Mexico City: On Thursday, Mexico extradited almost 30 jailed convicts and individuals linked to violent drug cartels to the United States. The handover included former gang leaders from past decades focusing on cocaine and heroin trade, as well as younger leaders involved in trafficking deadly fentanyl recently. Among those extradited are figures connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which are known for trafficking fentanyl.
This surprising extradition took place amidst threats from President Trump to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, effective March 4. The U.S. Attorney General confirmed receiving the 29 defendants into custody, with some like Rafael Caro Quintero scheduled to face charges related to a historic anti-narcotics agent murder. Caro Quintero, a co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, was extradited to New York on drug-trafficking charges.
The extradition was characterized by a U.S. official as a gesture of "good faith" by Mexico, becoming significant given the context of impending trade talks and tariff threats. Mexico assured the U.S. of actions to combat fentanyl and arms trafficking, seeking to avert economic repercussions from the proposed tariffs, which could significantly impact Mexico's trade-dependent economy.
The move also included former Zetas gang leaders, known for extreme violence in the drug wars, being sent to various locations in the U.S. Though not all details of the extradition process were clear, it is seen as a sign of cooperation between the two countries to address issues of drug trafficking and violence.