Extradition Surge: Caro Quintero and Cartel Figures Face U.S. Justice

Mexico extradited 29 cartel members, including infamous kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero, to the U.S. amid tariff threats. Caro Quintero, indicted for drug trafficking, faces an arraignment in Brooklyn. The move signals Mexico's largest handover in a decade, targeting figures behind the fentanyl and migrant crises.

Mexico has extradited 29 cartel members, including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, to the United States, marking the largest such operation in a decade. Caro Quintero is set to be arraigned in a Brooklyn federal court on charges of drug trafficking.

This mass extradition occurs amid U.S. pressure, with President Donald Trump threatening a 25 percent tariff on Mexican goods, citing a lack of progress on controlling fentanyl imports and illegal migration. Caro Quintero, who has been linked to the infamous murder of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena and was released in 2013, was recaptured by Mexican authorities in 2022.

The extradition also includes Vicente Carrillo Fuentes of the Juarez Cartel, facing murder and trafficking charges. This crackdown highlights ongoing U.S.-Mexico collaboration against cartel violence, as authorities work to address narcotic flows contributing to the current opioid crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)