A day of glory and drama in Mexico: the capture of the most wanted narco by the United States tarnished by the death of 14 soldiers in an accident

Day of glory and drama in Mexico, against the backdrop of cooperation welcomed by the United States: the army announced Friday, July 15, the arrest of the historic drug trafficker most wanted by Washington, but also the death of 14 soldiers in a helicopter accident, on the sidelines of the operation according to the Mexican president.

 

Rafael Caro Quintero, 69 years old, was arrested by agents of the Mexican Navy in the state of Sinaloa, in the west of Mexico. All the news channels of the country immediately interrupted their programs to announce this capture.

 

 

The case was closely followed on the other side of the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had offered $20 million for his capture, a record, as had the FBI, which had placed Caro Quintero on its list of 10 most wanted fugitives.

 

The dispute with the United States goes back 37 years: Caro Quintero is accused of having participated in 1985 in the kidnapping, torture and murder of an agent of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal agency of the United States that fights against drug trafficking), Enrique Camarena.

 

Of Mexican origin, Kiki Camarena had infiltrated the cartel of Guadalajara, which made him responsible for the destruction of 2 500 hectares of marijuana in 1984.

 

Upon official confirmation of his arrest, the Biden administration called for the immediate extradition of Caro Quintero to face U.S. justice for his alleged crimes.

 

For the moment, Caro Quintero will be transferred to the prison of Altiplano, the most secure of Mexico, located near the capital Mexico City, and then be heard by a judge, said the Mexican Attorney General.

 

That same Friday afternoon, the Navy announced the death of 14 soldiers in the accident of a Black Hawk helicopter whose cause is unknown, also in the state of Sinaloa. The Navy initially ruled out any connection with the arrest of Caro Quintero, on the same day in the same region.

 

A few hours later, however, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that the 14 soldiers died after fulfilling their mission to support those who executed the arrest order issued against Rafael Caro Quintero 

 

 

A judge had released him in 2013 on a legal technicality.

 

The Mexican justice had again asked for his capture, under the pressure of the United States, which relentlessly demanded his arrest and extradition in the case of Kiki Camarena, as well as for drug trafficking.