Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes’s brother, was among nearly 100 suspected cartel drug traffickers, discreetly transferred to the United States to face trial after US President Donald Trump designated the groups as foreign terrorist organisations last year and urged the Mexican government to assist, according toa New York Post report.
Nemesio, the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed by the Mexican army on Sunday.
The Justice Department reportedly said many of the 92 suspects handed over to the United States had pending extradition requests that were not approved during the administration of Joe Biden.
What did Attorney General Pam Bondi say?
Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, made the remarks regarding the first round of transfers, which began last February, saying, “As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs.”
Bondi said the authorities would pursue the cases vigorously to honor the law enforcement officers who have devoted their careers, and in some instances sacrificed their lives, to protect the public from violent cartel.
The Justice Department said the Mexican government decided to detain dozens of wanted criminals after the administration of Donald Trump signaled a tougher approach to the issue.
Calling the latest round of transfers announced last month a major step forward, Bondi said it marked another significant achievement in the administration’s effort to dismantle drug cartels.
She further said that the alleged cartel members, “including terrorists from the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil”.
Among the first group of suspected drug traffickers flown to the United States by Mexican military aircraft last February was Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “Tony Montana” after the film Scarface.
He is accused of helping lead the Jalisco New Generation Cartel alongside El Mencho and faces charges related to cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking.
In January, US authorities also took custody of Pedro Inzunza Noriega, a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, who, along with his son Pedro Inzunza Coronel, allegedly ran one of the world’s largest and most advanced fentanyl production networks and was responsible for moving tens of thousands of kilograms of the drug into the United States, the report noted.
Overall, the Mexican military has shipped 92 high-risk fugitives to the US in three batches since last February. They are sought for various offences, including human and drug trafficking, money laundering, racketeering and murder, the report said. The cases will be prosecuted across 13 states as well as District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, Mexico has deployed 10,000 troops to contain violence that erupted after the killing of one of the country’s most-wanted drug lords, which left dozens dead, officials said on Monday, as per an AFP report. The development regarding his death sparked widespread unrest, with cartel members blocking roads across 20 states and setting fire to vehicles and businesses.
The operation targeting Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes and the clashes that followed left at least 27 security personnel, 46 suspected criminals and one civilian dead, authorities said.
A prison break in Jalisco resulted in at least 23 inmates escaping after armed groups attacked the facility with heavy gunfire, according to the state security secretary. Frightened residents stayed indoors, while tourists remained inside their hotels as cartel violence spread over the weekend. Although the situation had mostly stabilised by Monday, many businesses were still shut.
