Despite the United States’ request for a fast-tracked extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero, considered the “Narco of Narcos,” wanted for his role in the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a district court judge granted Caro Quintero a temporary suspension a few days after his arrest, arousing suspicions that Mexico has no plans to send him north anytime soon, reports the Courthouse News Service.
The suspension will most likely be appealed and sent to higher courts. Still, security specialists suggest that the decision is due to either corruption, political negotiations or judicial incompetence. Other theories allege that the Mexican government can use Caro Quintero’s extradition as leverage in the ongoing talks with the United States over alleged violations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The DEA raised concerns that the suspension gives the former kingpin more opportunities to evade justice.