the murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, and the rise of modern drug trafficking in Mexico. Captured in July 2022, his extradition to the United States in February 2025 marks the end of an era, highlighting the pressure from Washington on the Mexican government to combat drug trafficking.
The Rise of a Criminal Empire
Rafael Caro Quintero emerged in the 1970s as a key figure in drug trafficking in Mexico. Along with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, he established the Guadalajara Cartel, which created drug trafficking networks to the United States. Their main product was marijuana, cultivated on massive farms such as “El Búfalo” in Chihuahua, where in 1984 the Mexican government destroyed over 10,000 tons of the drug in an unprecedented blow against drug trafficking.
Caro Quintero and his organization responded with brutality. In February 1985, DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. His death sparked a diplomatic crisis between Mexico and the United States and triggered “Operation Leyenda,” a manhunt for those responsible. In April of that year, Caro Quintero was captured in Costa Rica and extradited to Mexico, where he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The Release and Return to Drug Trafficking
In an unexpected turn of events, in 2013, a Mexican court ordered Caro Quintero’s release due to a legal technicality, citing errors in the judicial process. His release generated outrage in Washington, which placed him on the FBI’s list of the 10 most wanted fugitives and offered a $20 million reward for information leading to his capture.
During his time at liberty, intelligence reports indicated that Caro Quintero re-entered the drug trafficking world, leading the Caborca Cartel, a criminal organization competing for control over drug trafficking in Sonora. His operations challenged the dominance of the Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in a wave of violence in northwest Mexico.
The Recapture and Extradition
On July 15, 2022, Caro Quintero was captured in Sinaloa by the Mexican Navy during an operation that involved a tracking dog named “Max.” After his arrest, he was transferred to a high-security prison in Almoloya de Juárez, where he remained until his extradition to the United States on February 27, 2025.
Caro Quintero’s extradition took place against a backdrop of delicate political and diplomatic relations. Washington had increased pressure on the Mexican government, threatening to impose tariffs on Mexican products if efforts against drug trafficking, particularly regarding fentanyl, were not intensified. The extradition of 29 criminals, including Caro Quintero, Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales (“Z-40”), and Omar Treviño Morales (“Z-42”), was seen as a gesture of cooperation to ease trade tensions and strengthen bilateral security relations.
The Future of the ‘Narco of Narcos’
Caro Quintero now faces justice in the Eastern District Court of New York, where he could be sentenced to life in prison on charges of drug trafficking, homicide, and organized crime. His extradition not only represents the closing of a chapter in the history of Mexican drug trafficking but also serves as a clear message from U.S. policy regarding historical organized crime bosses.
Despite his arrest, the drug trafficking business continues with new generations of criminals taking control. The story of Rafael Caro Quintero is one of a man who went from being a pioneer in the drug trade to a symbol of the decline of organized crime in Mexico under international pressure. However, the question remains: Will his capture and extradition have a real impact on the fight against drug trafficking, or will it be just another link in the long chain of violence and corruption?
Other Mexican Narcos Extradited
On Thursday, Mexico also extradited another 28 drug traffickers to the United States, who were held in various prisons across the country, according to the Mexican Attorney General’s office. “The individuals detained in different penitentiary centers were wanted for their links to criminal organizations, drug trafficking, among other crimes,” the statement said. According to El País, the list includes former leaders of the Zetas cartel, Miguel Ángel and Omar Treviño Morales, known as Z-40 and Z-42, in addition to Rafael Caro Quintero, former chief of the Guadalajara Cartel, and José Ángel Canobbio, alias El Güerito, a lieutenant of Los Chapitos, one of the factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.