Former Cartel Leader Extradited from Mexico

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “WASHINGTON - Miguel Caro Quintero, the alleged former leader of the now-defunct Sonora Cartel, was extradited by the government of Mexico to the United States on Feb. 25, 2009, the Justice Department announced today. Miguel Caro Quintero arrived in the United States yesterday and has been transferred to the District of Colorado to face charges including racketeering and narcotics trafficking. Miguel Caro Quintero made his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Charges are also pending against Miguel Caro Quintero in the District of Arizona. Prior to his extradition, Miguel Caro Quintero was serving a prison sentence in Mexico for drug-related crimes. The Sonora Cartel, a former drug trafficking organization based in Mexico, was responsible for exporting to the United States and distributing multi-ton quantities of marijuana during the 1980s and 1990s. Caro Quintero and his older brother, Rafael Caro Quintero, were identified as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under The Kingpin Act in June 2000, subjecting them and their associates to economic sanctions. Rafael Caro Quintero was accused of being the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena in 1985 and was prosecuted by the government of Mexico. "The extradition of former kingpin Miguel Caro Quintero who reigned with impunity for too long is a victory for citizens of both the United States and Mexico," said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. "After serving time in a Mexican prison, Caro Quintero will now answer for hi”