Mexican drug kingpin ‘Narco of Narcos’ faces judge wearing cuffs of DEA agent he tortured, killed in 1985

A Mexican drug kingpin who was depicted in Netflix’s gritty crime drama “Narcos” was hauled into Brooklyn court Friday — wearing the handcuffs that belonged to the DEA agent he was convicted of kidnapping, torturing and murdering in 1985.

Rafael Caro Quintero, a founding member of the Guadalajara cartel, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in federal court in front of a packed room of more than 100 Drug Enforcement Administration agents and other members of law enforcement.

The white-haired Quintero, 72, who wore tan pants and a blue and orange shirt, was brought into the courtroom with his hands cuffed behind his back and answered questions in Spanish.

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A source confirmed to The Post that the cuffs he wore belonged to DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, whose kidnapping, torture and murder Caro Quintero was convicted for.

“For 14,631 days, we held on to hope — hope that this moment would come. Hope that we would live to see accountability. And now, that hope has finally turned into reality. While no amount of time can erase the pain or bring back what we lost, today marks a step toward justice,” Camarena’s family said in a statement.

“We want to thank President Trump for using the weight of this country to accomplish what we thought would never occur. Thank you to everyone who has worked on this case for 40 years. We don’t know all of you but please know that you have our family’s deepest thanks and appreciation.

Caro Quintero’s men abducted Camarena and tortured and interrogated him for approximately two days, after which Caro Quintero and his men killed Camarena, officials said.

Camarena’s son, Enrique Camarena, who is a judge in the San Diego area, posed in a photo with DEA Agent Steve Paris, who was proudly holding the iconic cuffs before they were used to arrest Caro Quintero.

Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico for orchestrating Camarena’s death, a scene that was dramatized in the first season of the series “Narcos: Mexico.”

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He continued operating his drug trafficking organization from behind bars with the help of family members and associates on the outside, according to prosecutors.

Caro Quintero was known as the “Narco of Narcos,” and founded one of the largest drug organizations in the world, US Attorney John J. Durham said at a press conference Friday.

Caro Quintero and his partners pioneered drug-trafficking routes through Colombia, Mexico, and into the US to “build one of the largest drug organizations in the world.”

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“Having built this lucrative business, Caro Quintero used extreme violence to protect the cartel’s operations, beating and killing anyone who got in his way,” Durham said.

The violent organization trafficked heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, and partnered with the Sinaloa cartel to shuttle four tons of drugs that were season in New York, Durham said.

Caro Quintero, previously among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, was among 29 cartel members released into US custody by the Mexican government Thursday.

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Durham called the arrival of Caro Quintero at JFK airport Thursday a “historic moment.”

“It demonstrated the tenacity of countless members of the criminal justice system who work hard and risk their lives to protect our communities from drug traffickers regardless of where they are from,” he said.

“But most importantly, it demonstrated you can never kill a DEA agent, and you will never get away with it,” Durham added.

Caro Quintero faces a mandatory life sentence or possibly the death penalty if convicted.

He was charged with leading a criminal enterprise, international narcotics distribution and unlawful use of firearms in drug trafficking.

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Quintero being transferred to US custody was personal for DEA agents, even bigger than the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Guzmán was arraigned in January 2017, also in Brooklyn federal court, after being extradited to the US from Mexico.

“This was personal,” Ray Donovan, the former head of New York’s DEA office, previously told The Post.

Though Caro Quintero’s charges don’t include murder, Donovan said he believes the kingpin’s role in Camarena’s murder will be revealed during the trial.

“They are no longer just criminals,” Donovan also said. “They are terrorists.”

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President Trump ordered the cartel members be designated as terrorists, which sped up their transfer.

Previous requests to the Mexican government by the Biden administration were not honored, according to the US Department of Justice.

“The Trump Administration is declaring these thugs as terrorists, because that is what they are, and demanding justice for the American people,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

She slammed the previous administration for allowing the criminals to “run free and commit crimes all over the world” and credited Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for doing a “tremendous job” in getting the transfer done.

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“President Trump and I are committed to holding every member of the cartels accountable for their crimes and to bring justice to the family of each and every victim,” Bondi said in a statement.

“It was truly an honor to speak with Judge Camarena to express my sincere condolences for the loss of his father and assure him that we will be relentless in our pursuit of justice in this case.” 

Vicente Castillo Fuentes of the Juarez Cartel also pleaded not guilty Friday.

“This is a significant case and a dangerous criminal,” US Attorney Erik Paulsen said at the hearing.

Paulsen argues that Fuentes was “directly responsible” for actions taken by the drug cartel that he “led for nearly 20 years.”

“He is dangerous of extraordinary violence left in his wake,” he added.

Fuentes and Caro Quintero are both due back in court at the end of March, according to the US Attorney’s Office.