"Kiki" Camarena Case: Death penalty for Caro Quintero remains on the table

NEW YORK (apro).-The Department of Justice said it is considering seeking the death penalty for Mexican drug trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero and informed the New York District Court that it is beginning to share sensitive information with the kingpin's defense about recordings made during the interrogation of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was kidnapped in February 1985.

In a procedural hearing before U.S. District Judge Frederick Block, Justice Department prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy said her team is reviewing documents related to the case, which involves drug trafficking, the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Camarena 40 years ago.

"We are currently reviewing files, intercepting calls related to shipments of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and recordings of the interrogation of Agent Camarena, as well as documents on multiple murders and autopsies," Komatireddy explained.

The federal court judge in Brooklyn asked the Department of Justice representative if they had already resolved the issue of seeking the death penalty as punishment for Caro Quintero, should a trial be held and the drug lord found guilty.

"The death penalty is still on the table," the prosecutor responded to the judge, stating that this is a complex case and that they could have a decision on the type of punishment they would seek against the defendant by fall.

The recordings of Camarena's torture at a residence in Guadalajara, Jalisco, have been mentioned in multiple legal proceedings in different courts across the United States, where several individuals accused of and involved in the murder of the DEA agent have been tried and sentenced.

Information about the transcription of excerpts from these recordings is publicly available, but they are still unknown in their entirety.

Hector Berrellez, a former DEA agent in charge of "Operation Godfather" to investigate the case, has assured Proceso in multiple interviews that one of those recordings features the voice of Félix Rodríguez "El Gato," a former CIA operative in Mexico and also identified as one of the U.S. agents and operators involved in the capture and assassination of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Bolivia.

Elizabeth Macedonio, Caro Quintero's public defender, argued before the judge that because this is a complex case involving the death penalty, she will remain in contact with prosecutors to exchange documents, files, and other evidence. She stated that it is too soon for her to file a motion regarding the request for the death penalty as punishment for her client.

The next hearing in the case in Brooklyn Court is scheduled for September 18 at 11:00 a.m.

At Wednesday's hearing, Caro Quintero and his nephew, Ismael Quintero Arellano, appeared before the judge in khaki prison uniforms, guarded by four federal marshals. Unlike previous hearings, this time there was not a large presence of DEA agents; only six arrived.