Mexico releases infamous drug lord

A court in Mexico has released infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero after serving 28 years of a 40-year jail term for committing murder in 1985.

Caro Quintero was sentenced to 40 years in prison back in 1985 for abducting, torturing, and killing US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Enrique Camarena.

The court ordered the release of Caro Quintero, 60, claiming that he had been improperly tried in a federal court of state crimes.

Mexico’s Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam has voiced concern over the early release, noting that his office was investigating to see whether there were any other charges pending against Caro Quintero.

On Friday, the US Department of Justice said it was extremely disappointed by the move and that it found the court’s decision “deeply troubling.”

The DEA also said it would “continue its efforts to ensure Caro-Quintero faces charges in the United States for the crimes he committed.”

His release was ordered on Wednesday and he left the prison in the western state of Jalisco, on Friday.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has killed more than 70,000 people since former President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug cartels in December 2006.

On July 25, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto admitted that organized criminal gangs have gained the upper hand in some parts of the country, including the states of Michoacan, Mexico and Guerrero, despite increased military troops in those areas.