Rafael Caro Quintero is one of 29 suspects the Mexican government handed over to the United States on Thursday. Photo courtesy of FBI/
WebsiteFeb. 27 (UPI) — Mexico on Thursday sent the United States 29 people accused by American authorities of being drug cartel members, the two governments said.
Among those transferred to U.S. custody include Rafael Caro Quintero, who allegedly murdered a Drug Enforcement Agency agent in 1985; Martin Sotelo, accused of being involved in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd; and Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, an alleged leader of the Jalisco new Generation Cartel and brother to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho.
“As President [Donald] Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorists groups, and this Department is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
“We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.”
The handover comes as the Trump administration has made targeting Mexican drug cartels as a top priority.
On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order designating cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorists and has put pressure on Mexico, as well as Canada, to do more to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
Many of those involved in the handover have been wanted in the United States for decades and have been subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests. The Justice Department said the suspects were transferred in connection with Trump’s executive order.
Prosecutors will work to see if additional terrorism and other charges are appropriate to file against the suspects, the Justice Department said.
Quintero has been of acute focus of U.S. law enforcement for years and his release into U.S. custody is expected to be seen as a win for the Trump administration.
Considered the “godfather of Mexican drug trafficking” by the FBI, Quintero was convicted of kidnapping and murdering DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena and was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment but was released in 2013 on procedural grounds.
“This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena,” DEA acting Administrator Derek Maltz said in a statement.
“It is also a victory for the Camarena family,” he continued.
The government of Mexico confirmed the handover in a statement, saying the suspects held in prisons throughout the North American country were transferred to the United States on Thursday morning.
“The custody, transfer and formal delivery of such persons is carried out under institutional protocols with due respect for their fundamental rights, in accordance with our Constitution and the National Security Act and at the request of the United States Department of Justice,” it said.
“This action is part of the work of coordination, cooperation and bilateral reciprocity, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of both nations.”
The handover was announced as Mexican officials are in the United States as part of an effort to try and prevent Trump from imposing 25% tariffs on imports.
Trump has for months threatened Mexico and Canada, with the punitive tariffs over drugs, in particular fentanyl, making their way across their shared borders into the United States.
On his Truth Social platform Thursday, Trump said the tariffs will go into effect Tuesday.
