On Thursday, the Mexican government began transferring nearly 30 high-ranking cartel operatives to the U.S., including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who has eluded justice for 40 years. This significant move, occurring amidst diplomatic tensions and discussions for a security agreement with the U.S., represents Mexico’s cooperation in the drug war. The U.S. government refrained from commenting, but the action is hailed as a major victory in law enforcement circles. Quintero and Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, a violent leader of the Zetas cartel, face serious drug charges in U.S. federal courts, signaling a potential turning point in U.S.-Mexico relations.
On Thursday, the Mexican government initiated the extradition of nearly 30 high-ranking cartel members, including a notorious drug lord sought by U.S. authorities for 40 years, as reported in a government statement.
This mass transfer of significant cartel figures to the United States marks one of the most crucial actions taken by Mexico in the contemporary history of the drug war, facilitating the prosecution of traffickers in American federal courts.
The development coincided with a high-level Mexican delegation’s visit to Washington to negotiate a security agreement amid rising tensions between the two countries. While the U.S. government refrained from immediate public comments, Mexico’s foreign ministry confirmed the handover of the cartel members.
“This action exemplifies our commitment to coordination, cooperation, and bilateral reciprocity, while respecting the sovereignty of both nations,” the statement indicated.
Among those extradited to the U.S. was Rafael Caro Quintero, a founding member of the Sinaloa cartel, who was convicted in Mexico for orchestrating the 1985 murder of D.E.A. agent Enrique Camarena, according to three sources familiar with the issue.
Additionally, the U.S. received Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, a notably brutal former leader of the Zetas cartel, who was apprehended in Mexico in 2013, the sources revealed.
Recently, the Trump administration has exerted significant diplomatic and economic pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, threatening tariffs and hinting at possible military action against drug lords and cartel infrastructure within Mexico.
At a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Mr. Trump maintained this pressure, asserting that the flow of dangerous narcotics across the southern border had not been halted.
“The drugs keep pouring into our nation, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands,” he stated. “We’re losing over 100,000 lives. I mean, dead.”
Nevertheless, the decision by Mexico to extradite the wanted cartel figures was celebrated within American law enforcement as a significant achievement, signaling Ms. Sheinbaum’s intent to collaborate with the Trump administration on combating the cartels.
“This is an incredibly crucial moment and signifies a genuine turning point,” remarked Ray Donovan, former chief of operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration. “This demonstrates President Sheinbaum’s readiness to cooperate with us in targeting and dismantling the criminal organizations that have affected the United States and Mexico for generations.”
Particularly, capturing Mr. Caro Quintero has been a longstanding goal for D.E.A. officials. After being released from Mexican custody on a legal technicality in 2013, he went into hiding in rural Sinaloa state, only to be recaptured by Mexican authorities near San Simón in 2022.
He has been facing multiple drug trafficking charges in Federal District Court in Brooklyn since 2020, and he may appear before a federal judge as early as Friday, according to one insider.
Mr. Treviño, known as Z-40 due to his radio call sign in the Zetas, is considered one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartel figures, having contributed to the brutal use of violence as a tactic. He is facing various drug charges across federal courts in Texas, including those in Austin and Laredo.