Despite being in prison, Caro Quintero never stopped operating cartel, says the U.S.

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  Milenio

Capo Rafael Caro Quintero never stopped operating his drug trafficking/sales business, even

while being imprisoned for 28 years and four months in three different prisons and although he insisted he had “retired” from the business.

According to an accusation registered in the Federal District Court of New York, in the United States, Caro Quintero, who has been a fugitive since 2013, "held a position of organizer, supervisor and management positions " as a drug dealer between 1980 and 2017. In addition to having in their structure heads of plaza "who controlled certain territories and were responsible for the transport of drugs through those territories".

And he had on his payroll  hitmen, money launderers and transporters, including entire crews for boats "From at least January 1980 to January 2017, Caro Quintero operated a vast narcotics transport network responsible for manufacturing and importing from Mexico to the United States multiple tons of heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana”.

The arrest warrant is key and, if one day he  is recaptured, it will be the focal point of any trial faced in the United States by a half dozen accusations, the most serious of them, the murder of special agent Enrique Kiki Camarena, from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA ).

The accusation against him argues that Caro Quintero's organization has used corruption as "a means and method to achieve its objectives", in addition to generating millions of dollars that have been laundered  back to Mexico.

"The money, coming from the sale of drugs,  was physically transported from the United States to Mexico by clandestine means," the letter notes.

Rafael Caro Quintero, El R1 or El Canoso, has been a fugitive on both sides of the border since August 2013 , after the decision to release him was revoked, and he is considered a founder and former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel along with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Don Neto.  According to the State Department now leads a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel .

From DEA:

DEA: “As alleged in the indictment, Caro Quintero is drug kingpin responsible for a murder conspiracy targeting those who posed a threat to his drug trafficking organization, including DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena who bravely worked to stop traffickers like the defendant from flooding our country with dangerous narcotics,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “The passage of time will not stop us from holding Caro Quintero accountable for the murder of one of one of our law enforcement partners.”  Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the DEA Offices in Long Island and Mexico City, the United States Department of State, the Homeland Security Investigations Office in Tucson, Arizona,

“Caro Quintero’s stronghold in the Sinaloa Cartel has lasted for over thirty years, following the kidnapping and brutal murder of Special Agent Camarena,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Hunt.  “DEA will never forget.  This indictment is a result of tremendous collaboration amongst law enforcement to bring Caro Quintero to justice and sends a message to the Cartel that time makes no difference in our efforts to stop their drug trafficking and related violence.” 

Below is the indictment followed by exhibit and witness list (interesting).

   Rafael Caro Quintero Indictment 0 by Chivis Martinez on Scribd

   U.S. List of Exhibits Rafael Caro Quintero by Chivis Martinez on Scribd