The court hearing of Rafael Caro Quintero, founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, was reprogrammed from 1 to 14 October 2026, due to conflicts in the calendar of the Federal Court of the East District of New York.
According to the minutes of the court, the new hearing will be held at 11:00 before Judge Frederic Block. In the diligence is also scheduled the appearance of Ismael Quintero Arellanes, nephew and co-accused of Caro Quintero.
The change of date was on September 30, just a day before the appearance that was originally scheduled for Thursday. The amendment represents a 14-day delay, but does not change the date set for the start of the trial, scheduled for March 8, 2027.
The charges against Caro Quintero
The trial in the United States argues that Caro Quintero began drug trafficking since 1980, when he founded the Guadalajara Cartel together with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo.
According to the U.S. prosecution, the organization began with the trafficking of marijuana and subsequently expanded its operations to substances such as methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. The expedition also notes Caro Quintero for allegedly directing a network of sicarians to protect his activities.
The charges include the kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena Salazar in 1985. These are charges within the process and must be resolved by the court.
For his part, Ismael Quintero Arellanes faces the trial as a co-accused. According to the expedition cited by media such as the weekly Process, it would have played a role that allowed Caro Quintero to maintain influence over the Guadalajara Cartel for different periods.
The prosecutor argues that the organization was later linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Contest by an anonymous jury
Another relevant point of the process is the U.S. prosecutor’s request for the jury to participate in the trial to be anonymous and partially isolated from the outside.
Caro Quintero’s defense has opposed this request. Lawyers, led by Mark de Marco, argued before Judge Block that an anonymous jury could anticipately generate a perception of guilt and affect the principle of presumption of innocence.
With the new date, the October 14 hearing becomes the next relevant procedural step for Caro Quintero and his nephew, while the trial remains scheduled for March 8, 2027.
