© EFE
(New York, NY) – A notorious Mexican drug lord was arraigned on Friday in Brooklyn Federal Court. Rafael Caro Quintero, was arraigned on multiple drug and weapons charges. He is allegedly behind the 1985 killing of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Camarena was notably the first DEA agent killed on Mexican soil. The handcuffs used to transport Caro Quintero had the “Camarena” engraved into them and a DEA agent was allowed to join U.S Marshals in escorting Caro Quintero as a symbolic gesture.
Caro Quintero was among 29 suspected drug operatives in Mexico that were extradited to the United States as the Trump administration cracks down on cartels. Caro Quintero was convicted of the 1985 killing, and was released from his 40-year sentence after 28 years in 2013. Now in the Eastern District of New York, he is facing multiple charges including being the head of a criminal enterprise, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty. The 72-year-old pleaded not guilty.
