Sheinbaum: Transfer of 26 criminals to the U.S. was a sovereign decision

At the National Palace, the question fell like a stone in water. It was 8:20 a.m. and Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's president, was facing the press. Outside, the echoes of the transfer of 26 criminal leaders to the United States still resonated in the headlines.

In a firm tone, he responded: “These are sovereign decisions, taken for the security of our country.”

On Tuesday, Mexican authorities confirmed the deployment of a group of high-profile criminals to the United States. This wasn't the first time: in less than six months, it was the second such operation.

Among the names that stood out were Abigael González Valencia , leader of Los Cuinis and brother-in-law of Nemesio Oseguera ( El Mencho ), head of the CJNG ; Servando Gómez Martínez , La Tuta , former leader of La Familia Michoacana ; Daniel Pérez Rojas , El Cachetes , founder of Los Zetas ; and Juan Carlos Félix Gastélum , El Chavo Félix , linked to the finances of the Sinaloa Cartel .

Hours earlier, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch had indicated that the action was carried out "at the request of the United States Department of Justice" and under the condition that the death penalty would not be applied.

However, Sheinbaum emphasized that the decision was not the result of external pressure, but rather the product of an analysis by the National Security Council , in coordination with the national intelligence system.

The president emphasized that the operation is not related to the bilateral security agreement between Mexico and the United States. "It has nothing to do with a treaty or formal requests. It's about protecting Mexico," she insisted.

Sources close to the security cabinet said the measure seeks to dismantle criminal networks from within the country , reducing their ability to operate and send orders from Mexican prisons.

Security experts interpret the transfer as a political signal : internally, it demonstrates that the State maintains control over criminal groups; externally, it demonstrates cooperation, but without ceding sovereignty.

In the words of analyst Jorge Retana Yarto: “It's a delicate balance: we cooperate with Washington, but we distance ourselves from it to avoid the appearance of submission.”

Extraditions and transfers of drug lords to the U.S. are not new, but they have intensified in recent years. The reason: in Mexican prisons, drug trafficking leaders have continued to coordinate operations.

In the United States, however, they face trials with longer sentences and maximum-security prison systems . This reduces their chances of continuing to commit crimes and makes it difficult for them to communicate with criminal organizations.

Sheinbaum announced that the security cabinet will provide more details, but made it clear that these types of measures will continue "when Mexico's security so determines."

Meanwhile, the families of the transferred bosses are moving quietly, and in criminal circles, the news is already circulating as a warning: the government will not hesitate to act, even beyond its borders.