Mexico arrests internationally wanted drug leader Rafael Caro Quintero

MEXICO CITY

Mexican authorities said Friday that Rafael Caro Quintero, a founding member of one of Mexico's largest drug cartels, was apprehended by the navy.

Caro Quintero, alongside his partner and friend, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, co-founded the Guadalajara Cartel -- an outfit that spawned three of Mexico's largest drug cartels.

The Guadalajara cartel was allegedly the leading supplier of marijuana, cocaine and heroin to the US, making it the main target of US authorities.

Apprehended in 1985 on various charges, including the kidnapping, torture and murder of US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, Caro Quintero was released in 2013 after spending 28 years in prison.

Camarena had successfully infiltrated the Guadalajara Cartel, leading to one of the biggest blows to the cartel.

In a joint operation with the DEA in 1984, Mexican authorities seized 4,000 tons of marijuana on a ranch owned by Caro Quintero, the biggest drug bust in Mexico’s history.

Blaming Camarena for the multimillion-dollar loss, Caro Quintero allegedly ordered his kidnapping and murder.

After a federal judge granted his release in 2013, the Mexican Attorney General's Office issued another arrest warrant for Caro Quintero -- this time to be extradited to the US.

Caro Quintero has been a fugitive since his arrest warrant. He became the DEA's most wanted fugitive and the agency offered up to $20 million for information leading to his capture.

He has denied involvement in drug trafficking.