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Mexico has expelled 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States as part of a deal with the Trump administration. This move is part of ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and criminal networks sending drugs across the border. The cartel leaders, including Abigael González Valencia, a leader of "Los Cuinis," and Roberto Salazar, accused of the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, were flown to the US on Tuesday (August 12).
The transfers were confirmed by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Security Ministry, following a promise from the US Justice Department not to seek the death penalty in any of the cases. This is the second such transfer in recent months, with 29 cartel figures, including Rafael Caro Quintero, handed over in February.
The Trump administration has made dismantling dangerous drug cartels a key priority, designating the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and other Latin American organized crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has shown a willingness to cooperate on security but maintains a firm stance on Mexico's sovereignty, rejecting suggestions of US military intervention.