• Mexico has extradited 26 cartel members to the U.S. amid pressure from the Trump administration.
• The transfer includes key figures from the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels.
• The U.S. government assured Mexico that the death penalty would not be sought for any extradited member.
• This marks the second large-scale transfer in recent months, following an earlier extradition of 29 cartel figures.
• The extradition aims to curb drug trafficking and organized crime influencing the U.S.

Mexico has transferred 26 suspected cartel members to U.S. authorities in a significant move as part of an ongoing deal with the Trump administration. This has heightened U.S. efforts to combat the trafficking of drugs across the border. Among those extradited are Abigael González Valencia, a leader of "Los Cuinis," and Roberto Salazar, implicated in the killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. The operation reflects growing coordination between the two governments in tackling drug-related crime, as confirmed by the Mexican attorney general and security ministry, according to Newsweek and TRT Global.

This transfer is part of a broader strategy by the U.S. Department of Justice to dismantle powerful drug cartels, with Attorney General Pam Bondi noting that "these 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores." The transfer follows previous negotiations in which Mexico agreed not to seek the death penalty for any of the extradited individuals, a condition vital to Mexican law, according to Reuters and CBS News.

The Mexican government has been under increasing pressure to clamp down on drug-related crime and trafficking, particularly in response to tariffs threatened by President Trump. Mexican authorities acknowledged that the extraditions aim to reduce criminal influence even within their prison systems, as prisoners were found to direct narcotics operations from incarceration, according to BBC and Los Angeles Times.

This recent extradition comes on the heels of an earlier transfer in February, where Mexico sent over 29 cartel members, including Rafael Caro Quintero, a fugitive wanted for the killing of a DEA agent. The ongoing collaboration demonstrates Mexico's strategy to address U.S. demands while maintaining its sovereignty, further highlighted by President Claudia Sheinbaum's rejection of U.S. military intervention in Mexico, according to AA and AA.