Mexico could hand 40 drug cartel operators over to the US – where they may face the death penalty – in an extraordinary mass expulsion to ‘placate’ Donald Trump
Mexico looks set to hand 40 notorious drug lords over to the US as part of an extraordinary “expulsion” to “placate” Donald Trump. Journalist Ioan Grillo reports government officials will gather the kingpins from prisons and detention centres across the country.
One of the potential names on the list is Abigael González Valencia, nicknamed El Cuini, who is said to be one of the most serious financial operators for the infamous Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Sources told Grillo the convicts will be sent to custody in the US. According to a senior official, the priority targets could be subjected to the death penalty under Trump’s administration.
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Grillo reported: “US officials have been instructed to refer to the expulsions as ‘an extraordinary transfer process,’ a US government official said. They leave the alleged cartel bosses open to the death penalty, which is normally waived during formal extradition processes with Mexico.”
He also said Mexican prosecutors are considering filing terrorism charges against cartel members, which would make it easier to expel them.
It is understood Mexican officials are keen to remove the cartel bosses, with one US official telling Grillo: “They are killing prison guards. They are threatening prison guards. They are still running things from prison.”
Grillo reports Mexico also wants to “placate” Trump in his war against cartels, while hoping to also “avoid excessive tariffs or unilateral US military strikes”.
At the start of this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed there are “more lists”. The papers are said to name drug trafficking bosses who can be sent to the US.
Sheinbaum said the lists have been ongoing for a while – 29 alleged cartel bosses were extradited to the US back in February.
“There are more extradition lists, and to the extent that we can cooperate, we will. So yes, there are, but they’ve been for some time, not just now. In addition to the 29 people already there,” she explained during a press conference on April 1.
At the time of the conference, Sheinbaum said the development of the mass extraditions will depend on the collaboration of both nations. No special request had been filed to extradite additional prisoners at the time of the conference.
Vanessa Rubio-Marquez, an associate fellow of the Americas Programme at think tank, previously said: “There has been ongoing cooperation for decades between Mexican and US authorities that has involved an exchange of information, intelligence and joint operations. What is exceptional is the number of people that were extradited.”
