Mexico on Thursday extradited some of its most notorious imprisoned drug lords to the United States in a bid to avert sweeping tariffs, including a cartel kingpin wanted for decades over the murder of a US undercover agent.
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Rafael Caro Quintero, who allegedly ordered the kidnap, torture and killing of DEA special agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in the 1980s, and several other top gang figures were among 29 suspects handed over.
Caro Quintero was on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of 10 most-wanted fugitives until his capture in 2022.
If convicted, he and several others could face the death penalty, the US Department of Justice said, adding that prosecutors would also consider terrorism charges.
The surprise extraditions came as Mexico scrambled to seal a deal with Washington to avoid being hit with trade duties that Trump has linked to illegal migration and drug flows.
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