MEXICO CITY (TNND) — Thirty-seven members of Mexican drug cartels were sent to the United States on Tuesday as the Trump administration continues to crack down on criminal networks allegedly smuggling drugs across the border.
People who “represented a real threat to the country’s security” and were considered “high impact criminals” were sent to the U.S. ” in accordance with the National Security Law and under bilateral cooperation mechanisms, with full respect for national sovereignty,” Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said on social media.
“At the request of @TheJusticeDept, a commitment was made not to seek the death penalty,” Harfuch added.
Seven aircraft from the Armed Forces transported the cartel members to Washington, Houston, New York, Pennsylvania, San Antonio and San Diego.
It is the third time in less than one year that Mexico has sent detained cartel members to the U.S. as the country attempts to offset mounting threats by Trump. García Harfuch said 92 people have been sent in total.
Tuesday’s transfer included figures from the Sinaloa Cartel, the Beltrán-Leyva cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, a remnant of the infamous Zetas based in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, across from Texas. Mexican authorities said that all had pending U.S. cases.
Trump has entertained the idea of military action against Mexican cartels, language that has only gotten more combative since a U.S. military operation in Venezuela deposed former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Turning his attention to Mexico shortly after the Venezuela attack, Trump said in an interview with Fox News: “We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels.”
Last week, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke with Trump, telling him that U.S. intervention in Mexico was “not necessary,” but emphasizing that the two governments would continue to collaborate.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.