MEXICO CITY — In a significant move against organized crime, Mexico has extradited 29 suspected drug traffickers to the United States at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. Among those handed over are several high-ranking cartel leaders, including Rafael Caro Quintero, the infamous co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The extradition, carried out in coordination between Mexico’s Ministry of Public Security and the Office of the Attorney General, comes amid intensified U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump recently designated eight Latin American drug cartels—six of them based in Mexico—as terrorist organizations.
High-Profile Criminals Among Those Extradited
The list of extradited individuals includes Vicente Carrillo, former leader of the Juárez Cartel, and a brother of Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Media sources also confirmed the extradition of former Zetas cartel leaders Omar and Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales.
Caro Quintero, once on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list, was arrested in 2022. He is accused by U.S. authorities of orchestrating the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
Legal Consequences and Future Charges
According to the U.S. Justice Department, all 29 individuals face life imprisonment if convicted, and six could face the death penalty—though the extradition treaty between Mexico and the U.S. prohibits the implementation of capital punishment. Charges range from drug trafficking and murder to money laundering, with the department also considering terrorism-related indictments.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “These criminals will be pursued with the full force of the law. Their reign of terror is ending.”
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