By Allan Lengel
The family of slain DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena is applauding the extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero, 72, from Mexico. Quintero is believed to have been the mastermind behind the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of Camarena in Mexico.
Quintero was arraigned last Friday in federal court in Brooklyn on multiple drug and weapons offenses.
In a statement, the family said:
Today is a day we have long awaited. Forty long years of waiting, wondering, and hoping that justice would finally come. After four decades, the person responsible for taking our beloved Kiki from us has been brought to the United States to answer for what he did.
There are no words to fully describe the pain we have endured: the empty seat at the dinner table, the birthdays, and holidays without him. The life that was stolen, not just from him, but from all of us who loved him. We have lived with this loss every single day.
For 14,631 days, we held on to hope—hope that this moment would come. Hope that we would live to see accountability. And now, that hope has finally turned into reality. While no amount of time can erase the pain or bring back what we lost, today marks a step toward justice.
We want to thank the DEA, law enforcement agencies, investigators, and officials—both in the United States and abroad—who never gave up.
We want to thank President Trump for using the weight of this country to accomplish what we thought would never occur. Thank you to everyone who has worked on this case for 40 years. We don’t know all of you but please know that you have our family’s deepest thanks and appreciation.
To those who have stood by us, supported us, celebrated Red Ribbon Week with us and carried us through the darkest moments—our extended family, friends, and even strangers who have shared in our grief—we are forever grateful.
DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz also issued a statement:
Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served. This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”
