A group of 37 alleged cartel members has been transferred from Mexico to the United States to face charges for crimes including drug trafficking and human smuggling. The operation, the largest of its kind, highlights growing cooperation between the two nations amid US pressure on Mexican cartels. Attorney General Pam Bondi described it as a key step in dismantling these criminal networks.
On Tuesday night, 37 fugitives accused of committing offenses across the United States were flown from Mexico to face justice in American courts. This transfer, coordinated by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, involved members from several notorious groups: the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste, Cártel del Golfo (also known as Gulf Cartel), La Línea, and the former Beltrán-Leyva Organization. Their alleged activities ranged from human smuggling and arms trafficking to narcotics distribution.
Mexico's participation marked the third time it has invoked its National Security Law to extradite suspects northward, signaling a shift toward joint efforts against cartel violence. "This is another landmark achievement in the Trump Administration’s mission to destroy the cartels. These 37 cartel members – including terrorists from the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil," Attorney General Pam Bondi stated.
Among the individuals is Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sánchez, accused of supplying grenades to CJNG and engaging in immigrant smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics operations. Eduardo Rigoberto Velasco Calderón and Eliomar Segura Torres face charges for laundering drug proceeds through cryptocurrency for CJNG and Sinaloa. Heriberto Hernández Rodríguez, from Cártel del Noreste, allegedly led drug trafficking, kidnappings, and assassinations from 2006 to 2022, commanding hundreds of sicarios and securing stash houses that funneled thousands of kilograms of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the US.
Pedro Inzunza Noriega, the first Sinaloa leader charged with terrorism alongside drug trafficking and money laundering, was also transferred. He and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, reportedly oversaw one of the world's largest fentanyl networks, producing tens of thousands of kilograms. Mexican raids in December 2024 seized 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl—the largest such haul ever recorded. The son died in a capture attempt last year, followed by his father's arrest weeks later.
The move occurs as President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Mexican cartels. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently discussed the issue with Trump, deeming such intervention unnecessary.
