Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested yesterday, July 15, 2022, by Mexican federal forces.
This was a live post that was periodically updated by Borderland Beat contributors with the latest information that came out on Rafael Caro Quintero.
Quick Review
Who
Rafael Caro Quintero, the Mexican cartel leader who had the highest bounty offered by the US government, with a $20 million reward offered. The large reward being offered by the US for his capture is, in part, due to his alleged involvement in the abduction, torture, and murder of US DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985.
He is the leader of the Caborca Cartel, which mainly operates in the state of Sonora. He was one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel. For all the extra background information you need to know on who he is, please see this post.
What
Mexican Navy Marines arrested Rafael Caro Quintero who was hiding out in a remote mountainous area. A military canine, a bloodhound named Max, was specifically credited with finding him, after tracking him down based on his scent.
According to the newspaper Milenio, Rafael Caro Quintero, or RCQ for short, has an extradition order from the US government as well as two arrest warrants by the Attorney General's Office (FGR). The DEA has said its “team in Mexico worked in conjunction with Mexican authorities to capture and arrest Rafael Caro Quintero”, as part of a letter released yesterday.
A Navy helicopter crashed shortly after, leaving 14 marines dead, in the nearby area of Los Mochis. The President of Mexico has confirmed that the Marines within the Black Hawk were part of “supporting those who executed the arrest warrant against Rafael Caro Quintero.” The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and the subject of a current federal investigation.
When
The official entry that was made into the Mexican National Arrest Registry states that the arrest occurred yesterday, July 15, 2022. The listed time of the arrest is 12:50 pm.
Where
Almost all news sources are now reporting the arrest occurred in the town of San Simón, which is located within the municipality of Choix, in the state of Sinaloa, in the country of Mexico.
What Happened Last Night
Last night, the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed on Twitter that the military helicopter that went down in Los Mochis was “supporting those who executed the arrest warrant against Rafael Caro Quintero.”
Photos emerged online which appear to show RCQ being escorted to or from a military airplane.
Photos showing RCQ sitting within the plane were also posted. These ones appear to have been taken prior to the plane taking off based on the amount of sunlight outside. The photos that are currently released online have RCQ’s face blurred because Mexican news publications are complying with Mexican laws. If any photos of RCQ in custody without his face blurred become available, Borderland Beat will publish them.
At 10:00 pm, the FGR released a press release which says they “achieved the arrest, for extradition purposes.” According to La Jornada, the Mexican government intends to carry out the extradition of the Mexican drug trafficker to the United States in an expeditious manner. US Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that “We will request his immediate extradition to the United States,”.
The press release details that RCQ “will be interned in the Center for Social Readaptation Number 1 (Altiplano), in Almoloya, State of Mexico.” The wording seems to imply that as of 10:00 pm on July 16, 2022, RCQ had not arrived at the Almoloya prison, which is more commonly called "Altiplano", yet. It is believed that he was being flown to Mexico City at the time of this press release.
The FGR stated that once RCQ is admitted to the prison, the judge who ordered his provisional arrest for extradition purposes will be notified immediately so that he can set a date and time for the corresponding hearing.
Periódico Zócalo posted a video which showed RCQ after he had just arrived at the Marines Hanger in Mexico City.
Videos which are alleged to show a convoy of vehicles transporting RCQ to Altiplano prison from the Mexico City Marines hanger have been posted online.
Foro TV published the following video, writing that RCQ’s transport convoy had arrived at Altiplano prison at 11:17 pm. RCQ then reportedly spent his first night in Altiplano prison.
Video Source: Foro TV
9:45 am
Last night the US Embassy in Mexico issued a travel advisory security alert, which can be read below.
10:15 am
Reforma newspaper released a higher quality version of the first photo that showed the newly captured RCQ.
12:35 pm
Many Mexican news outlets, such as Riodoce, are picking up on the DEA letter released yesterday which states its “team in Mexico worked in conjunction with Mexican authorities to capture and arrest Rafael Caro Quintero”.
1:15 pm
Proceso just released an article with exclusive details on the capture of RCQ. Most explosive is the revelation that the successful operation on July 15 was actually the 14th attempt made in the last month.
Here is a translation of all the important details from the article:
He was hiding in the mountains around Badiraguato in the Sinaloa highlands. U.S. intelligence services detected him months ago and finally, on the fourteenth attempt, the Mexican Navy arrested Rafael Caro Quintero.
In an interview with Proceso, a high-ranking official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) explains some of the details behind the capture [...]
"A few weeks ago we were able to detect and confirm the location and the area in the mountains where he was hiding. In coordination with the Mexican Navy, we began to design very specific operations to prevent him from escaping or information from leaking out," said the official.
For months after they located the area where Caro Quintero had his lair, US agents traveled frequently to Mexico and negotiations intensified with the Navy -not with the Army, an institution the DEA distrusts- to carry out the capture operation.
"Before this one, which finally concluded with his arrest, the Mexican Navy had 13 other opportunities to capture Quintero and failed to do so. This occurred over a period of about four weeks," explains the senior DEA official.
The tactics to locate the man [...] did not always involve sophisticated technology.
US Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told Proceso in a previous interview that “almost all doors with the López Obrador government are closed."
The DEA's campaign to find Caro Quintero was based on betrayals.
The DEA closed in on Caro Quintero through informants, members of different drug trafficking cartels operating in the Golden Triangle region - in the Sierra Madre Occidental, shared by Durango, Sinaloa and Chihuahua
"We paid a lot of money to people who gave us information. We did not share the information until we were able to corroborate it through other intelligence methods - that it was Caro Quintero. That's how the operation happened," said the high-ranking DEA official.
The drug lords who guarded him in the Sierra lowered the protection of Caro [...] Another DEA official commented: "Caro Quintero is not only old, he is also sick. In the last two years he has become a problem for the drug traffickers who protected him. They respect him for being one of them and one of the big guys, but that's how life is; they have loosened his security.
3:05 pm
After reports and statements made by DEA Administrator, Anne Milgram regarding the DEA taking part in the capture of Rafael Caro Quintero; US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazer issued a statement saying that no US personnel participated.
"To clarify, no United States personnel participated in the tactical operation that resulted in the arrest of Caro Quintero," the diplomat said. The arrest of Caro Quintero was carried out exclusively by the Mexican government.
This does not however rule out the possibility that the DEA or other US agencies may have had a hand in the investigations and intelligence gathering that lead up to RCQ's capture, just that the operation itself leading to the arrest did not involve anyone other than Mexican agents and soldiers.
Rafa Caro being captured in choix? Could there be any indication that he was on good terms or supported by Adelmo Nuñez aka El 01? Since technically they found him in El 01’s backyard
ReplyDeleteEl Lemus siempre a sido leal al Caro Quientero y sus sobrinos
DeleteCaborca Cartel snitched
ReplyDeleteYou mean Sinaloa snitched & el cartel de Los Chilangos taking that money for themselves.
DeleteLemo or isidros crew snitched it was in there territory,read the article
DeleteSerious Question! Did Max the Hounddog have his scent?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't have to have his scents as long the dog smelled a human scent coming from the bushes.
DeleteWho knows ? Locals say he was being chased from Guachochi in Chihuahua and was finally captured in the neighboring town of San Simon in Sinaloa, that’s where the confusion lies. So in that event i dont believe this Núñez character was even aware that Rafa was in his turf.
ReplyDeleteThose 2 towns are 200 miles apart and a full mountain range in between.
DeleteI forgot there is an indictment unsealed in early 2020 in Eastern District of New York against Caro, it’s partially unsealed with only his name.
ReplyDeleteWhich along with DC and San Diego has handled major high profile cases since the conviction of Chapo in 2019.
Thank you for your very informative comments on all the RCQ posts, J.
DeleteWhen you bear in mind he spent most of his adult life in prison and will now spend what remains in prison he probably only had about 15 years in total out of 70 years living reasonably well. The rest was dirt poor, on the run or in prison. He would have had a better life if he finished school and got a job as a bank clerk or salesman or mechanic etc. For him crime really didnt pay
ReplyDeleteHe is an extremely intelligent horticulturist basically created mexican sin semilla grown by the fields
DeleteNot that intelligent if he spent most of his life in prison
DeleteDon Neto is 91 years old!
Delete8:18 fake news he had nothing to do with the creation of sinsi
DeleteGsonora otra vez con tus mariguanadas? Lla te dicen el Zombie 2
Delete8:18 Well he brought sensimilla production to a grand agricultural scale but he didn’t come up with the method. Cultivators in California and Oregon did.
Delete117 LOL not saying he did or didn't but why are gringos always trying to claim first dips on everything? Lemme guess, noodles were invented in Italy, gun powder comes from Germany, the concept of zero comes from England and the Vikings where in North America long before the Indians, and now it just so turns out some hilly billy hippy from Oregon came up with a weed variant and called it "sinsemilla" which is literally a spanish word... 🙄🤦🏻♂️Ok flat earth gringos, you guys are the smartest and built earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Thanks for your valuable input, now keep your head up your ass pinche cagado.
DeleteThis guy has never been skiing on water or snow, never had proper foreign holidays, been able to relax without body guards, relax and enjoy life. Workout in the local gym, go cycling on a cool evening. Relax at a sidewalk cafe in Paris or Rome. Wander around museums and go to the theatre Etc etc. Truth be told myself and all my neighbours, friends colleagues etc. have actually had much better lives with a foreign holiday every year, mortgages paid, peace and quiet at home, never been in any danger or hunted by anyone. What use was all his money when he never got to spend it, lacked the class and taste to know how to spend it and was and will be in prison most of his life or on the run and hiding away with body guards. Really not a thing about him and his sad shitty life that I envy.
ReplyDeleteHe has more balls then you and you friends will ever dream to have.
Deleteand a lot less brains bearing in mind he spent most of his adult life in prison. I served in the infantry by the way and didnt need to run around with body guards.
DeleteAnd if you think terrorizing and killing your fellow Mexicans for money you will never spend because you have a gun and can hire some village idiots to also do your dirty work then you have serious problems with your values and I understand why Mexico has problems
DeleteDude talking about values...USA are full of them right??the goberment are the real criminales,. Plus they brain wash their military to do their dirty work.... México,USA,etc...they are all corrupt orgs they just do it differently
DeleteTo 839: point is who cares if he has 10 balls, did him zero good
Delete@ last straw. Exactly. The life outcomes for him were about as shit as they get. Just a tragedy he involved so many other people in his stupid decisions and cost so many lives. And say what you like about the USA, as a country everything works. And judging on the number of illegals going into the USA most Mexicans agree that the USA is a proper country where the rule of law and personal safety exist and financial security is possible if you work hard and make sensible decent choices
DeleteHe's a psychopath, no way he could live a normal life.
Delete8.39: People like you are the reason Mexico is going to shit.
DeleteYou’re probably right about his freedom but fuck Europe and Europeans! If you’re not Mexican or of Mexican decent fuck outta here with your white wash ass. Ni los pinches gavachos te quieren even if you’re light skin you always be looked at like a second class citizen or below them.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I dont hero worship a serial killer who was such a shit criminal that he spent half his life in prison and never got to enjoy his life and truth be told lived most of his life in worse conditions than anyone I know. When your career path has you spending most of your adult life locked up in some shitty Mexican jail and then you get out and do it again that is not the actions of an intelligent person or even a very good criminal
DeleteNot worshipping no drug dealer dumb shit! Just letting 8:25 that he’s a European cock sucker. Fuck Caro he deserves what he gets!
DeleteMexican or Mexican decent… hmmm country founded by Spanish colonizers and then ruled by Germans (from whom Mexico got great beer and mariachi music)… so if you are Mexican or of Mexican decent chances are you are of European decent.. smh
Delete8:25 if it wasn't for Europeans your quality of life would be shit.. living under natives clown
Delete11:42 your smoking crack if you think Germany ruled Mexico. Mexico is about as German as the United States
DeleteWhen did the Germans rule Mexico you mean Max and Carlota? Oh yeah What happened to them? 😆
DeleteGermans are straight up bitches!
9:23 Life leads you down certain roads, some of us have it better or worse then others. Some of us have more options or opportunities then others. In the end we all play with the cards we're dealt. The area Caro grew up in, trafficking was normal. Look at all the traffickers that came out that area. So as a kid you see this and grow up like this and you see nothing wrong with it. Once you start getting caught up with the law cause of it, it's already what puts food on the table for you and a roof over your head. With not many other options available any one would be reluctant to stop because you still have to eat and the bills keep coming. They don't wait for you to find a different living. And with that being the case I'm sure that instead of changing fields alot decide to go all in, since that's all they know. Not many would prefer to starve or struggle when your current occupation is providing and there really aren't too many other options available. So those who say he (Caro) kept being in that business after he got out are silly for even bringing it up. Or what, you guys think he was getting job traing and working skills while he was incarcerated in a Mexican prison? If in the states with those kind of options in prison people still get out and do the same, what do you think the chances of someone choosing another proffesion when they get out of a corrupt mexican prison. Let's be realistic. There's a whole bunch of critics on here that just like to down talk and point the finger but life pays attention to no one and people are more worried about trying to survive, thrive, flourish and succeed. Throw ego, pride, greed and envy into the mix and voala!!! And this is what you get. Not everyone grew up the way most did, with security and options. People have to remember that
Delete1:53 doesn't matter Germany is one of the most successful countries in the world. mexico unfortunately can't say the same
DeleteIt was france and spain who faught for mexico, germany never got involved
DeleteGermany is the way it is because los pinches gringos son rateros los gueys. Mexicans argue over which state is more whatever but with the Europeans they argue over whose purer and Germany always swears they’re the most pale Aryan 😂 Vikings etc. Pinches gringos they’re the original “needy ones” raping and pillaging people and lands and taking the their resources. Fuck them and fuck you for siding with them!
DeleteAll those “needy Europeans” are the reason Mexico is screwed but even with corruption Mexico is NOT a third world country.
DeleteIt was Spain that robed killed and took all the gold from the americas. Without he America's European countries would still be poor and fighting for crums
DeleteCarlos V emperor of Spain and the Nueva España was at the same time Carlos I of Germany, there are many blood ties between european empires and kingdoms, Tsar Alexander the last russian emperor was a cousin of the british kings and the French revolution is the daughter of the british empire too.
DeleteAnother big nuts narco who folded like a 12 year old kid after getting caught stealing candy! Don't soot...boo hoo hoo!
ReplyDeleteAsi estaria el cagadon que le metieron a AMLO en la casa blanca
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahaha Biden? cagadon to AMLO?, not even close.
DeleteLe metieron pero el garrote.
Deleteyour opinion matters! hahahahaha
DeleteHas the aftermath already started? 4 killed in La Manga/San Carlos, Sonora, next to Guaymas. For those who have been there, La Manga is about 4 miles past Soggy Peso/La Palapa/and closed La Salsa. https://opinionsonora.com/2022/07/15/sicarios-ejecutan-a-cuatro-personas-en-la-manga-en-san-carlos/ Other reports say the bodies were wrapped in plastic and dumped there. Oh, and a crocodile was found in a house in San Carlos the other day. Nope, no cartel activity in San Carlos.
ReplyDeleteEven in their late age, SNITCHaloa narcos are vain and dylusional. Notice his fake dyed hair… lol. Want to know why you don’t know of too many narcos from Michoacán ? Cause they live in the shadows and under the radar. None of this showing off their cars, lions, tigers , and bears on instagram or in corridors. FACTS
ReplyDelete9:46👌
DeleteBecause their aren't any
DeleteApoco los chilangos no se pintan el pelo y compran animales y carros exóticos?@9:46
Delete@Barak Caguama
Deleteprobablemente pero tu eres puto para siempre!
Gsenora
DeletePinche sonora esta mas seco que La chingada
What the hell does any of that have to do with Caro? He wasn't flashy and for sure wasn't on social media. And so what if he dyed his hair. There's a whole industry based on people dying their hair.... I'm telling you, some people are just ignorant asf
Delete2:09 it’s just michoaratas who are obsessed with sinaloa for some reason looking for any reason to shit on them
Delete1:06 los chilangos se pintan hasta las uñas de las patas...
DeleteHe will have a lot of Feria on his books for commissary. There's an upside to everything.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Pinta mentality. 🤦🏻♂️
DeleteBuying commissary in maximum security prison the United States.. his mini tv, Ramen and some honey buns
DeleteNot allowed in ADX super max.
DeleteI was going to say "Chapo snitched" but the fact is Biden told AMLO to give RCQ up. And he did. These are facts reported by reliable AP News and not pendejadas from all the Mexican media who are in the pockets of the cartels. Mexicans think they are in charge but no senyor. https://apnews.com/article/mexican-drug-kingpin-rafael-caro-quintero-captured-e02091ec46d817e4d727a23025a771ce
ReplyDeleteThat articles says:
Delete“ 'It seems to me that in the private talks between President Joe Biden and Andrés Manuel (López Obrador) they surely agreed to turning over high-profile drug traffickers again, which had been suspended,' Saucedo said."
David Saucedo makes it clear in his quote that he is speculating.
I highly doubt that. Biden reads cue cards
Deletehttps://youtu.be/ZQr10Jd_SY8 BB getting love on grillonautas good job everyone much love Hearst
DeleteThere’s a lot of non Mexican nationals and other races that seem to be mad at the bosses in Mexico. You guys don’t have to be here, you can continue with Pinterest or another site. These guys were born poor with not even a pot to piss in, the way they conducted their lives has nothing to do with the basement warriors or your opinions.
ReplyDeleteFuck him... He's washed up
ReplyDeleteRCQ did spend a lot of time in prison, but with money, meaning that he could have whatever he wanted in there when he wanted it, and ran an enterprise through it (family members). As far as being a psychopath, yes, most definitely and regardless of where and how you come from, there’s just not excuse for it. He was the last of the old school Mexicans who still (in a weird way) took care of his people but Chapitos always wanted him caught or killed, he was a thorn up their ass, regardless of power or ranking… they knew he had to go. DEAs number one has been this guy, and they said it would only be a matter of time, and it was his time. I don’t respect him for anything, I could care less about RCQ, all I know is that old school ways had less public deaths, they had a code.
ReplyDeleteOld-school days there was little competition and not that many caps or cartels. Now it's cartel heaven in 🇲🇽
DeleteGood job Hearst.
ReplyDeleteThank you :D
DeleteIdiot Biden needs a win to brag about before the 2022 mid-term elections.
ReplyDeleteIt’s okay. Biden will find a way to fuck it up.
Queso
You mean Grampa Obrador needs a win. This happened in Mexico not USA.
DeleteYeah. Both pendejos need a win.
DeleteQueso
Coming in at #2 and with a 68% world leader approval rating, AMLO needs to keep doing what he's doing. Biden on the other hand is at 38%.
DeleteAll that time AMLO sat on his and did nothing about the violence, thanks to fentanyl and preists crisis, he is on the spotlight by USA, just before the meeting with Biden what the irony drug labs were getting hit big time, then DEA Intel of Mr. Q was made that the Marina's acted upon.
DeleteWhen Obrador and his cabinet want to clean house it can happen.
906 you're all over the place. Just sit back, be quiet and let the grown ups talk niña.
Delete9:06 sounds so confused
Delete906 sounds like he smokes meth.
Delete9:06 sounds like SIR
Delete9:06 has valid points, it's you teeny boppers, that are barely learning things in life. Run along go help mom with chores, this is a mature site, say no to drugs or you wind up like SIR.. Rehab clinic is helping him we wish him best of luck.
Delete841 is getting rammed in the ass by 906.🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteQueso cheese stinks
DeleteSIR is not even in this thread but las viejas chancludas keep talking about him.
DeleteShould have just stayed low key and retired ...
ReplyDeleteWhen the US govt wants your ass, all the low key and retired status in the world will not save you.
DeleteWhat about the Mexican general the USA was forced to release?
Delete10:56 USA was not forced to release, Obrador assured that if they released him to Mexico, they would try him in Mexican court, Obrador was being puppeted by the seniors in the military.
DeleteIt was all a trick, he was let go out of jail after a week. Obrador in his letter written by his speech writer, made a mockery of USA.
Once again not forced to release.
Tricked to release.
You mean to tell me they can catch Rafa but not Mencho, yeah ok, Rafa did his time, he must of not be paying off the President of Mexico. When Chapito got caught they let him go. The Mexican politicians take the money so drug dealers don't get arrested .....nothing new.
ReplyDeleteMencho is next.
DeleteThey all make deals with the U.S.A but eventually their ass is grass to make examples out of them and act like they are combating drug pushers but in reality just REPLACING them with younger more hungry and violent drug pushers.
DeleteMenchos been dead.
DeleteY la balecera apa?
ReplyDeleteEl triángulo de gente pone dedos😝🤪 Hoy RCQ, mañana los informantes y traicioneros
ReplyDeletePor pendejo lo arrestaron. Fue un pendejo en los 80s y no se le quito lo pendejo en los 2020s. Ni poniendo dedo en sus mantas mariconas pudo hacer su cartel. No duden que el pendejo termine en colorado con el otro pendejo del chapo.
ReplyDeleteY tu has de ser muy listo. Please tell us about your power moves and how you've gone down in history.... good or bad.
DeleteFree Rafa! We all know who is to blame they only want to clear their name . They know who is responsible, hes an old man what does the DEA want to prove ?? The man served his time in Mexico 20 plus years , double Jeopardy in another country is not constitutional. Why keep him in a USA cell with taxpayers money when the funds should be spent elsewhere . Let's be realistic nothing is gained from his arrest. You can't just cut the tail from the snake . A bigger problem exists
ReplyDeleteIf RCQ lived in the alcove in Mencho's house he would have never been caught.
ReplyDeleteHe is not caught
Deleteits his look alike
you guys are all fooled .The Real RCQ is still FREE
You all have been Fooled Thats not him "" its a Young look alike
ReplyDeleteDont any of you remember what he looks like at a old age ?
this guy is not a day over 50
you fools
🎸Legado M y M: RCQ🎵
ReplyDeleteAmazing how much money the USA must have spent on this "grudge arrest," which will have little impact on the trafficking and tout it like it's some huge accomplishment. Old, ineffective Quintero. Let's see Mencho captured.
ReplyDeleteMijo it's better than nothing.
DeleteMenchos been dead.
What I am hoping for is that they have the Lt's that are now running the show.