Mexican Judge Releases Cartel Boss Fighting Extradition to U.S.

A Mexican judge who has handed down questionable judgments has ordered the release of one of the leaders of the Gulf Cartel. The ruling allowed the alleged crime boss, who is fighting numerous charges and extradition to the United States, to be released on bail. This particular cartel boss has a history of questionable releases, with authorities dismissing his previous case on technical grounds. He has criminal charges pending in the United States by the Department of Justice.

This week, Mexican federal judge Gregorio Salazar ruled in favor of Jose Alfredo “El Contador” Cárdenas, known as the leader of the Escorpiones faction of the Gulf Cartel. Salazar ruled that federal prosecutors had not proven cause for the extradition request and that he did not need to be detained because he was not a flight risk.

The group, led by Cárdenas, has been linked to hundreds of murders, kidnappings and forced disappearances in Mexico. As Breitbart Texas reported, the Escorpiones have also been engaged in violent turf wars, and have recently begun using explosives and landmines.

As Breitbart Texas previously reported, Mexican authorities arrested El Contador three times. The most recent case occurred in 2022 on state charges in Matamoros, a border city in Tamaulipas state. In two other previous arrests, one in 2019 and one in 2018, Mexican federal judges dismissed charges against him due to doubts..

The judge who ordered El Contador's release has a long history of giving questionable sentences and claiming he was bribed by criminals. In 2023, Salazar takes over Mario “El Gordo” Cárdenas Guillén, former top leader of the Gulf Cartel and younger brother of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the organization's top leader and founder of Los Zetas. The same questionable judgment was given when he ordered his release.