Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
One of the FBI’s most wanted men who was previously jailed for killing a Drug Enforcement Administration agent managed to amass a fortune of 500 million USD whilst behind bars.
Rafael Caro Quintero, who was the leader of the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel, is on the FBI’s 10 most-wanted list after his release from prison in 2013.
He had been arrested in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, on 4th April 1985, charged with the murder of the DEA agent, Enrique Kiki Camarena, who worked as an undercover agent with the Guadalajara cartel. He was sentenced to 40 years for the murder of Camarena and other crimes in Mexico.
He was released after 28 years after the Jalisco state court ruled that he was tried improperly in a federal courtroom for crimes that should have been treated at a state level.
Local newspaper El UNiversal now reports that during his time behind bars he managed to build a business empire worth over 500,000 million USD (386 million GBP) with the help of a close group of relatives and associates.
He has reportedly founded at least 30 legal companies working in construction, petrol distribution, mining, car dealerships, call centres, restaurants, fashion, shoes, and even beauty and spa businesses.
Although they are legal, the US government believe that they are used for money laundering for Caro Quintero’s organisation.
All the companies are still open and working in Guadalajara, in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.
The relatives involved in the network have been named as is children Hector Rafael Caro Elenes, Roxana Elizabeth Caro Elenes, Henoch Emilio Caro Elenes, and Mario Yibran Caro Elenes, his wife, Maria Elizabeth Elenes Lerma and his daughter-in-law, Denisse Buenrostro Villa.
Among the companies owned by the family are Minerales Nueva Era, created in 2006, and Minerales Nueva Generacion, created in 2010 by his son Henoch Emilio Caro Elenes.
Grupo Espanol Elcar, Servicio y Operadora Santa Ana, Energeticos Vago, Petro Mas, were created by Henoch and Hector Rafael to work in the distribution of petrol distributed by the state company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
The construction businesses started in 1999 with Villas de Coli, and then Barsat was created in 2004, along with other companies.
The mother and daughter started the Hacienda Las Limas hospitality business in hotel services, linked with beauty and spa, cafes, restaurants and bars.
Rafael Caro Quintero is also a registered brand since 2017 in the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property. It was registered by his current girlfriend and the mother of his fifth son, Diana Altagracia Espinoza Aguilar.
The US government are currently offering 20 million USD (15.4 million GBP) for anyone who provides information leading to his arrest.
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