World News: FBI Commends Mexico for Arrest and Extradition of “Ten Most Wanted”

World News: FBI Commends Mexico for Arrest and Extradition of "Ten Most Wanted" Gang Leader FBI Director Kash Patel addressed a ceremony to raise the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag at the State Department in Washington on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

MEXICO CITY: On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel praised Mexican authorities for capturing and extraditing one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives, an accused gang leader from El Salvador. Francisco Javier Román Bardales, believed to be a high-ranking member of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 gang, was apprehended in the mountains of Veracruz by soldiers and federal agents on Monday.

"This represents a significant triumph for our law enforcement allies and contributes to a safer America," Patel stated. Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's security chief, expressed his support for the arrest on Monday, noting that it was a product of international cooperation. His agency characterized the extradition as a deportation to the United States. Román Bardales is facing charges in the Eastern District of New York concerning violent crimes, drug trafficking, and extortion. Recently, the Mara Salvatrucha was among eight Latin American criminal organizations designated as foreign terrorist entities by the U.S. government. FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned on X Tuesday that Román Bardales was being transported within the U.S. and expressed gratitude to Mexican authorities for their assistance. In a related development, Mexico recently extradited drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero along with 28 others to the U.S. Quintero has pleaded not guilty to the 1985 murder of a U.S. federal agent.

The Trump administration previously labeled eight Latin American cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations." The swift arrest and extradition of Román Bardales occurred shortly after Mexico transferred 29 cartel members, including Rafael Caro Quintero, linked to the assassination of a DEA agent. Additionally, Mexico has intensified its operations against the Sinaloa cartel, a leading trafficker of fentanyl to the United States.
President Claudia Sheinbaum is working to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that Mexico can be a reliable ally in matters of security and immigration, helping to mitigate the impact of most of Trump's proposed tariffs. Over the weekend, the Trump administration also deported two key MS-13 leaders back to El Salvador, alongside hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants.
Edited by Bosman