After decades on the run, Mexican drug cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero has been extradited to the U.S. to answer for his role in the brutal 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Once one of the most wanted men in the world, Caro Quintero pleaded not guilty in a New York courtroom Friday, but his long-awaited trial now looms.

Caro Quintero was one of 29 cartel members turned over to U.S. authorities in what has been called one of the most significant extraditions in Mexico’s history. His capture comes after years of pressure from U.S. officials, particularly under President Donald Trump, who threatened Mexico with tariffs if it failed to take stronger action against cartel violence, illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling.

Today, @FBIDirectorKash announced that the United States has successfully apprehended Rafael Caro Quintero, the notorious cartel kingpin behind the brutal murder of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena.

Learn more: https://t.co/YATIlmGBtF pic.twitter.com/iOed6YAs8k

— FBI (@FBI) February 28, 2025

“For 14,631 days, we held on to hope… and now, that hope has finally turned into reality,” Camarena’s family said in a statement, thanking Trump and law enforcement officials who never gave up on seeking justice. The White House called Caro Quintero “one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world.”

https://twitter.com/saras76/status/1895336463090512162

Caro Quintero was a key figure in the Guadalajara cartel, one of the first major drug organizations smuggling heroin, cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s. After a 1984 DEA raid disrupted his drug operations, he ordered the kidnapping and killing of Camarena in retaliation. The agent was tortured for hours before being murdered, an act that sent shockwaves through U.S. law enforcement and strained relations between Washington and Mexico.

#JUSTICEFORKIKI After 40 years, Rafael Caro Quintero is in the U.S, to face justice for the murder of #DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. We wear red to recognize Kiki's sacrifice and to honor his life. #RedForKiki #NeverForget Learn more at https://t.co/uuYu5BdQIY pic.twitter.com/McCQArNgIv

— DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) February 28, 2025

Though convicted in Mexico and sentenced to 40 years in prison, Caro Quintero was released in 2013 on a legal technicality. He quickly returned to drug trafficking, fueling violent turf wars in Mexico before being recaptured in 2022.

Trump had demanded that Mexico act against the cartels, designating them as foreign terrorist organizations and deploying U.S. spy drones to assist in their arrests. The extradition of cartel leaders, including Omar and Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales of the Zetas cartel, was seen as a direct response to Trump’s firm stance.

Breaking update in New York: 🚨 Mexican kingpin ‘Narco of Narcos’ finally faced an American judge today but doing so while wearing the exact cuffs of the DEA agent he took the life of in 1985!

Rafael Caro Quintero, a 72 year old founding member of the Guadalajara cartel, has… pic.twitter.com/fAA1PhWhhs

— Tom Homan – Border Czar Commentary News (@TomHoman_) February 28, 2025

Attorney General Pam Bondi reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to taking down these criminal organizations. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.”

Six of the 29 cartel members extradited to the U.S. could face the federal death penalty. DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz made it clear that time would not protect those responsible for Camarena’s death. “No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”