Latest news with #RonaldJohnson
The Journal
6 days ago
- The Journal
Mexico sends two dozen wanted fugitives to US, including alleged drug cartel kingpins
US OFFICIALS HAVE said that Mexico has sent 26 wanted fugitives to the United States, including alleged Mexican drug cartel kingpins, amid pressure to crack down on cross-border fentanyl smuggling. 'These fugitives are collectively alleged to have imported into the United States tonnage quantities of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin,' the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement. US officials released a list of those extradited and currently in their custody, saying they are fugitives wanted for 'violent and serious crimes' including drug trafficking, kidnapping, human smuggling and the murder of a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy in 2008, among other crimes. The transfer was made 'at the solicitation of the US Department of Justice,' which 'agreed not to seek the death penalty for the prisoners in its country,' according to a joint statement from the Attorney General of Mexico and Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Civilian Safety. The US embassy in Mexico said in a statement that kingpins from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel are among those who were extradited — both groups which were designated as terrorist organizations by the US in February. 'These fugitives will now face justice in US courts, and the citizens of both of our nations will be safer from these common enemies,' US Ambassador Ronald Johnson said in a statement, praising the government of Mexico 'for demonstrating resolve in the face of organized crime.' Among the drug dealers sent to the United States in the transfer was Los Cuinis leader Abigael Gonzalez Valencia, whose cartel is accused of trafficking tons of cocaine from South America through Mexico and into the United States. It also included the Sinaloa Cartel's Leobardo Garcia Corrales, who is accused of trafficking fentanyl into the United States in exchange for weapons 'such as AK-47s, grenades and submachine guns,' US DOJ officials said. Abdul Karim Conteh is alleged to have smuggled thousands of migrants through Mexico from around the world — including Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kazakhstan and other countries — 'by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels' to cross the US border, officials said. Advertisement Another transferred fugitive is Roberto Salazar, who is 'wanted in connection with the murder of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Escalante,' who was killed while leaving his home in 2008, the DOJ said. All those transferred face a maximum sentence of life in prison, except Conteh, who faces a maximum of 45 years, if convicted. The handover comes as the North American neighbors negotiate a security agreement that addresses drugs and arms trafficking. The prisoners were moved under an abbreviated legal procedure, authorities said, which excludes some measures provided in traditional extradition cases. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government defended the move, saying some drug lords regain freedom through judicial corruption. The transfer is the second such instance since Trump returned to the White House in January. In late February, Mexico transferred 29 accused narcotraffickers to the United States, including prominent cartel kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero, who was accused of kidnapping and killing DEA special agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in 1985. The US currently has other kingpins in custody, including Sinaloa Cartel founders Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, who received a life sentence, and Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who is awaiting trial. Sheinbaum has pledged to collaborate with Washington on tackling drug trafficking, while rejecting any 'invasion' of her country's sovereignty. © AFP 2025
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mexico transfers 26 drug cartel figures to US in deal with Trump administration
Mexico has sent about 26 suspected drug cartel members to the United States in a major deal with President Donald Trump's administration as pressure mounted on Mexican administration by US authorities to dismantle criminal networks smuggling drugs across the border. Authorities transferred 26 prisoners who were wanted in the US over their ties to drug-trafficking groups, said Mexico's attorney general's office and security ministry in a joint statement. An AP report stated that those being transferred to US authorities include Abigael González Valencia, a leader of 'Los Cuinis,' a group which has close connections with the notorious cartel Jalisco New Generation. Mexico said the US Justice Department had sought the extradition of these 26 prisoners who have been involved in a drug cartel and said it would not seek the death penalty for the accused drug cartel members. I am deeply grateful to President @Claudiashein for her leadership in strengthening the partnership with @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and the United States against our common enemies and for mutual benefit of our citizens. This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when… — Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) August 12, 2025 The AP report stated that a person named Roberto Salazar is wanted in the United States in connection to the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. Some of those handed over to the US have links with the Sinaloa Cartel, the Los Zetas cartel and other violent drug trafficking groups. The transfer of over two dozen suspected drug cartel members to the US is the second such move this year. Earlier in February, Mexican authorities sent 29 alleged drug cartel members to the US, triggering a debate over political and legal grounds for such a decision. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum approved the transfer of another batch of suspected drug cartel members to the US shows her balancing tactics in order to appease Trump and also avoid unilateral US military action in Mexico, which the US president has threatened. A statement by US Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson said, 'This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments unite against violence and impunity.'
Epoch Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
New US Ambassador to Mexico, a Former CIA Official, Welcomed in Mexico's National Palace
The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson—a former CIA official for more than 20 years and former Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces—arrived in Mexico this week for his first meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Johnson, who was President Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to El Salvador from 2019 to 2021, presented his credentials to Sheinbaum in a ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City on May 19, which he attended with his wife, Alina Johnson, alongside other newly appointed ambassadors to Mexico.
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Mexican ship headed wrong way before deadly Brooklyn Bridge crash
Naval cadets dressed in white uniforms could be seen dangling from the ship's crossbeams. Meanwhile, bystanders at one of the suspension bridge's bases, located near New York City's South Street Seaport, fled in terror. Of the 277 on board, two were killed and 22 were injured, including three who were seriously hurt, the Mexican navy said on social media. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the @SEMAR_mx training ship Cuauhtemoc incident at the Brooklyn Bridge," the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnson, said in a post on X. "We are monitoring closely and are in touch with the Government of Mexico via @SRE_mx to provide support as necessary. You have our full support." What caused the crash? The cause of the collision is under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board launched a "go-team" to the site. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the Cuauhtemoc lost power just before crashing into the bridge at about 8:20 p.m. ET. Decorative lights remained illuminated on the ship's mast as it struck the bridge. The crash came a little over a year after the Dali, a 984-foot-long cargo ship, lost power while departing Baltimore's harbor and smashed into the Key Bridge, killing six people and destroying critical infrastructure. Ship was heading the wrong direction The training ship arrived at New York's Pier 17 and was open to the public to visit from May 13 to 17, according to the Mexican Consulate in New York. The Cuauhtemoc was supposed to head south out of the New York Harbor and on to Iceland, but it went the wrong direction and sailed under the bridge, officials told The New York Times and the Associated Press. The Brooklyn Bridge, a popular tourist attraction that was completed in 1883, sustained no major damage, New York City transportation officials said. Traffic reopened in both directions after a preliminary inspection. What is the Cuauhtemoc? Cuauhtemoc is a 300-foot long, steel-hulled three-masted barque launched in 1982, according to a recent fact sheet from the ship's handlers. The ship, named after the last Aztec emperor, and its crew are a diplomatic symbol of Mexico abroad, according to the fact sheet. Contributing: Gabrielle Banks and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY; Reuters (This story has been updated to add new information.)
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump nominee for ambassador to Mexico says 'all cards on the table' for security operations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico did not rule out unilateral U.S. military action in Mexico if U.S. citizens were in danger, at his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday. 'Our first desire would be that it be done in partnership with our Mexican partners,' Ronald Johnson told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but added that "should there be a case where the lives of U.S. citizens are at risk, I think all cards are on the table." The issue of unilateral U.S. military intervention in Mexico has raised tensions between the two countries, especially after Trump designated various Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said any such operations would violate the country's sovereignty. "The Mexican people will under no circumstances accept interventions, intrusions, or any other action from abroad that are detrimental to the integrity, independence, or sovereignty of the nation... (including) violations of Mexican territory, whether by land, sea, or air," she said in February.
