By Ildefonso Ortiz and Brandon Darby
In an apparent attempt to appease U.S. officials who have been pushing for tariffs and punitive measures against Mexico for their alleged role in protecting drug cartels, that country’s authorities confirmed the extradition of 29 criminals wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice. These include a top drug boss behind the 1985 murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, the two supreme leaders of Los Zetas Cartel, and the brother of the supreme leader of Cartel Jalisco New Generation.
On Thursday afternoon, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office confirmed the extradition of 29 wanted criminals who were all in custody in various prisons across Mexico. The confirmation of the extradition came at the same time that Mexico’s security cabinet was meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his staff over that country’s response to drug cartels.
The list of the extradited cartel members includes:
The extradited fugitives include Rafael Caro Quintero — one of the leaders of the Guadalajara Cartel. This criminal organization is considered to be the root of where most of Mexico’s western cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, and the Tijuana Cartel, spawned. As Breitbart Texas reported, Caro Quintero is wanted in the United States for his role as one of the masterminds behind the kidnapping and gruesome murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985.
Breitbart Texas reported that the extradited criminals also included Miguel Angel “Z-40” and Omar “Z-42” Trevino Morales, the two supreme leaders of Los Zetas. A fourth wanted crime boss who was also extradited is Antonio “Tony Montana” Oseguera Cervantes, the brother of the supreme leader of Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), one of the most powerful and sadistic drug cartels in Mexico.
The extradition comes as part of several other moves by Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, who, along with her cabinet, has been trying to avoid the imposition of tariffs by the Trump Administration over claims by the White House that Mexico has colluded and protected drug cartels.