Mexico extradited some of its most notorious imprisoned drug lords to the United States on Thursday in an effort to avoid sweeping tariffs, including a cartel kingpin wanted for decades in connection with the murder of an American undercover agent.
Rafael Caro Quintero, who allegedly ordered the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in the 1980s, and several other top gang figures were among the 29 suspects turned over.
Caro Quintero was on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of the top ten most-wanted fugitives until his capture in 2022.
If convicted, he and several others could face the death penalty, according to the US Department of Justice, which also stated that prosecutors would consider terrorism charges.
The surprise extraditions come as Mexico tries to reach an agreement with Washington to avoid being hit with trade tariffs that Trump has linked to illegal immigration and drug flows.
Trump has designated eight Latin American drug trafficking organizations, including six Mexican cartels, as terrorist organizations.
“As President Trump has stated, cartels are terrorist organizations, and this Department of Justice is committed to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” US 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,” she said.
The simultaneous handover of so many suspects was “historic,” according to Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Previously, Mexico would only extradite a few suspects at a time, he said, adding: “They are certainly hoping that it will have a positive impact on the tariff negotiations.”
The DEA was “celebrating” Caro Quintero’s extradition, he said.
DEA acting administrator Derek S. Maltz described it as a “extremely personal” moment for the entire agency.
The suspects included brothers Omar and Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, former leaders of the ultraviolent Zetas cartel.
Vicente Carrillo, former Juarez cartel boss, and a brother of Nemesio Oseguera, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, were also included on the list.
National security threat
The announcement came as a high-level Mexican delegation, including foreign, defense, and security ministers, visited Washington to meet with counterparts, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The two countries have agreed to take an unspecified “series of coordinated actions” to combat drug trafficking, according to the Mexican government.
The goal was to reduce both fentanyl deaths and illegal firearm trafficking, according to the statement.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to work with Washington while opposing any “invasion” of her country’s sovereignty.
She has repeatedly expressed optimism that tariffs between the two countries can be avoided, and she said Thursday that she hoped to speak with Trump to finalize a deal.
Shortly after taking office, Trump announced tariffs of up to 25% on Mexican imports, citing illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl.
He issued a last-minute suspension until March 4 after Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 additional troops to the Mexico-US border to combat illegal migration and drug smuggling.
On his first day back in the White House in January, Trump issued an executive order stating that the cartels “constitute a national security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime.”
The move has sparked speculation about possible military action against the cartels, which Sheinbaum has stated she would oppose.
Sheinbaum confirmed last week that the United States has been using drones to spy on Mexican cartels as part of a long-standing collaboration.
Mexican authorities recently announced a series of major drug seizures and the arrest of two prominent members of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Trump’s designated terrorist organizations.
