In Mexico City, notorious drug kingpin Ernesto “Don Neto” Fonseca Carrillo, involved in the infamous 1985 murder of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, completed his 40-year prison term and was subsequently released. This was confirmed by a federal official on Wednesday.
Fonseca, now 94, had spent the recent years of his sentence under house arrest near Mexico City, following his relocation from a traditional prison setup in 2016. The details of his release over the past weekend were confirmed by the official, who preferred to remain anonymous due to lack of authorization to publicly address the matter.
As a pivotal figure, Fonseca co-founded the Guadalajara Cartel along with Rafael Caro Quintero. They were both implicated in the abduction, brutal torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Caro Quintero faced extradition to the United States earlier this year in February as part of a group of 29 cartel members.
It remains uncertain whether U.S. authorities plan to pursue similar extradition measures for Fonseca. He was initially captured in 1985 in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, marking the start of his lengthy legal troubles.