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Mexico Releases Raphael Caro-Quintero

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Aug 09, 2013 at 03:03:01 PM EST
Tags: Raphael Caro Quintero (all tags)
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Raphael Caro-Quintero, accused of the murder of DEA agent Kikki Camerena in 1985, has been released from prison in Mexico after 28 years. An appeals court reversed his conviction, finding the federal court in Mexico lacked jurisdiction because Camerena was not a consulate official or diplomat and should have been tried in state court. (also see the translated version of this article from Mexico.)

The DEA is angry. It wants Caro-Quintero to stand trial in California for Camerena's murder and has an extradition request and international alert for him. [More...]

The Mexican court refused to honor the request because the U.S. could seek the death penalty. Mexico does not extradite its nationals to the U.S. unless the death penalty is taken off the table.

Here are the reasons for the court's decision (use translator).

Caro Quintero in 1985, when he was arrested.

Caro Quintero's brother Miguel was sentenced to 204 months (17 years) in Colorado in 2010. He had several cases pending in the 90's in Colorado, as well as in Arizona. According to BOP, he is at FCI Memphis and scheduled for release in 2019. (He is getting credit for the time he spent awaiting extradition in Mexico. He was arrested there in 2001.)

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    Mexico Releases Raphael Caro-Quintero | 3 comments (3 topical)
    Yep Caro-Quintero is a bad guy... (none / 0) (#1)
    by fishcamp on Sat Aug 10, 2013 at 08:08:24 AM EST
    He brought in literally hundreds of loads of Mexican pot for the old and extinct Laguna Beach Brotherhood of Eternal Love back in the day.  If you couldn't pay him on the spot he would assign his henchmen to move into your house until you did pay.  It took a long time to collect back then since the pot was not very strong and the dealers smoked it up before even selling it.  Many of the Brotherhood came to Aspen for ski vacations and it was quite funny to watch their Mexican minders try to learn how to ski.  Caro and his gang were not called cartels back then but were definitely the origins of that term.  I remember hearing they brought in many loads to the California deserts using old helicopters that crash landed all the time.  

    Don't doubt it... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Sat Aug 10, 2013 at 12:39:58 PM EST
    sounds ruthless.  However I fail to understand why DEA bad guys are all worked up about this bad guy, who like all ruthless drug lords the law helped create, who has already served 28 years cage time.  Let it go DEA...

    But that's the Police & Thieves game for ya...  Stupid violent selfishness in pursuit of money & settling old scores...peace, common sense, customers & taxpayers be damned.  

    Parent

    Agreed. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Aug 10, 2013 at 02:42:07 PM EST
    The "war on the American people (drugs)" created the Quintero's of the world. Camarena's blood is on the hands of the government that sent him to Mexico in the first place. End the second prohibition (cause, gee, the first one worked out so well) and you won't have any more dead Quintero's or DEA agents killed in foreign lands.

    Parent
    Mexico Releases Raphael Caro-Quintero | 3 comments (3 topical)