Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized recent agreements between the U.S. government and high-profile cartel figures, calling the move "contradictory."
Sheinbaum claimed the deals "clash" with the decision by the Trump administration to declare several cartels as terrorist organizations.
Infobae noted that the president was making reference to the case involving Dámaso López Serrano, also known as "El Mini Lic," a key figure in the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as "Los Chapitos" who is in U.S. custody since his arrest in December 2024.
López Serrano is considered a close ally of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and his sons. He was first arrested in 2017 and spent five years in a U.S. prison before being released in 2022 after agreeing to cooperate with authorities. His cooperation reportedly led to the arrests of Ovidio Guzmán López and other cartel members.
During the years that followed his release, López Serrano gave several interviews to Mexican journalists revealing intel about cartel operations. He was arrested again in December 2024 for violating the terms of his release agreement.
Since then, Mexican officials have sought his extradition so he can face charges in Mexico. On May 29 Sheinbaum reiterated that her administration is making daily efforts to bring back individuals wanted for prosecution.
The primary focus behind the extradition of López Serrano is to bring him to justice in Mexico, Sheinbaum said. El Mini Lic has been identified as the alleged intellectual author of the 2017 murder of journalist Javier Valdez in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
In 2020, prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant for López Serrano in connection with the killing. Two men have already been convicted for carrying out the murder: Heriberto Picos Barraza, known as "El Koala," and Juan Francisco Picos Barrueta, known as "El Quilo."
Sheinbaum has also criticized U.S. prosecutors for excluding Mexican authorities from negotiations with Ovidio Guzman, son of "El Chapo" and expected to plead guilty to drug-trafficking charges in the U.S. on Friday. "At the very least, there should be coordination and information sharing with the attorney general's office," Sheinbaum said earlier this month.
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