Mexico High Court Changes Extradition Rules

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that suspects facing life in prison can be extradited, overturning a four-year-old ban that had prevented many of the country’s most notorious criminals from being sent to the United States.

The ASSociated Press has Mexican high court loosens extradition rules.

Ruling could enable U.S. to bring alleged drug lords to trial

A 1978 treaty with the United States allows Mexico to deny extradition if a person faces the death penalty — a restriction that still stands under Tuesday’s ruling. In 2001 the Supreme Court also blocked extradition of suspects facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Capital punishment has been banned by Mexico’s constitution since June and was only rarely applied for decades before that. Life sentences are also rare.

This is a common sense ruling by the Mexican High Court. Mexico does not wish to be a haven for murderers and child molesters who may prey on their own people anymore than the United States.

The United States does not want to see Mexican drug cartel members escaping American justice for poisoning our society or Mexican nationals murdering our citizens then fleeing to a Mexican refuge/sanctuary.

The federal attorney general’s office is considering U.S. extradition requests for Benjamin Arellano Felix, the reputed head of the Tijuana-based cocaine- and marijuana-smuggling syndicate bearing his family’s name.

U.S. prosecutors also are seeking to try Osiel Cardenas, who authorities say ran the Gulf cartel and was responsible for moving thousands of tons of cocaine and other narcotics across the Texas border.

Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles County District Attorney was interviewed on last nights John and Ken show on KFI and stated his office would begin work immediately in prosecuting known cases involving his office. He estimated between 200-300 suspects alone in Los Angeles County and 800 in the State of California.

In California, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley praised the ruling.

“This is a landmark legal decision that clears the way to return murderers to face justice here in the United States, where they committed their crimes,” said Cooley, who estimated that as many as 3,000 murderers have fled the U.S. to Mexico to avoid prosecution. “We’re getting into high gear to take advantage of this favorable decision.”

Time for federal and state prosecutors to get busy.

Stay tuned as these scum are finally brought to justice.