Miguel Caro Quintero

Miguel Angel Caro Quintero is a former Mexican Drug lord born in La Noria, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1963. He is believed to have been one of the leaders of the Sonora Cartel.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states Caro Quintero created the Sonora Cartel from remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel, which was co-founded by his brother Rafael Caro Quintero. Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested in Costa Rica in 1985 in connection with the torture and death of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar.

In 1989 Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo was arrested, causing the splintering of the Guadalajara Cartel into the Sinaloa Cartel, Tijuana Cartel and Sonora Cartel.

Caro Quintero was previously arrested in 1992 on charges of tax evasion, he was found not guilty, which the DEA attributes to the use of threats and bribes by Caro Quintero. While imprisoned, it is believed Caro-Quintero is still running the Sonora Cartel, where he is being held on charges of racketeering, drug smuggling and money laundering. Caro Quintero was arrested in December 2001 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Prior to his arrest he has repeatedly stated he is innocent of the charges and has accused the DEA of pursuing a vendetta against him for his brother Rafael Caro Quintero's, alleged role in the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. Miguel Caro Quintero is noted as having called into a radio station to profess his innocence, stating: "If I had a cartel, I'd have a lot of money and my brother wouldn't be there (in jail)"; he claimed to be an innocent rancher. He further stated he does not believe his brother was involved in the killing of the DEA agent.