WASHINGTON, DC – In a sweeping international operation, U.S. authorities announced that 37 fugitives were transferred from Mexico into U.S. custody to face a range of federal criminal charges, including narcoterrorism, firearms trafficking, human smuggling, and large-scale drug trafficking offenses involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
Officials said the group includes violent arms traffickers, human smugglers, and alleged members of multiple transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (CDN), and Cártel del Golfo (CDG). Some of those groups are formally designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists under U.S. law.
“This is another landmark achievement in the Trump Administration’s mission to destroy the cartels,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “These 37 cartel members – including terrorists from the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the transfer reflects the Bureau’s ongoing commitment to tracking down violent offenders across borders. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole added that the transfer represents “a historic step” in efforts to dismantle the cartels’ global narcotics networks.
- Mexico transferred 37 fugitives to U.S. custody for prosecution
- Defendants include cartel members tied to drug, arms, and human smuggling
- The transfer marks the largest use of Mexico’s National Security Law for expulsions
U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta emphasized that the operation demonstrated “justice does not stop at borders,” while ATF Deputy Director Rob Cekada vowed continued enforcement against international arms traffickers fueling cartel violence.
The 37 fugitives face federal charges filed in jurisdictions across the country, including allegations of terrorism support, money laundering, and narcotics distribution. Authorities credited the Mexican government for invoking its National Security Law to authorize the expulsions.
According to officials, this marks the third and largest transfer of fugitives from Mexico under that law. The first occurred in February 2025 with 29 fugitives, followed by a second in August 2025 involving 26 fugitives.
Law enforcement agencies across the United States—including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service—are coordinating prosecutions for the defendants now in federal custody.