U.S. takes custody of 37 Mexican fugitives, including man charged in WA
Jan 21, 2026, 2:29 PM
Mexican national fugitives transferred to U.S. Custody. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Justice)
(Photo courtesy of the Department of Justice)
The United States has taken custody of 37 Mexican nationals accused of cartel‑linked crimes, including Jose Luis Sanchez Valencia, who faces federal charges in Washington state.
U.S. and Mexican officials described Tuesday’s transfer of custody as the largest of its kind under Mexico’s national security laws, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
Sanchez Valencia is expected to be prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (WDWA), according to federal officials. Mexican authorities have identified him as having ties to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), according to the New York Times.
RELATED STORIES
Political pressure mounts as transfer unfolds
The transfer comes amid growing political pressure between Washington, D.C. and Mexico over drug trafficking and border security. President Trump has stepped up warnings that the United States could take unilateral action against Mexican cartels if progress slows.
U.S. officials said the 37 defendants face a range of federal charges across multiple jurisdictions, including drug trafficking conspiracies involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as firearms offenses, money laundering, human smuggling, and narcoterrorism‑related crimes.
Authorities allege many of the defendants are connected to drug trafficking organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and the Cártel del Noreste.
“This is another landmark achievement in the Trump Administration’s mission to destroy the cartels. These 37 cartel members – including terrorists from the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
A Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson told KIRO Newsradio that Sanchez Valencia will likely appear in court somewhere outside of Washington state on Wednesday before he’s transferred to WDWA.
Tuesday’s transfer was only the third time Mexico has invoked its National Security Law to expel fugitives to the United States and was the largest such operation to date, the DOJ said. Previous transfers on Feb. 27, 2025, involved 29 fugitives, followed by 26 transferred on Aug. 12, 2025.
Read more of Aaron Granillo’s stories here.
Follow @https://twitter.com/aaronkirofm
