Mexico has quietly extradited around 100 alleged cartel drug traffickers to the United States, following pressure from President Trump, who designated them as foreign terrorist organizations last year.
This group includes Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes’s younger brother, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), who was recently killed by Mexican forces.
The Justice Department reported that many of the 92 defendants sent to the U.S. had previously faced extradition requests that the Biden administration did not act upon.
“As President Trump has pointed out, cartels are indeed terrorist organizations, and the Justice Department is fully committed to dismantling them and other transnational gangs,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated regarding the initial batch of transfers that started last February.
Bondi went on to honor the law enforcement officials who have sacrificed so much to protect citizens from the violence linked to these cartels, affirming a commitment to pursue justice against these criminals to the fullest extent.
According to the Justice Department, the Mexican government took the initiative to detain numerous wanted criminals after recognizing the renewed seriousness with which the Trump administration approached these issues.
“This marks another significant step in our mission to dismantle these cartels,” said Bondi about the latest extradition announced last month.
She emphasized that alleged cartel members, including those from the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, will face accountability for their actions on U.S. soil against American citizens.
Among the first group of drug offenders sent to the U.S. on a military plane last February was Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, also nicknamed Tony Montana after the character in “Scarface.” He is accused of leading the CJNG alongside “El Mencho” and faces charges related to cocaine and drug trafficking.
In January, the U.S. also detained Pedro Inzunza Noriega, a prominent figure in the Sinaloa cartel, who had been overseeing a vast fentanyl production network with his son. Together, they were implicated in smuggling significant quantities of lethal drugs into the U.S.
The Mexican military has facilitated the transfer of a total of 92 fugitives since February last year, with charges spanning from human and drug trafficking to money laundering, extortion, and murder.
The impending legal cases will be addressed across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
After completing their sentences in the U.S., those convicted will be deported back to their home countries, many facing life sentences for their offenses, according to the Justice Department.
The most recent group included Kevin Gil Acosta and Martín Zazueta Pérez, leaders of the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa cartel, involved heavily in fentanyl trafficking. Both have reportedly commanded armed operatives with military-grade weaponry, attacking Mexican authorities.
The U.S. Marshals Service commended President Trump and Bondi for their roles in securing the extradition of these fugitives.
“The leaders, including President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, working hard to bring these criminals to justice strengthens our resolve to protect their victims,” stated USMS Director Gadiases S. Serralta. He stressed that justice knows no borders.
