In the morning press conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the headline clarified that it is a request for arrest for extradition purposes, and it is linked to the trial of the former Secretary of Security of former President Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), Genaro García Luna, who worked for the Sinaloa Cartel.
Ebrard recalled that the trial of the latter, imprisoned in the United States for more than three years, is set for next Monday, although it will begin with the integration of the jury, which usually takes up to two or three weeks.
For his part, López Obrador said that in the case of a hypothetical extradition, Ovidio Guzmán’s crimes would first have to be proven in the United States to request his handover to the neighboring country, and he assured that in Mexico there is a true rule of law that has to respect.
Adán Augusto López, Secretary of the Interior present at the conference, said that Guzmán is at the disposal of the Attorney General’s Office, which executed the arrest warrant in terms of extradition and integrates folders for federal crimes.
Regarding an extradition process that the mafia boss could face, the Secretary of Security, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, said that in Mexico there are enough elements to take him to court for crimes against health and firearms, and in the United States it could only be for conspiracy to introduce drugs. The judicial motives in Mexico are stronger to try him here initially because there are accusations of organized crime, and he was apprehended for numerous crimes although he made himself available to the prosecution with an extradition order, she added.
But she clarified that there are other accusation files, which cannot be discussed at this time.
In this regard, López Obrador clarified again that evidence must be presented for extradition, all the elements for the judges in Mexico to decide and the request alone is not enough.
The type of crime must be demonstrated, it is not a “fast track” process, and there is a rule of law to be respected, he reiterated, regardless of the crimes mentioned by the United States.
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