Alleged Mexican drug cartel leader extradited to the U.S.

Alleged Mexican drug cartel leader extradited to the U.S.

2010-12-15 20:14:05 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- Mexican authorities have extradited the alleged leader of the Arellano Felix drug cartel in Mexico City to San Diego to be tried for several criminal charges, officials said.

In addition to being the cartel's leader in Mexico City, authorities said that Rigoberto Yañez was the cartel's main mediator with Colombian drug traffickers.

Yañez is one of the 15 people who have been extradited to the United States in the past week. Previous extradited suspects were Jose Manuel Escobedo, who was found guilty in 2004 of drug charges in Texas. He escaped prison while serving a 10-year prison term.

U.S. Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer underlined the importance of the extraditions, which further strengthen the cooperation between Mexico and the United States.

Since 2007, Yañez had been in custody of Mexican authorities, which have continued to fight against organized crime, including the Tijuana-based Arellano Felix cartel.

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