Mexico has handed over 29 high-profile drug cartel figures to the United States, including one of the FBI’s most wanted, Rafael Caro Quintero. Observers describe this as a "show of compliance" by Mexican authorities, occurring just days before a 25 percent tariff on Mexican imports imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump is set to take effect.
Trump has frequently criticized Mexico for its perceived failure to control drug cartels, labeling them as "quasi-government organizations" in certain regions and blaming Mexico for the influx of the highly addictive synthetic opioid, fentanyl, into the U.S. in recent years.
What Has Mexico Agreed to Do?
On Thursday, Mexico transferred 29 cartel figures who were already in Mexican custody to the U.S. They were transported from an airport north of Mexico City to eight different U.S. cities, according to reports citing the Mexican government.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed the custody of the 29 prisoners, though details about their current detention remain scarce. The U.S. Department of Justice has released a list of federal courts where the defendants will face charges, but the exact timing is unclear. Charges include racketeering, drug trafficking, murder, illegal firearm use, and money laundering.
At least two of the extradited individuals are scheduled to appear in a federal court in Brooklyn on Friday, according to an unnamed Reuters source. This marks Mexico’s largest prisoner handover in years. Between 2019 and 2023, Mexico extradited approximately 65 people to the U.S.
It is unclear whether a formal extradition process was followed, as the Mexican government referred to the operation as a “transfer.”
Who Has Been Handed Over to the U.S.?
The U.S. Department of Justice released a list of the 29 defendants, which includes influential cartel leaders involved in the cocaine and heroin trade decades ago, as well as newer figures accused of trafficking fentanyl into the U.S.
Rafael Caro Quintero
Caro Quintero, 72, co-founded the Guadalajara Cartel, which was notorious for shipping marijuana to the U.S. He was convicted of the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The Guadalajara Cartel was one of Latin America’s most powerful drug organizations in the 1980s, collaborating with Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
After his conviction, Caro Quintero served time until 2013, when a court overturned his 40-year sentence on procedural grounds. He allegedly resumed drug trafficking and evaded capture for years, with the U.S. offering a $20 million reward for his arrest. He was rearrested in Mexico in 2022 and is expected to appear in a Brooklyn court on Friday.
The Trevino Brothers
Mexican media reports that two former leaders of the now-defunct Los Zetas cartel, brothers Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (Z-40) and Omar Trevino Morales (Z-42), have also been handed over to the U.S.
Miguel, 54, was arrested in 2013 on charges including organized crime, drug trafficking, torture, money laundering, and illegal firearm use. Omar, 51, was arrested in 2015 for money laundering and firearms violations. The U.S. accuses them of running a Zetas splinter group, the Northeast Cartel, from prison.
Antonio Cervantes and El Guerito
Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 66, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has been handed over to the U.S. He is the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” for whom the U.S. has offered a $15 million reward.
Jose Angel “El Guerito” Canobbio, an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel, was also transferred to U.S. authorities on Thursday, according to Mexican media and Reuters.
Why Is This Happening Now?
On February 1, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, citing their failure to prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S. The tariffs are set to take effect on Tuesday. On Thursday, Trump reiterated this stance in a Truth Social post, stating, “Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels.”
Additionally, on January 20, Trump signed an executive order designating international drug cartels as “terrorist organizations,” describing them as “quasi-governmental entities” in parts of Mexico.
This month, the Trump administration also designated eight Latin American criminal and drug-trafficking groups as “global terrorist organizations,” including the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Tren de Aragua.
Both Mexico and Canada have emphasized their efforts to combat the illegal drug trade. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on January 21 that Mexico would cooperate with the U.S. in fighting drug trafficking but would not support U.S. troops enforcing anti-drug measures. “What we insist on is the defence of our sovereignty and our independence,” she said.
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