The Trump administration has promoted the extradition of more than 20 defendants from Mexico after the Justice Department announced that the US had detained 29.
“Today, the United States has secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico. Mexico is being charged nationwide in connection with assault, drug trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering and other crimes,” the DOJ said in a press release Thursday.
The announcement comes as the president cracked down on drug cartels and tried to secure the country’s southern border.
Mexico will hand over to us dozens of cartel leaders and members, including Dr. Rafael Caro Quintero.
This image, released by the FBI, shows Wanted posted to Rafael Caro Quintero. (FBI via AP, file)
“President Trump has directed the Justice Department and the State Department to do this, and Attorney General Bondi and Secretary of State Rubio have done an incredible job of getting this done,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
The group includes “Raphael Caro Quintero, one of the world’s most evil cartel bosses.
“Previous administrations allowed these criminals to operate freely around the world and commit crimes. The Trump administration has declared these thugs as terrorists.
After President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the topic in January, the State Department last week announced the designation of eight groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
Notorious entities, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, were one of the designated entities.
Trump’s State Department declares Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
“The defendants who gained custody in the United States today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations, as well as specially designated global terrorists such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generalization (CJNG), Cartel del Noreste (former Zetas, Cartel delta Via Michofa Michoca, Cartel delteeva Noreeva the Vamaeva Famia Michoca (Gulf Cartel), the Department of Justice pointed out in a press release Thursday.
FBI director Kash Patel, who was just sworn in last week, declared that federal law enforcement and its partners would “scrutinize the edges of the planet and bring terrorists and cartel members to trial.”
Mexican drug cartel leaders have been extradited to the US to face federal drug trafficking charges
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“The days of hurting Americans and walking freely are over,” he said.
Kaitlin Sprague of Fox News contributed to this report
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
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