Editorial: The Extradition of “La Barbie” and “El Coss”

The problem of drug trafficking knows no borders. The U.S. and Mexico are intimately linked by this issue, the former being a nation of consumers and the latter of producers. That is why the extradition of drug capos is a resource that should be used more frequently, subscribing to a bilateral partnership.

In that context, the extradition to the U.S. of Édgar Valdez Villareal, “La Barbie” ‒ a bloodthirsty henchman for the Beltrán-Leyva cartel ‒ and Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, “El Coss” ‒ considered one of the leaders of the Gulf cartel and the Zetas ‒ is welcome. Eleven other suspects were detained on drug and murder charges.

Extraditions are usually a complicated issue. Some see them as an infringement of a country’s sovereignty, regardless of the circumstances. These matters are too important to be ignored. Each government has the right to judge its citizens according to the country’s laws, to decide the punishment they will receive if found guilty, and to enforce the sentence within its borders.

Mexico is no exception, even if its embattled justice and penal systems have failed ‒ twice ‒ to keep “El Chapo” Guzmán behind bars. An act of sovereignty doesn’t require opposing extradition by default, but making appropriate choices in spite of external pressure.

“El Chapo’s” escape has undeniably affected the two countries’ bilateral relations regarding drug trafficking. Although the Mexican government has said that this is not an “express extradition” but the culmination of a years-long process, it is inevitable not to connect both events.

The current extraditions are the result of negotiations initiated last June, and they are meant to reestablish trust between the countries after the Guzmán fiasco. Moreover, Mexico has already approved the drug kingpin’s extradition, in case he is captured again.

Drug trafficking will continue to operate freely if the two countries fail to tighten their collaboration, and it will become stronger as distrust reigns. The crimes are committed in both Mexican and U.S. territory, which is why both investigations and punishment must be coordinated.