Mexico’s president says it was an ‘independent decision’ to send cartel members to the US
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Mexico has extradited 37 cartel members to the United States at the request of the US Department of Justice, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday it was an “independent decision” by her government.
Sheinbaum responded to criticism from analysts and opponents who said Tuesday’s transfer was the result of growing pressure from Washington.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to take military action against the cartels.
Sheinbaum said that although the transfer was made at the request of the US government, the decision was taken by the National Security Council after analyzing what is “best for Mexico” and “national security”.
“Mexico is prioritized above everything else, even if they ask for anything they can ask for. It’s a private decision,” he said at his usual morning news conference.
Sheinbaum, who has been praised for her handling of the high-profile relationship with Trump, has been forced to walk a fine line between agreeing with the Trump administration and showing strength at home and abroad.
Pressure from the Trump administration
Observers say the Mexican government used the transfer as a kind of pressure valve to end Trump’s demands and show that the authorities are cracking down on criminal groups.
The unrest has intensified since the US launched a military operation in Venezuela to arrest then-President Nicolás Maduro in order to face charges in the United States through the use of extraordinary powers that put leaders across Latin America in jeopardy.
Mexican political analyst and journalist Ana Paula Ordorica says that she believes that Mexico must make it clear that it will not tolerate criminal organizations. He says that US President Donald Trump will face his threats, as seen with the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela.
Those sent to the US on Tuesday are said to be members of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as the Spanish CJNG, and the Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated as terrorist organizations, as well as many other groups.
This is the third such transfer of capos in the past year. The Mexican government said it has deported a total of 92 people to the US.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday said the transfer was “a landmark achievement in the Trump administration’s mission to dismantle the cartels.”
The US Department of Justice said the move was a “significant step” by the Mexican government and that cooperation was in the interest of both countries.
“These 37 cartel members – including Sinaloa Cartel terrorists, CJNG and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil,” Bondi said in a statement with other US Justice Department officials.
On Tuesday, the US Department of Justice said it had already charged at least one of the extradited persons, Armando Gómez Núñez, who is suspected of being a senior leader of the CJNG. He was charged with drug possession and possession of weapons such as assault rifles and “explosives.”
In August, Mexico’s security minister admitted that some of the leaders of the companies sent to the United States at the time were continuing their criminal activities from prison and it was agreed that their transfer was agreed because there was a risk that they would not be released because of the judges’ decisions.
