| Rafael Caro Quintero | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 24, 1954 in La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, México. |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Other names | El Numero Uno (Number 1) |
| Occupation | Murder, racketeering, kidnapping. |
| Known for | Drug lord |
| Partner | Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, Juan José Esparragoza Moreno. |
| Notes
Arrested in Costa Rica on April 4, 1985.
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Rafael Caro Quintero (born October 24, 1954) is an incarcerated Mexican drug lord born in La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa. Quintero was a co-founder, with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, of the Guadalajara Cartel and Sonora Cartel. Upon of the cartels' disintegration, its leaders were incorporated mostly into the Tijuana Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel. His uncle Juan Jose Quintero Payan used to be one the Juarez Cartel drug lords.[1]
Rafael was wanted by the U.S. government for kidnapping and murder of a federal agent, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, murder, continuing criminal enterprise.[2]
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Rafael Caro Quintero Payan is the oldest of four brothers and two sisters. Born into a family of Italian immigrants in the village of La Noria, in the municipality of Badiraguato, Sinaloa.[3] His father was a poor peasant. He left when he was 17 to find work in the state capital, Culiacán, where he briefly worked as a truck driver.
Not lasting long at that job, he started to plant small plots of marijuana in small fields located in Chihuahua and mainly in Caborca, Sonora, with his brothers Jorge Luis and Miguel Angel. Together, they bought farms and turned them into huge marijuana cultivation centers. He learned from Pedro Avilés Pérez, Mexico's most important drug lord at the time. Before long, Caro began to work on his own, together with his partner, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo "Don Neto", and Juan José Esparragoza Moreno.
He sent out monthly bribes to police commanders in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua so the government wouldn't interfere with his operations.[4] He had major operations in the states of Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosí and Durango. He was a close associate to Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexico's cocaine czar, and soon the three of them, Caro, Fonseca and Gallardo formed the Guadalajara cartel.[5]
In November 1984, the Mexican Federal Police raided his property at El Búfalo, Chihuahua, and burned more than 10,000 tons of marijuana, the seizure costing the Rafael Quintero US $160 million. All this was thanks to extensive investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Guadalajara, Jalisco and in particular, Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar.[6] In retribution, Camarena and his pilot Alfredo Zavala were kidnapped in Guadalajara on February 7, 1985 and were brutally tortured and murdered.[7] On February 9, 1985, Caro fled Guadalajara with his associates and his girlfriend Sara Cosio. After being intercepted by the Commander of the Mexican Federal Police in charge of the Camarena investigation, Armando Pavón Reyes, Pavón allowed Caro to flee, allowing him refuge in Costa Rica.
On April 4, 1985, Caro was arrested in Costa Rica extradited to Mexico City for his role in the Camarena murder.[8] On April 8, 1985, Fonseca Carrillo was arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.[9] He was sentenced to 40 years for drug trafficking and for the murder of Camarena and Zavala. It was estimated that Caro Quintero's wealth surpassed $900 million U.S. at the time of his capture.[10]
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