Mexican authorities transferred a group of 26 people held in Mexican prisons to the United States.
The Attorney General’s Office (FGR), in conjunction with the Ministry of Security, stated that the individuals were wanted by the US and are linked to drug trafficking and criminal offenses.
“This morning, 26 individuals were transferred to the United States of America. They were detained in different prisons across the country for their ties to criminal organizations for drug trafficking, among other crimes, and posed a permanent risk to public safety. All have extradition orders,” they said in a statement.
The FGR noted that the transfer was carried out under the National Security Law, with the corresponding protocols and respecting their rights.
The United States also pledged not to seek the death penalty for the criminals.
The names of those sent have not yet been released.
The Security Cabinet is expected to offer more details at a press conference tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch emphasized bilateral coordination with the neighboring country and respect for the country’s sovereignty.
“El Cuini” among those transferred to the US
According to the AP, those transferred include Abigael González Valencia, leader of “Los Cuinis” and brother-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), another major target of the US government.
González Valencia was arrested in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and has since fought extradition to the United States.
Along with his two brothers, he led “Los Cuinis,” a group that financed the founding and growth of the CJNG.
One of his brothers, José González Valencia, was sentenced in a federal court in Washington in June to 30 years in prison in the United States after pleading guilty to international cocaine trafficking. José González Valencia was arrested in 2017, during the first Trump administration, at a Brazilian beach resort while vacationing with his family under a false name.
Another of those extradited is Roberto Salazar, accused of participating in the murder of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in 2008.
The Other Surrender of Kingpins to the US
Just last February, Mexico carried out the first mass surrender of 29 drug traffickers to the United States, including Caro Quintero, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, and the brothers Miguel and Omar Treviño, aliases “Z40” and “Z42.”
Key operators of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) were also sent to the United States.
This has been the largest such handover to date, as the only precedent was during Felipe Calderón’s administration, when 13 prisoners were handed over to the US.
Source: radioformula
