Mexico’s decision to extradite 26 alleged members of two of the country’s most powerful drug cartels to the United States has ignited both praise and controversy, highlighting the delicate balance President Claudia Sheinbaum is trying to strike between asserting national sovereignty and managing intense pressure from Washington.

On August 13, Mexican authorities placed the suspects – reportedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel – aboard a US-bound plane. They are wanted in American courts for a range of charges including drug trafficking, conspiracy, and organized crime. US prosecutors have promised Mexico that none of the defendants will face the death penalty, a condition in line with Mexico’s longstanding opposition to capital punishment.

The following day, Sheinbaum addressed the move directly, calling it a “sovereign decision” made purely in Mexico’s interest. “These are sovereign decisions made in Mexico for the security of our country, and they are made based on an analysis by the National Intelligence and Investigation System itself, the National Security Council,” she stated, emphasizing that the extraditions were neither dictated by nor dependent on US demands.

Her comments were a pointed response to growing speculation that the move was a concession to US President Donald Trump’s ongoing pressure campaign. Trump has for months demanded that Mexico intensify its crackdown on cartels, at times threatening to use American military force within Mexican territory to target criminal........

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