Controversy Arises Over Mexico's Extradition of Cartel Leaders to U.S.

Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz defends the extradition of 29 cartel leaders to the U.S., highlighting national security laws and emphasizing respect for Mexico's prohibition on the death penalty. The extradition includes former cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero, prompting accusations of rights violations.

On Friday, Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz stood by the government's extradition of 29 suspected cartel leaders to the United States, emphasizing that national security laws justified the move. At a press conference, Gertz, alongside security and military officials, urged international respect for Mexico's ban on the death penalty, without offering further details.

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicated that several of those extradited face potential death sentences. Gertz cited the national security law, which defines political stability parameters between Mexico and the United States, as key to the legal grounding of Thursday's extraditions.

The transferred individuals included Rafael Caro Quintero, a former Guadalajara Cartel boss convicted of a 1985 murder of a DEA agent. Mexican lawyers argue the government breached the rights of those extradited by failing to secure assurances against capital punishment.

(With inputs from agencies.)