Mexico Deports 37 Cartel Members to the U.S.

Mexico Transfers 37 High-Impact Cartel Figures to U.S. Custody Amid Intensified Trump Administration Pressure

Mexico City – In a significant escalation of bilateral cooperation on transnational crime, the Mexican government on Tuesday transferred 37 alleged high-ranking members of various drug cartels to United States authorities, marking the third such mass handover in less than a year.

Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced the operation via social media, describing the individuals as "high-impact criminals" who posed a "real threat to the country’s security." The transfers, carried out under Mexico's National Security Law and bilateral agreements, brought the total number of cartel-linked figures sent to the U.S. during the current administration to 92.

The operation involved seven military aircraft transporting the detainees to multiple U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., Houston, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and Pennsylvania. García Harfuch emphasized that, at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, American prosecutors have committed not to seek the death penalty in these cases.

The group included operatives from several major criminal organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, Northeast Cartel, remnants of the Zetas, and factions of the Gulf Cartel. Notable figures reportedly among those transferred include:

• Ricardo González Sauceda, alias "El Ricky," a regional leader of the Northeast Cartel operating in Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

• Pedro Inzunza Noriega, alias "El Señor de la Silla," father of a second-in-command in the Beltrán-Leyva organization.

• Juan Pablo Bastidas Erenas, alias "Payo Zurita," a key logistics operator for the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel.

• Armando Gómez Núñez, alias "Delta1," leader of "Los Deltas," aligned with the CJNG.

• Daniel Alfredo Blanco Joo, alias "El Cubano," a logistics operator for the Pacific Cartel and a priority target for the FBI.

  
  

Other reported names spanned financial operators, hitmen, and mid-to-high-level commanders accused of drug trafficking, violence, and related crimes.

The move comes as the Trump administration has intensified demands on Mexico to combat drug cartels, particularly those fueling the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened stronger measures—including potential military actions against cartel targets—and has linked border security and drug interdiction to broader trade and diplomatic relations.

Analysts view these transfers as a strategic gesture by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government to demonstrate partnership and mitigate escalating U.S. pressure. "As demands from the White House dial up, Mexico’s government needs to resort to extraordinary measures, such as these transfers," said David Mora, a Mexico analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Previous handovers included the high-profile February 2025 transfer of 29 figures—among them notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, wanted for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena—and a subsequent group of 26 in August 2025. Mexican officials have framed the actions as decisions to prevent imprisoned cartel leaders from continuing to direct operations from within the country's penitentiaries.

Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest transfer.

17GEN4.com