Mexico hands over 26 cartel figures to US authorities
Their transfer on Tuesday, local time, came as American authorities continued to ratchet up pressure on criminal networks smuggling drugs across the border.
Those handed over to US authorities included Abigael González Valencia, a leader of Los Cuinis, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Los Cuinis is closely aligned with the notorious Jalisco New Generation cartel, known more commonly as CJNG.
Another person, Roberto Salazar, was wanted in connection to the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, the person said.
Other defendants have ties to the Sinaloa cartel, the Los Zetas cartel and other violent drug trafficking groups.
They were being flown to American soil after the US Justice Department agreed not to seek the death penalty against any of the defendants or against any cartel leaders and members transferred to the US in February, the person said.
The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss an ongoing operation.
Mexico's Attorney-General's Office and Security ministry confirmed that 26 defendants were transferred but did not identify them.
Mexican security officials had planned a news conference for Wednesday, local time.
It is the second time in months Mexico has expelled cartel figures accused of narcotics smuggling, murder and other crimes amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration to curb the flow of drugs across the border.
In February, Mexico handed over to American authorities 29 cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a US Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985.
The February transfers came days before 25 per cent tariffs on Mexican imports were due to take effect.
Late last month, US President Donald Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and agreed to put off threatened 30 per cent tariffs for another 90 days to allow for negotiations.
Ms Sheinbaum has shown a willingness to cooperate on security more than her predecessor, specifically by pursuing Mexico's cartels more aggressively.
But she has drawn a clear line when it comes to Mexico's sovereignty, rejecting suggestions by Mr Trump and others of the need for US military intervention.
The Trump administration has made dismantling dangerous drug cartels a key priority, designating CJNG and seven other Latin American organised crime groups foreign terrorist organisations.
Since the new designations in February, the US government has begun bringing terror charges in some cartel-related cases.
Abigael González Valencia is the brother-in-law of CJNG leader Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, a top target of the US government.
Mr Valencia was arrested in Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico's west coast, in February 2015 and had been fighting extradition to the United States since then.
The US government has offered a reward of up to $US15 million ($22.9 million) for information leading to "El Mencho's" arrest or conviction.
Alongside his two brothers, Mr Valencia led Los Cuinis, which financed the founding and growth of the CJNG, one of the most powerful and dangerous cartels in Mexico.
CJNG traffics hundreds of tonnes of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States and other countries, and is known for extreme violence, murders, torture, and corruption.
One of his brothers, José González Valencia, was sentenced in Washington's Federal Court in June to 30 years in a US prison after pleading guilty to international cocaine trafficking.
Jose González Valencia was arrested at a beach resort in Brazil while vacationing with his family under a fake name in 2017, during the first Trump administration.
AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
8 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Some Russians are signalling a claim to Alaska ahead of Trump and Putin's visit
As United States President Donald Trump prepares to hold a meeting on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, old historical ties are re-emerging. Trump has previously said both Russia and Ukraine will have to swap land to end the fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. While the US bought the state from the Russians over 150 years ago, some are hailing the choice of venue as a victory for Russia, and perhaps a step towards it reclaiming Alaska. 'Alaska is ours' Alaska, which was once a Russian colony, was bought by the US in 1867 for US$7.2 million ($11 million), or roughly 2 US cents per acre. It's of strategic importance to the US, as it provides a large coastline across the Pacific and Arctic oceans with several military bases and commercial harbours. "I'm going to see Putin. I'm going to Russia, on Friday," the US president said mistakenly, ahead of the much-anticipated summit. On the streets and airwaves of Russia, the idea that Alaska rightfully belongs to Russia remains alive, often in satirical or provocative forms. A billboard proclaiming "Alaska is ours" briefly appeared in a Siberian region in 2022, stirring political concern before being revealed as a commercial advertisement. Now, as this territory becomes the backdrop for a high-stakes diplomatic meeting, it's a strong reminder of Alaska's Russian roots. Russia's special envoy on international economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said the decision to hold the summit in Alaska was symbolically important for the US-Russian partnership. "Born as Russian America — Orthodox roots, forts, fur trade — Alaska echoes those ties and makes the US an Arctic nation," Dmitriev wrote on X. Last year, Russian state TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva referred to the US territory as "our Alaska". Kremlin-aligned media outlets are reportedly gushing over their country's links to the region. A Russian billboard that appeared in Siberia in 2022, which read "Alaska nasha", which translates to "Alaska is ours", sparked concern among some US politicians. Credit: Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration, said the meeting venue is a reminder to Russian nationalists of a "raw deal". "Trump has chosen to host Putin in a part of the former Russian empire," he wrote on X. "Wonder if he knows that Russian nationalists claim that losing Alaska, like Ukraine, was a raw deal for Moscow that needs to be corrected." Following the 2022 billboard incident, Alaska's governor, Mike Dunleavy, weighed in with a "good luck" post on social media. "To the Russian politicians who believe they can take back Alaska: Good luck," he wrote on X. 'Alaska is the most strategic location in the world' In his latest tweet, Dunleavy described the state as a "bridge between nations", welcoming the upcoming meeting between the two leaders. "Alaska is the most strategic location in the world, sitting at the crossroads of North America and Asia, with the Arctic to our north and the Pacific to our south," he wrote on X last week. "With a mere two miles separating Russia from Alaska, no other place plays a more vital role in our national defence, energy security, and Arctic leadership. He said what happens in the Arctic and the Pacific impacts Alaska before the rest of the country, "so it's fitting that discussions of global importance take place there". "For centuries, Alaska has been a bridge between nations, and today, we remain a gateway for diplomacy, commerce, and security in one of the most critical regions on earth. The world will be watching, and Alaska stands ready to host this historic meeting."
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
Man, 67, charged with murder of Samantha Mizzi who was killed 31 years ago
A man has been charged with the murder of Samantha Mizzi who was fatally assaulted and raped in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda more than 30 years ago. Detectives arrested a 67-year old man in Ararat, about 200km northeast of Melbourne, on Thursday. Ms Mizzi's died in hospital on March 29, 1994 after a person spotted the 24-year old's body in bushes at the rear of a property on Brighton Rd about 11pm that night. Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said it did not matter how many years had passed, police were committed to holding perpetrators involved in violent crimes to account. 'It also shows that progress can be made on cases, even after decades have passed, and that we can begin the process of providing families with long-needed answers,' he said. 'If there are people out there who have information about a crime such as this, no matter how many years have passed, I can assure you that it's never too late to come forward. 'Any piece of information will be assessed thoroughly by police in the hope it can provide new avenues of inquiry for an investigation.' The 67-year-old Ararat man has been charged with murder and two counts of rape and is due to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday. A police spokesman said the investigation was ongoing and anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Former Genius Childcare boss Darren Misquitta pleads guilty to dealing with suspected proceeds of crime
Fallen childcare magnate Darren Misquitta has pleaded guilty to receiving $120,000 in suspected proceeds of crime from a business associate. On Thursday, the former Genius Childcare boss was fined $4,000 at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court after admitting the money, which he received in 2019, came from a loan drawdown obtained through forgery. Magistrate Patrick Allen did not record a conviction. It comes amid investigations into Genius by administrators who have referred Mr Misquitta to the corporate watchdog over the collapse of the group, which owes creditors more than $80 million, and lawsuits alleging the childcare empire failed to pay workers properly. Court documents show Mr Misquitta received the $120,000 from Lubna Matta, who serves on the board of another large childcare operator where Mr Misquitta is a shareholder, the ASX-listed Mayfield Childcare. Ms Matta herself has admitted to the same offence of dealing with property reasonably suspected of being the proceeds of crime, in relation to the entire drawdown of $300,000. In August last year she received a diversion order from the court, sparing her jail time or a conviction. In a statement of facts agreed to by Mr Misquitta, police said the case revolved around a loan taken out in early 2019 by a business in which Ms Matta was involved in that was a client of Mr Misquitta's at the finance group he ran, Sprint Capital. The business made a legitimate loan application to the Bank of Melbourne for $410,000 to pay out an existing loan and refurbish their IGA supermarket in Fitzroy. But a man involved in the business had a heart attack in February 2019 and while he was in hospital, Ms Matta — his sister-in-law — agreed to manage the finances. Drawing down on the loan required five signatures from Ms Matta and five from her sister. On February 27, 2019, the bank received a drawdown request asking that $300,000 of the loan be sent to Ms Matta's account. The money was transferred and in April, Ms Matta went on to send $120,000 from her account to Mr Misquitta. But Ms Matta's sister's signatures on the form bore "no similarities to her actual signature and have since been identified as forgeries", police said in a statement. "Based on the allegedly false signature it is alleged that the $300,000 was paid into the account of Ms [Matta], of which the accused was paid $120,000, is reasonably suspected as being the proceeds of crime," police said. At hearings this week it was not alleged that either Mr Misquitta or Ms Matta forged the signatures used to obtain the money. But the police statement said he had "dealt with those funds by way of the funds being transferred to his account and the charge is made out". Ms Matta has been on and off the board of Mayfield Childcare, where Mr Misquitta has been locked in a bitter battle for control with other shareholders including Liberal Party figure Michael Kroger. She was appointed to the board in December 2021 as part of an agreement where Mayfield bought 14 childcare centres from Genius. She was a director of Mayfield, which runs 45 centres, until September 2023, when she resigned citing "external professional commitments". But in January this year she was appointed an executive director while the embattled company was between CEOs. She stepped down from that role in July but remains on the board. Mayfield chair Roseanne Healy told the ABC that Ms Matta's criminal case "had not been disclosed to the company". "As a result, the company have commenced an investigation into the matter," she said. She said Mayfield operated under strict governance frameworks and has transparent reporting and accountability measures in place. "As such, we do not condone criminal behaviour of any kind," she said. Mr Misquitta's main business for the past few years has been Genius. At its height, Genius ran more than two dozen childcare centres in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia, and was developing 17 more, while Mr Misquitta lived in a historic Toorak mansion. But in March two key companies in the group collapsed owing more than $80 million, handing control of 25 centres over to administrators. Mr Misquitta declared himself bankrupt late last month following the collapse of his childcare empire. On Monday, his barrister, Sam Tovey, told the court Mr Misquitta does not have a job, his marriage has broken down and he has moved to the Gold Coast. "At the present time he's able to support himself," Mr Tovey told the court. "He's got outstanding issues with his businesses that are going to have to be dealt with." In a July 25 report to creditors of two Genius companies, Vertical 4 and Abacus 49, administrators accused Mr Misquitta of fraud and said they would refer him to the corporate watchdog for prosecution over allegations he breached his duties as a company director. They said their initial investigations had also identified more than $375,000 in potentially unreasonable payments made by the companies to Mr Misquitta, as well as more than $1.7m paid to law firms at his direction that needed to be looked into further. Genius had been trading while insolvent since at least July 1, 2020, they said. The administrators said they were continuing to trade 11 of the centres while they try to sell them. In the Federal Circuit Court, 57 former employees are currently suing Mr Misquitta and Genius alleging late payment of wages and deliberate and systematic failure to pay super. Mr Misquitta has yet to file a defence.
