NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors are deliberating whether to seek the death penalty against former Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who is linked to various criminal undertakings, including the renowned 1985 murder of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. During a court session in Brooklyn, Assistant U.S. Attorney Saritha Komatireddy disclosed that the option of capital punishment remains viable in Caro Quintero’s case.
Prosecutors assert that the primary charge Caro Quintero faces, managing a continual criminal enterprise, demands a compulsory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, and could also lead to the imposition of the death penalty. Komatireddy remarked, “A determination has not been made but it is going through the process,” amidst a courtroom filled with DEA agents.
To ensure adequate legal representation, Judge Frederic Block appointed a lawyer with expertise in federal death penalty cases to serve as special counsel to Caro Quintero. Prominent defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio appeared with the 72-year-old ex-drug leader in court. Macedonio has a history of defending notable figures, such as Vincent Asaro, the late New York mobster linked with the infamous 1978 Lufthansa Airlines heist at John F. Kennedy Airport, as depicted in the film “Goodfellas.”
The judge also deliberated on whether Caro Quintero should continue benefiting from court-appointed legal representation funded by taxpayers since his family hasn’t procured private legal assistance. To address this, Judge Block requested financial disclosure forms from Caro Quintero’s representatives for assessment and asked prosecutors for assistance in reviewing them. The next court date was scheduled for June 25.
Caro Quintero, who has declared himself not guilty of various drug-related charges, stayed silent in the courtroom, with his legal team refraining from making immediate comments. His nephew and co-defendant, Ismael Quintero Arellanes, appeared beside him. Linda George, the lawyer representing Quintero Arellanes, mentioned ongoing conversations about a possible plea agreement concerning her client’s role of transmitting messages and maintaining security in the drug operation.
Known by the alias “Fierro,” Quintero Arellanes is also expected to return to court on the same date, June 25. Caro Quintero was one of 29 cartel members deported by Mexico in an effort to mitigate tariffs that the Trump administration planned to impose on Mexican goods. Once a leading figure in the Guadalajara cartel, Caro Quintero eventually became associated with the Sinaloa cartel, recognized as the world’s preeminent drug trafficking syndicate.
Prosecutors allege that, for many years, Caro Quintero, infamous as the “Narco of Narcos,” facilitated the smuggling of large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine into the United States. His criminal history includes orchestrating the brutal torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, whom Caro Quintero blamed for a raid on one of his vast marijuana farms — an incident dramatized in the Netflix series “Narcos: Mexico.”