Mexico extradited 26 alleged cartel members to the United States on Tuesday in a deal with the Trump administration.
The 26 high-ranking cartel suspects are all wanted by the U.S. and have been accused of various crimes such as kidnapping a U.S. citizen, trafficking drugs and guns into the country, human smuggling, and more. One, Roberto Salazar, is wanted in connection with the 2008 murder of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Escalante.
The alleged cartel members will appear in various federal courts in the coming days, the Department of Justice said. The Justice Department will not seek the death penalty against any of the defendants.
“Today is the latest example of the Trump administration’s historic efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country. We are grateful to Mexico’s National Security team for their collaboration in this matter.”
The deal comes as the Trump administration ramps up its effort to crack down on Mexican cartels and dismantle drug-smuggling operations. In February, Mexico transferred 29 suspected cartel members to the U.S., including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was involved in the brutal 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena.
“This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments stand united against violence and impunity,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in a statement. “These fugitives will now face justice in U.S. courts, and the citizens of both of our nations will be safer from these common enemies.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected reports that the Trump administration would send U.S. agents into Mexico to target cartel leaders, but appears willing to work with the administration to curb drug trafficking across the Southern border.
“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military,” she said on Friday. “We co-operate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.”
The Trump administration has levied tariffs against Mexico to hold the country “accountable” for the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs,” President Donald Trump said in February. After Trump threatened Mexico with higher tariffs, the countries struck an agreement at the end of July that extended a 90-day tariff exemption for goods covered under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.