Mexico has extradited more than two dozen suspected members of powerful drug cartels to the United States, in a move that comes as President Donald Trump steps up pressure on the country to dismantle its organised crime networks.
Authorities confirmed that 26 prisoners wanted in the US on drug-trafficking charges were handed over this week, following requests from the US Department of Justice. The Mexican attorney general’s office and security ministry said Washington had assured Mexico that none of the accused would face the death penalty.
This is the second large-scale extradition of the year. In February, Mexican officials transferred 29 alleged cartel leaders to US custody, a decision that ignited debate over the political and legal implications of sending nationals abroad for trial.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s decision to approve another mass extradition underscores the delicate balance her administration faces: cooperating closely with Washington to avoid unilateral US military intervention, while also maintaining domestic political support.
According to the US Embassy in Mexico, the latest group includes key figures from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel — Mexico’s two most influential and violent organised crime groups.
“This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments unite against violence and impunity,” US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in a statement. “These fugitives will now face justice in American courts, and the citizens of both our nations will be safer.”
President Trump has linked Mexico’s handling of cartel activity to wider trade issues, threatening tariffs over what he describes as insufficient action against the deadly fentanyl trade. Last week, he ordered the Pentagon to prepare operations targeting Mexican drug gangs designated as global terrorist organisations.
Sheinbaum, while signalling openness to deeper bilateral cooperation, has firmly rejected suggestions from the Trump administration that the US could conduct unilateral military operations inside Mexico. She has indicated that talks are underway on a new security agreement aimed at strengthening joint efforts to combat cartel violence and drug smuggling.
The extraditions mark another high-profile development in the cross-border fight against organised crime, reflecting both the mounting international pressure on Mexico and the country’s willingness — at least in certain cases — to meet US demands for action.
