Mexico

MEXICO CITY — Mexico extradited 29 alleged drug traffickers to the United States on Thursday, including Rafael Caro Quintero, a prized target long sought in the killing of a U.S. narcotics agent, and two leaders of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel, in a dramatic gesture apparently aimed at heading off crushing economic sanctions, according to U.S. officials.

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico on Tuesday for what he calls its failure to stop drugs — including fentanyl — from crossing the border. A high-level Mexican delegation met Thursday with senior Trump administration officials to hammer out a deal to avoid the economic penalties.

“Twenty-nine, that’s huge! What they’ve done is literally cleaned out the cupboard,” said John Feeley, a former U.S. diplomat who served as deputy chief of mission in Mexico from 2009 to 2012. Normally, he said, extraditions of major capos were handled one by one, often involving long negotiations. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was “pulling out all the stops” to avoid the tariffs, he said.

CULIACÁN, Mexico—Even Jesús Malverde, the patron saint of drug traffickers, has fallen victim to the vicious turf war ripping apart Mexico’s biggest producer and smuggler of fentanyl.

Since the Sinaloa cartel’s two main factions turned on each other five months ago, a chill has descended on this city of gated communities, luxury malls and illicit drug labs. Few pilgrims now dare to venture out to the shrine of the mustachioed Malverde, a legendary early 20th century bandit credited with miraculous powers. On a recent day, not a single person had spent the $1 it costs to buy a candle to place before his image in thanks for a successful drug run across the border to the U.S.

“Nobody comes anymore,” said Luz María González, minding a small stand full of offerings, incense and statues of the folk saint.

Elon Musk posted on his X social media platform on Wednesday, celebrating President Trump’s designation of numerous Mexican and other Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs). The designation, Musk said, meant that the cartels would be “eligible for drone strikes.”

The Trump administration is preparing to designate a series of Mexican drug cartels and two from Central and South America as foreign terrorist organizations. The move comes as Mexico continues to experience unprecedented levels of violence, including the widespread use of landmines and improvised explosive devices, despite empty government claims that crime has decreased and impunity has ended.