Mexico extradites drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero to US as Donald Trump tariff threat looms

Mexico extradited 29 high-profile drug cartel figures, including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, to the United States. Caro Quintero, accused of orchestrating the 1985 murder of US DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, was among those sent to the US on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s administration ramped up pressure on Mexico to combat drug trafficking.
The transfers took place as top Mexican officials visited Washington, seeking to prevent Trump’s threat of imposing 25% tariffs on Mexican imports. The cartel members were flown from multiple prisons in Mexico to eight US cities, according to the Mexican government.

A crackdown on major cartels

The extradited individuals included members of five of the six

Mexican drug cartels

that the Trump administration recently designated as “foreign terrorist organizations.” Among them was Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, a former leader of the Juarez Cartel and brother of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, also known as "The Lord of the Skies," who died in a botched plastic surgery operation in 1997.
According to prosecutors in both countries, the individuals extradited face charges related to drug trafficking, homicide, and other serious crimes.
“We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels," US Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated.

Political and trade implications

The move coincided with a visit to Washington by Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente, who, along with other top officials, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump had demanded that Mexico take tougher action against cartels, illegal immigration, and fentanyl production as a condition for delaying trade tariffs.
“This is historical, this has really never happened in the history of Mexico,” said Mike Vigil, former DEA chief of international operations. “This is a huge celebratory thing for the Drug Enforcement Administration.”

Targeting Caro Quintero

Caro Quintero had been a top priority for US law enforcement. The former Guadalajara cartel leader was released from prison in 2013 after a Mexican court overturned his sentence for Camarena’s killing. He later returned to drug trafficking, engaging in violent turf wars in Mexico’s Sonora state before his re-arrest in 2022.
His extradition had been delayed, but pressure from Trump, including the threat of tariffs and the designation of cartels as terrorist groups, expedited the process. A nonprofit group representing the Camarena family had also petitioned the White House to push for Caro Quintero’s extradition.
“This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena," said DEA acting chief Derek Maltz.
According to sources, Mexico’s government under President Claudia Sheinbaum bypassed the formal US -Mexico extradition treaty in an effort to strengthen ties with Washington. This move could allow US prosecutors to try Caro Quintero for Camarena’s murder, rather than just the drug trafficking charges originally specified in the extradition request.
“If he’s being sent to the US outside of a formal extradition, and if Mexico didn’t place any restrictions, then he can be prosecuted for whatever the US wants,” said former federal narcotics prosecutor Bonnie Klapper.

Cartel retaliation concerns

Also among those extradited were Miguel Treviño Morales and Omar Treviño Morales, former leaders of the now-defunct Los Zetas cartel, who had continued to run the successor Northeast Cartel from prison.
Mexican security analyst David Saucedo described the extraditions as “an important concession” to the US , warning that the move could provoke cartel backlash against the Mexican government.
“There will surely be a furious reaction by drug trafficking groups against the Mexican state,” Saucedo said.