Mexican Drug Lord's 'Narco Of Narcos' Hideout Uncovered Thanks To The Sharpness Of Max's Sniff

Photo via Twitter @MarthaBalandra

JAKARTA - Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord known as the "narco of narcos" was arrested by Mexican military forces nearly a decade after being released from prison. Caro Quintero was arrested after a search dog named Max found hiding in the bush in the city of San Simon in the state of Sinaloa.

Rafael Caro Quintero was the man behind the 1985 murder of a US drug enforcement agent. His hiding place in the city of San Simon in the state of Sinaloa was uncovered thanks to Max's nose.

The site is in the mountains near Sinaloa's border with the northern border state of Chihuahua.

Mexico's national arrest record records the time of Caro Quintero's arrest at around noon. There are two arrest orders pending for him as well as an extradition request from the US government.

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A very short video clip released by the Mexican military depicts Caro Quintero – his face is blurry – wearing jeans, a drenched blue shirt, and a baggy jacket. His arms were held by a man wearing a camouflage uniform and carrying an assault rifle.

A Navy Blackhawk helicopter carrying 15 people crashed near the coastal city of Los Mochis at the same time, killing 14 people on board, a navy statement said. Available information indicates it suffered an "accident," for which the cause has not been determined, the statement said.

The arrests came days after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador met Joe Biden at the White House.

"It's huge," White House Latin America senior adviser Juan Gonzalez said on Twitter.

Mike Vigil, the DEA's former head of international operations, said: "This is perhaps one of the most important catches of the last decade in terms of the importance of the DEA."

Prior to Friday's reported arrest of Caro Quintero, the US government offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to his arrest.

Caro Quintero, who last year lost his last appeal against extradition to the United States, will be extradited as soon as possible, another Mexican official said.

While 69-year-old Caro Quintero is no longer considered a major player in the international drug trade, the symbolic impact of his arrest will likely be significant on both sides of the border.