Mexico sent 37 cartel members to the United States at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum saying Wednesday that it was a "sovereign decision" by her government. She says U.S. President Donald Trump will act on his threats, as seen with the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. Justice Department said that the move was an "important step" by Mexico's government and that collaboration was in both countries' shared interest. "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," Bondi said in a statement with other U.S. Justice Department officials. On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department said it had already indicted at least one of the people transferred, Armando Gómez Núñez, who was accused of being a senior leader of CJNG.

Source: CBC News January 21, 2026 23:53 UTC