Mexico expels 26 alleged cartel members in latest deal with US
The transfer was confirmed by a joint statement from the Mexican attorney general's office and its security ministry on Tuesday.
The statement said that the US Justice Department had sought the extradition and that it had given guarantees that the death penalty would not be levied against any of those prosecuted.
The transfer comes as the Trump administration continues to exert pressure on Mexico to take more action against criminal gangs involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking.
Part of that pressure campaign has come in the form of tariffs, with certain Mexican exports to the US now taxed at a higher rate.
Trump has described the import tax as necessary to hold Mexico 'accountable' for the 'extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs'.
In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has struck a careful balance when dealing with Trump, cooperating on some security issues, while drawing clear lines when it comes to her country's sovereignty. That has included vehemently opposing any US military intervention on Mexican soil.
Still, US media reported last week that Trump has secretly signed an order directing the military to take action against drug-smuggling cartels and other criminal groups from Latin America, which could presage the deployment of US forces both domestically and abroad.
The move on Tuesday was the second time in recent months that Mexico has expelled alleged criminal gang members wanted by the US.
In February, Mexico extradited 29 alleged cartel figures, including Rafael Caro Quintero, who is accused of killing a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent in 1985.
That deal came as Trump threatened to impose blanket 25-percent tariffs on Mexican imports, but the scope of that tariff threat was later pared down.
Currently, the US imposes a 25-percent tariff on Mexican-made cars and products not covered under a pre-existing free trade accord, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Mexico also faces a 50-percent tax on its steel, aluminium and copper products.
But at the end of July, Trump agreed to extend a tariff exemption for goods that fall under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement for 90 days.
The Associated Press news agency reported that Abigael González Valencia, the leader of 'Los Cuinis', a drug-trafficking group closely aligned with the notorious Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), was among those expelled to the US in the latest deal.
The Trump administration took the unorthodox move of designating the CJNG and seven other Latin American crime groups as 'foreign terrorist organisations' upon taking office.
Valencia is the brother-in-law of CJNG leader Nemesio Ruben 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes, who is considered one of the most wanted people in Mexico and the US.
Valencia was arrested in February 2015 in Mexico and had since been fighting extradition to the US.
Another individual, Roberto Salazar, stands accused of participating in the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, a source told the news agency.
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Al Jazeera
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Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
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Al Jazeera
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What are H-1B visas and how might the Trump administration change them?
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Trump sought to reform the H-1B program during his first term but made limited progress. In January 2021, near the end of Trump's term, the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule similar to the current proposal, but the Biden administration did not implement it. Work visas were not a central part of Trump's 2024 immigration platform, but it was a point of debate in the weeks before he took office, with billionaire businessman Elon Musk – a megadonor to Trump who would briefly serve in his administration – speaking in favour of them. What are H-1B visas? The H-1B visa programme lets employers temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty fields, with about two-thirds working in computer-related jobs, according to the Congressional Research Service. Most H-1B visa holders come from India, followed by China. Currently, prospective H-1B employers must attest that they will pay the H-1B worker actual wages paid to similar employees or the prevailing wages for that occupation – whichever would result in the highest pay. To qualify for the non-immigrant visa, the employee must hold a specialised degree, license or training required by the occupation. The status is generally valid for up to three years and renewable for another three years, but it can be extended if the employer sponsors the worker for permanent residency, which includes permission to work and live in the US. Leopold said that the proposed change goes beyond the law's current wage mandate. 'This statutory mechanism is designed to prevent employers from paying H-1B workers less than their American counterparts, thereby protecting US workers from displacement,' Leopold said. Congress caps new H-1B visas at 85,000 per fiscal year, including 20,000 for noncitizens who earned advanced degrees. The government approved 400,000 H-1B applications, including renewals, in 2024, according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Amazon has led the nation's employers since 2020 in its number of H-1B workers, Pew found. The New York metro area received more H-1B application approvals than any other metro area; College Station, Texas had the highest concentration of approvals. What could change with H1-B visas? The proposed policy favours higher-paid employees, experts said. Malcolm Goeschl, a San Francisco-based lawyer, said the rule will likely benefit tech companies, including many specialising in artificial intelligence. Such companies pay high salaries, including for entry-level positions. He said it will harm traditional tech companies' programmes for new graduates. 'There will likely be plenty of lottery numbers available at the top of the prevailing wage scale, but very few or none at the bottom,' Goeschl said. 'You may see young graduates shy away from the US labour market early on because of this. Or you could see companies just pay entry-level workers from other countries much higher salaries to get a chance in the lottery, leading to the perverse situation where the foreign workers are making a lot more money than similarly situated US workers.' The prevailing wage requirements are designed to protect US jobs from being undercut by lower paid foreign workers. David Bier, director of immigration studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the change would likely make it nearly impossible for recent immigrant college graduates, who tend to earn lower wages, to launch their careers in the United States on an H-1B visa. 'The short-term benefit would be the people who get selected are more productive, but the long-term cost might be to permanently redirect future skilled immigration to other countries,' Bier said. 'It would also effectively prohibit the H-1B for many industries that rely on it. K-12 schools in rural areas seeking bilingual teachers, for instance, will have no chance under this system.' Amid a nationwide teacher shortage, some school districts have hired H-1B visa holders, including smaller districts such as Jackson, Mississippi, and larger districts, including Dallas, Texas. Language immersion schools also often employ teachers from other countries using this visa programme. Why is there a debate about H-1B visas? The debate around H-1B visas does not neatly fall along partisan lines. Proponents say the existing visa programme allows American employers to fill gaps, compete with other countries and recruit the 'best minds'. Critics point to instances of fraud or abuse and say they favour policies that incentivise hiring Americans. In December, high-profile Republicans debated the visa programme on social media. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer denounced the programme and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon called it a 'scam'. On the other side, billionaire Elon Musk, a former H-1B visa holder whose companies employ such visa holders, called for the programme's reform but defended it as an important talent recruitment mechanism. Trump sided with Musk. 'I have many H-1B visas on my properties,' Trump told the New York Post in late December. 'I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great programme.' Senator Bernie Sanders disputed Musk, saying corporations abuse the programme as a way to get richer and should recruit American workers first. Such visa debates have continued. When US Representative Greg Murphy, a urologist, argued on X August 8 that the visas 'are critical for helping alleviate the severe physician shortage', thousands replied. Christina Pushaw, a Republican who works for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pushed back: 'Why not figure out the causes of the domestic physician shortage and try to pass legislation to address those?'
