Mexico Extradites 50 Fugitives to U.S.

MEXICO CITY - U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza announced Tuesday that Mexico has extradited a record 50 fugitives to the United States this year, including several alleged drug traffickers, murders and rapists.

According to Garza, extraditions show that Mexico is no longer a haven for U.S. criminals. Garza stated, "Fugitives allegedly committed crimes in the United States and thought they would enjoy free and unfettered lives south of the border.They were wrong."

In November, Mexico's Supreme Court overturned a four-year ban on the extradition of suspects facing life in prison, consequently removing the obstacles that had prevented many of Mexico's most notorious criminals from facing U.S. justice; yet Mexico still refuses to extradite suspects who face the death penalty in other countries.

A 1978 treaty with the United States allows Mexico to deny extradition if the suspect could be executed.

Mexico extradited accused narcotics kingpin Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix to the United States last month, making Felix the first major Mexican drug lord to be sent to face trial in the U.S. Martin Torres, 44, who is charged in in Austin, Texas with sexual assault and murder was also exradited this year.

Though capital punishment is illegal here, a 1978 treaty with the United States allows Mexico to deny extradition if the suspect could be executed.

Garza said. "We are working together to guarantee that neither country will ever be a refuge for those who seek to escape justice."

In 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mexico extradited 41 suspected criminals to the United States, up from 34 in 2004; 31 in 2003; 25 in 2002; 17 in 2001; and 12 in 2000.
Breaking Legal News.ComSheryl M. JonesStaff Writer