Mexico has transferred 26 cartel members to the U.S., as part of a recent arrangement with the Trump administration.
The group includes leaders and operatives from various Mexican drug cartels, facing serious charges like murder and human trafficking. This was reported by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.
One notable transfer is Abigaer Gonzalez Valencia, a prominent leader of the “Rosquinis” organization, which has contributed to the rise of the notorious Cartel Jalisco, also known as CJNG. Interestingly, Valencia is the step-brother of CJNG’s head, Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
In a related note, Jose Gonzalez Valencia, Abigaer’s brother, received a 30-year sentence in June for international cocaine trafficking, stemming from a 2017 arrest in Brazil.
Another individual sent to the U.S. is Roberto Salazar, linked to the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s official, Juan Escalante.
Abdul Karim Conte, a Sierra Leonean citizen, was also extradited. He was arrested in Mexico while allegedly smuggling Middle Eastern immigrants but had no known connections to the cartel.
A spokesperson for the DOJ stated, “Today’s actions exemplify the Trump administration’s determined efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations. Each of these individuals has contributed to violence and drug issues on American soil and will now be held accountable.”
Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, remarked, “These fugitives will face justice in our courts, making our citizens safer from these threats.”
Earlier this year, in February, 29 other cartel members were handed over, including Dr. Rafael Caro Quintero, who had ties to a significant DEA murder case from 1985.
Additionally, the Trump administration had classified the CJNG and several other Latin American criminal organizations as foreign terrorist entities, enhancing military engagement against them.
All these prisoners arrived on U.S. soil after the DOJ assured that the death penalty would not be pursued against them or their associates in the February handover.
This latest transfer is really the result of escalating pressure from the Trump administration.
