Mica for cartelinsider.com
“Here, the cultivation of marijuana and poppy is very normal,” were the first declarations of Rafael Caro Quintero, also known as The Narco of Narcos, in an interview where he, one of the founders of the Guadalajara Cartel, claimed to be the first in his family to enter into drug trafficking.”
It was the Proceso news outlet that obtained the conversation with the boss in July 2016. Currently, Caro Quintero is incarcerated at the maximum security prison in Altiplano, State of Mexico.
The man who years later was captured by Mexican Navy agents (Semar) in Choix, Sinaloa, confirmed that after being released from prison he was visited by two individuals on two different occasions: Joaquín Guzmán Loera and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, both important figures within the Sinaloa Cartel.
It was August 2013 when Rafael Caro Quintero was released from prison after almost three decades and facing new accusations of being involved in drug trafficking, the man escaped from the authorities, but he decided to grant an interview to journalist Anabel Hernández.
In response to the explicit question of whether he met with El Chapo, the man confirmed the events and said that during said meeting he was asked not to speak about illegal matters. He also detailed that it was a friendly encounter, as both have known each other since they were young. Caro Quintero said they had breakfast together and that they have not seen each other since that occasion.
On its part, in 2018, a couple of years after the interview, the Caborca Cartel was created and reports mention that the criminal group was born to confront Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by El Chapo’s sons, which is currently under scrutiny by US authorities.
Even when on April 30th, 2023, authorities reported the capture of Rodrigo “P”, alleged nephew of Caro Quintero, they also indicated that the captured man was operating as a lieutenant in a group created by The Narco of Narcos to fight against the sons of Guzmán Loera.
“Caro Quintero also asserted that on one occasion he met with Ismael Zambada, according to the latter’s account, his words were similar to those he told El Chapo, indicating that he no longer wanted to be involved in criminal activities.”
Some reports indicate that El Mayo Zambada had offered protection to Caro Quintero after his release, but in the 2016 interview, this action was denied by arguing that Ismael Zambada was (and currently remains) a fugitive from justice.
After the release of Caro Quintero, said man met with the bosses. “My respects to both families,” declared Rafael Caro Quintero in an interview when talking about his meetings with El Chapo and El Mayo. He also added on that occasion that both “know that I am not at war with them”.
Last September, Caro Quintero was taken out of the Altiplano prison due to health complications. Some reports indicated that the condition affecting him was an abnormal prostatic growth. By September 25th, he was re-admitted to the Federal Center for Social Rehabilitation (CEFERESO) Number 1.
On their part, months earlier the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reported that they anticipated the extradition of the “Narco of Narcos” for the beginning of 2024. The US authorities accuse him of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of Enrique Camarena, although Caro Quintero also denied it in the mentioned interview.
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Mica
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