Rafael Caro Quintero faces possible plea talks in U.S. court over 1985 DEA killing

Rafael Caro Quintero, a co-founder of the 1980s Guadalajara Cartel, was brought before a U.S. District Court in Brooklyn where prosecutors and his lawyers debated a possible plea arrangement concerning the kidnapping, torture and killing of DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985. Judge Frederic Block, now 92, pressed the parties to move quickly toward a resolution. The proposed deal would have Quintero acknowledge responsibility for the homicide in return for an end to solitary confinement and other favorable prison conditions, mirroring agreements reached with other cartel figures.

The hearing follows Quintero’s 2022 arrest in Sinaloa, his 2025 extradition to the United States, and ongoing diplomatic friction between Mexico’s government and the U.S. over the operation. The outcome could see Quintero remain incarcerated in the United States without a jury trial.