One of the United States of America’s most wanted drug lords, Rafael Caro Quintero, has been arrested by the Mexican Navy in the western Sinaloa state.
Mr. Quintero, who is accused of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering a US drug enforcement agent in 1985, was held in the town of Choix.
The Navy said Mr. Quintero, believed to be 69, was found in bushes by a specially-trained dog called Max.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said it would seek Mr. Quintero’s immediate extradition.
“There is no hiding place for anyone who kidnaps, tortures, and murders American law enforcement.
“We are deeply grateful to Mexican authorities for their capture and arrest of Rafael Caro Quintero,” he added.
Meanwhile, White House senior Latin America adviser Juan Gonzalez wrote on a Twitter post, that this is huge.
According to BBC, Mr. Quintero was one of three founding members of the powerful Guadalajara Cartel.
He spent 28 years in jail for the murder of former US Drug Enforcement Administration DEA agent Enrique Camarena.
The murder strained US-Mexico ties at the time and was later dramatized in the Netflix series Narcos Mexico.
Mr. Quintero’s arrest is symbolically important, although he is no longer considered a major figure in international drug trafficking.
