Fighting cross-border crime SDUT EDITORIAL

U.S. welcomes surge in extraditions from Mexico

Monday, November 9, 2009 at midnight

When it comes to Mexico extraditing fugitives to the United States, at least three things that used to be true no longer seem to be.

It’s no longer the case that criminals who commit crimes in the United States can escape justice by fleeing across the border into Mexico.

It appears that many criminals – especially drug traffickers – no longer consider Mexican prisons a more threatening alternative to U.S. prisons, because they can often bribe their way out of the former.

And Mexico seems more eager than ever to extradite fugitives that U.S. authorities are pursuing for allegedly committing various crimes.

Mexico recently extradited 11 fugitives – accused of everything from drug trafficking to murder – to face trial in the United States. That brings this year’s total to 100 fugitives extradited. The number last year was 95, which was a record at the time. According to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, every year since 2001 Mexico has increased the number of defendants it extradites to the United States,

We’re glad to see it. These individuals allegedly committed crimes against the people of this country, and so it is here that they should stand trial. If convicted, they’ll be jailed here. And when they’re released, if here illegally, they’ll be deported.

No doubt, part of the reason for this renewed cooperation from Mexican authorities is that most of these fugitives are bad actors who Mexico wants nothing to do with. The government is only too happy to ship these felons off to the United States. Also, Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s war on the drug cartel has resulted in tens of thousands of arrests, which has the Mexican criminal justice system coming apart at the seams. Speeding up extraditions of criminals that U.S. authorities want back anyway is a good way to take pressure off the system. Lastly, it may be that the Mexican people are, because of the human toll of the drug war, just fed up with all crimes and those who commit them. They probably also realize that those who break laws in the United States will be only too eager to break more of them once they’re back home in Mexico.

Whatever brought about this increase in binational cooperation, it is welcome. The relationship between the United States and Mexico isn’t always easy, but it is worth the effort. The scourge of crime – especially drug crime – pays no heed to borders. What happens on one side of that line often spills over to the other. That’s why authorities in both countries must work together to fight crime and track down criminals.

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