Mexico recently made history by extraditing 29 alleged cartel members to the United States, including high-profile figures linked to some of the most violent drug trafficking organizations. Among them is the infamous Rafael Caro Quintero, the notorious drug lord behind the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.

Caro Quintero, once the leader of the now-defunct Guadalajara cartel, spent 28 years in prison for Camarena’s brutal torture and murder before his sentence was overturned in 2013. After resuming drug trafficking, he landed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list until his re-arrest by Mexican authorities in 2022.

Also extradited criminals were Omar and Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, former leaders of the notoriously violent Zetas cartel. Although both were arrested in 2013, U.S. officials accused them of continuing to run the Cartel del Noreste—the successor to the Zetas—from behind bars. The extradition, one of the largest in Mexico’s history, marks a significant moment in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation.The move follows heightened pressure from Washington, with President Donald Trump earlier this year threatening to impose tariffs on Mexican imports over concerns about drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

“As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist organizations, and this Department of Justice is devoted to dismantling them,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated Thursday. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their lives to this fight.”

The timing of the extradition coincides with a visit to Washington by Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente and other top economic and military officials. They met with U.S. counterparts, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as part of high-stakes negotiations.

Trump had insisted that Mexico intensify its crackdown on cartels, illegal immigration, and fentanyl production in exchange for delaying tariffs. While U.S. data shows a decline in migration and overdose rates in the past year, the administration maintained that more aggressive action was needed. “This is historic.

This has never happened in the history of Mexico,” said Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the DEA. “This is a major victory for law enforcement and a significant moment in the fight against transnational crime.”

With cartel figures now in U.S. custody, the extradition signals a renewed effort to combat organized crime through international cooperation. However, whether it leads to lasting change in the region’s drug trade remains to be seen.