The publication
Who Is Rafael Caro Quintero? Role, Charges and Status
What officials and news reports say about Rafael Caro Quintero, known as “Rafael Caro Quintero”. Everything below is attributed to its source. Accusations are allegations, not findings: anyone not convicted is presumed innocent.
At a glance
- Name: Rafael Caro Quintero
- Known as: Rafael Caro Quintero
- Role, as officials describe it: Treasury says he began his criminal career in the late 1970s when he co-founded the Guadalajara drug cartel. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
- Link to a criminal group: linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in official U.S. or Mexican records cited below. See the Sinaloa Cartel profile.
- On this page: 13 facts from 4 sources (7 from official records). Unverified leads are not shown.
Accusations and charges
- He is accused in the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena; he denies involvement. [Reuters, 2026-03-19 · news/research]
- A 2017 EDNY indictment alleges his role in the Camarena murder and his leadership of a continuing criminal enterprise trafficking methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana into the United States. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
- He was previously charged in 1992 in the Central District of California with crimes related to Camarena's murder. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
Sanctions and designations
- The President identified him as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2000. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
Names and aliases
- He is publicly identified as Rafael Caro Quintero, known as the 'narco of narcos.' [Mone XXI, 2025-03-04 · news/research]
Key events
- He was released from a Mexican prison on August 9, 2013 with 12 years remaining of his 40-year sentence, after a court overturned his conviction on a technicality. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
- In April 2018 the FBI added him to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
- Mexico expelled him to the United States on February 27, 2025 as part of the surprise handover of 29 alleged drug kingpins; he landed at JFK Airport that night. [Reuters, 2026-03-19 · news/research]
- He was arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on February 28, 2025 and pleaded not guilty to charges including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise; he was ordered detained pending trial. [Reuters via SRN News, 2025-02-28 · news/research]
Other reported details
- In April 2018 the State Department announced a $20 million Narcotics Reward Program offer for information leading to his arrest or conviction. [U.S. Department of the Treasury · official record]
- In August 2025 the U.S. Department of Justice said it would not seek the death penalty against him. [Reuters, 2026-03-19 · news/research]
- On March 19, 2026 his lawyer told a Brooklyn court that plea talks were in early stages; no plea offer had been made, and he is tentatively scheduled for trial on March 8, 2027. [Reuters, 2026-03-19 · news/research]
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. If you are named here and believe something is wrong, contact us via our corrections page.