Who Are the 26 Narcos Extradited from Mexico to the USA?

The messianic leader of the Knights Templar, the most skilled money launderer in Mexico, the co-founder of the Zetas, a Bulgarian fentanyl cook, and a Sierra Leonean migrant smuggler - quite the batch

In a year already defined by dramatic shifts in U.S.–Mexico security cooperation, the extradition of 26 high-profile suspects marks the second “mega-handover” of 2025. In February, 29 cartel leaders and operatives (which World of Crime broke down one by one here) were flown north in a coordinated operation. This latest group is drawn from nearly every major criminal network: the Sinaloa Cartel in both its Chapitos and Mayo factions, the CJNG and its allies, remnants of Los Zetas, and the Gulf Cartel’s border-fighting cells, along with a few unknowns and a couple of foreigners.

The timing is significant. Days earlier, Less than a week ago, President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to prepare military intervention plans against Mexican cartels. For a Mexican government that has preferred quiet, transactional cooperation with U.S. law enforcement, dispatching two planeloads of wanted suspects in six months is a conspicuous gesture.

Now, who are they?