Trump Secures Extradition of Top Mexican Cartel Leaders [WATCH]

Mexico has extradited dozens of high-level cartel leaders and members to the United States, including Rafael Caro Quintero, a former leader of the Guadalajara cartel implicated in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.

Among those being extradited are Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales, founders of Los Zetas, known as Z-40 and Z-42.

The extraditions were conducted at the request of the U.S. government as President Donald Trump continues pressing Mexico to crack down on cartel violence and fentanyl trafficking.

Rafael Caro Quintero, a Mexican Drug Lord suspected to have been involved in the murder of DEA Agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena Salazar in 1985, is one of 29 Senior Cartel Members that were extradited today to the United States by the Mexican Government. Those extradited include… pic.twitter.com/pqMEZRYriA

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 28, 2025

Elon Musk Called This Financial News ‘Terrifying’

“This morning, 29 people who were deprived of their liberty in different penitentiary centers in the country were transferred to the United States of America, which were required due to their links with criminal organizations for drug trafficking, among other crimes,” Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection said in a joint statement.

#BREAKING: President Trump and Secretary Rubio have secured the extradition of 29 top cartel leaders from Mexico to the U.S. for prosecution

This is UNPRECEDENTED.

Raphael Caro Quintero, who m*rdered a DEA Agent was just flown into New York and handed over.

“This is the… pic.twitter.com/hlQOlLw3dR

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 28, 2025

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“The custody, transfer and formal delivery of said people is carried out under institutional protocols with due respect for their fundamental rights, in accordance with our Constitution and the National Security Law and at the request of the United States Department of Justice,” the statement continued.

“This action is part of the tasks of coordination, cooperation and bilateral reciprocity, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of both nations.”

The Associated Press reported that the extradition of several top cartel figures coincided with a visit to Washington, D.C., by Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente.

He was joined by other top economic and military officials in meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The meeting was part of ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico over trade and security relations.

Since Trump’s return to office on January 20, those relations have shifted significantly, with the administration demanding stronger action against cartel activity and drug trafficking networks.

As part of the negotiations, Mexico agreed to hand over Caro Quintero, one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives.

Caro Quintero was previously released in 2013 after serving 28 years in prison, when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of DEA agent Camarena.

Caro Quintero was arrested again in July 2022 by Mexican authorities after allegedly resuming drug trafficking.

The DEA alleges he played a key role in ordering violent attacks in northern Mexico’s Sonora state.

His role in Camarena’s murder dates back to a 1984 raid on a marijuana plantation, which he blamed on the DEA agent.

The following year, Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. His body was discovered a month later.

In 2018, the FBI added Caro Quintero to its Top 10 Most Wanted list and offered a $20 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Earlier this year, a nonprofit group representing the Camarena family urged the Trump administration to renew longstanding efforts to extradite Caro Quintero.

According to the AP, the group sent a letter stating, “His return to the U.S. would give the family much-needed closure and serve the best interests of justice.”

The U.S. formally requested Caro Quintero’s extradition shortly after his 2022 arrest, but the process stalled under the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Under López Obrador, Mexico scaled back cooperation with the DEA in protest of U.S. undercover operations targeting senior Mexican political and military figures.

The extradition of Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales, leaders of Los Zetas, also marks the end of a years-long process that began after their arrests in 2013 and 2015. Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero previously described the delays in their extradition as “truly shameful.”

The Treviño Morales brothers, accused of running the Northeast Cartel from prison, face charges in the U.S. for drug trafficking, firearms violations, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organization.

Since taking office, President Trump has taken an aggressive stance on Mexican cartels, threatening trade tariffs on Mexico and pushing for stronger action against drug traffickers.

Several Mexican cartels have been officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department.

The latest extraditions mark a major shift in Mexico’s stance under President Sheinbaum, aligning with Trump’s calls for increased cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and cartel violence.

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