Mexico Carried Out Two Covert Operations to Transfer 55 Drug Lords To The US; There Could Be A Third Shipment

The Mexican government carried out two secret operations to extradite 55 of the country’s most dangerous drug lords to the United States, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on December 2, 2025.

The prisoners, including Rafael Caro Quintero, the Treviño brothers, and operatives from the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and Los Zetas, were taken from Mexican prisons where they enjoyed privileges obtained through corruption. From these prisons, they coordinated drug shipments, murders, and money laundering networks.

Pressure from the Trump administration accelerated their extradition: Washington demanded cooperation and threatened punitive tariffs if Mexico didn’t take stronger action, according to officials cited by the American newspaper.

The operation mobilized 2,000 special forces, involved replacing prison directors, and changing security and food service providers to prevent leaks, poisonings, or escapes. The inmates were transferred to the Altiplano maximum-security prison and subsequently distributed on military flights to Chicago, Phoenix, San Antonio, New York, and Virginia. 

The then-acting director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Derek Maltz, greeted the drug lords with the phrase that defined the operation: “Welcome to the U.S.”

Many of those arrested face life sentences. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. strategy consists of offering benefits to those who decide to cooperate, such as reduced sentences or less severe prison conditions.

For example, the Treviño brothers led a network of more than 600 inmates and had ordered the murder of 18 guards. Authorities feared that a leak could trigger coordinated attacks, blockades, or rescue attempts.

The mass expulsion was defended by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo as a national security measure, which allowed them to avoid the lengthy extradition process and reduce internal risks. Meanwhile, according to the WSJ, the U.S. government is already considering a third transfer of criminal leaders.

Source: Zeta Tijuana