Mexico has extradited 29 suspected drug traffickers to the United States, hoping to avoid the sweeping tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump.
The move comes after mounting pressure on Mexico to address fentanyl smuggling. Among those extradited are key cartel figures, including Rafael Caro Quintero, a notorious figure accused of the 1985 murder of a US agent.
This mass extradition is part of Mexico’s effort to negotiate with the US to avert trade duties tied to illegal immigration and drug flows. Trump has previously linked his proposed tariffs to Mexico’s efforts in combating these issues, which include the illicit trafficking of fentanyl.
The move follows Trump’s recent designation of eight Latin American drug organizations – six of them Mexican cartels – as terrorist groups.
“This is a historic handover,” said Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “In the past, Mexico would extradite only a few suspects at once,” he added, emphasizing the significance of this large-scale extradition. “They’re certainly hoping that it will have a positive impact on the tariff negotiations.”
The US Justice Department requested the extraditions, with the Mexican authorities confirming the handover in a joint statement. While the statement did not identify the suspects, Mexican media reported that key figures, such as the Trevino-Morales brothers, former leaders of the violent Zetas cartel, and Caro Quintero were among those extradited.
Caro Quintero had been a top fugitive on the FBI’s 10 most-wanted list until his capture in 2022. He is accused of orchestrating the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. “We’re celebrating his extradition,” Vigil remarked.
The Webb County Sheriff’s Office in Texas issued a warning of possible violence in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in response to the extradition of the Trevino-Morales brothers. “Previous incidents have shown that the cartel tends to respond with extreme violence against Mexican government entities,” the sheriff’s office stated.
In a related development, a high-level Mexican delegation visited Washington, where officials, including Foreign Minister Claudia Sheinbaum, discussed a “series of coordinated actions” aimed at combating drug trafficking and reducing fentanyl deaths.
Sheinbaum has expressed optimism about avoiding tariffs and hopes to discuss a deal directly with Trump. Earlier in his administration, Trump threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on Mexican imports, citing concerns over illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling. However, he suspended these tariffs temporarily until March 4, following an agreement from Sheinbaum to deploy 10,000 more troops to the US-Mexico border.
Trump, in a recent executive order, emphasized that cartels represent a national security threat “beyond that posed by traditional organized crime.”
