LIVE THREAD: 29 Mexican Cartel Kingpins Extradited to the United States, Including Z-40, Rafael Caro-Quintero

News broke at 7:28 AM central time that two former leaders of Los Zetas, Miguel Ángel "Z-40" Treviño Morales and Óscar Omar "Z-42" Treviño Morales were being extradited to the United States. While their lawyer denied this was the case, rumors increased that they, along with eight other prisoners from the Altiplano prison, possibly including Rafael Caro Quintero, were being extradited. While news is still developing it seems that the first official confirmation has come from the Webb County Sheriff's Office.

In the following hours, multiple news outlets and law enforcement channels have confirmed many more, 29 in total today including high-level traffickers and cartel bosses. 

"The @FGRMexico and the #SSPC report that, this morning, 29 individuals who were being held in various penitentiary centers across the country, deprived of their liberty, were transferred to the #UnitedStatesOfAmerica. These individuals were wanted due to their ties to criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, among other crimes."

“As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels. We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”

“The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”

“Today’s actions are a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “By prosecuting these defendants to the maximum extent allowable under the law, we honor the memory of Special Agent Camarena, Deputy Sherrif Byrd, and other victims who are far too numerous, as well as decades of hard work in the trenches by our law enforcement partners.”

“Today, 29 fugitive cartel members have arrived in the United States from Mexico, including one name that stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”

Possible Terrorism Charges?

Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests that were not honored during the prior Administration, but that the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, to pursue total elimination of these Cartels.

Federal prosecutors will evaluate whether additional terrorism and violence charges are appropriate based on the policy set forth in Executive Order 14157, and whether capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164, entitled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, as well as the Attorney General’s Feb. 5 guidance regarding the death penalty.

Itiel Palacios García "El Compa Playa" Arrested in 2020