Mexico has extradited 29 drug cartel members to the United States, including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, long wanted by the US for the murder of an American agent 40 years ago, the BBC reported today.
This is the largest extradition in Mexican history and is considered a major step in improving relations between the two countries.
The extradition came after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico for failing to tackle drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Caro Quintero is a founder of the Guadalajara Cartel and a key figure in the creation of Mexico's drug trade. The US has requested his extradition in connection with the torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in 1985.
Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico before being released in 2013, sparking widespread outrage among Americans.
However, Mexican authorities arrested him again in 2022.
Acting DEA Director Derek Maltz welcomed the extradition. "This sends a message to every cartel leader, every human trafficker, every criminal: You will be held accountable," Maltz said.
Quintero is expected to appear in court in New York today.
Among the extradited fugitives are the founders of the brutal Zetas cartel – Miguel Angel Treviño and his brother Omar Treviño. Known as Z-40 and Z-42, the two led the organization for years before it was finally dismantled in the mid-2010s.
Miguel was arrested by Mexican marines in July 2013 – he was wanted on both sides of the border for ordering murders and drug trafficking. Omar, who was wanted in the US and Mexico on charges of drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder, was arrested by security forces in Monterrey in March 2015.
Their criminal empire encompassed a wide range of illegal activities, including drug smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, and kidnapping.
Police in Webb County, Texas, confirmed that the Treviño brothers had been extradited and warned Americans not to travel to Mexico for fear of reprisals.
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