Genaro Garcia Luna was sentenced to 38 years in prison for organized crime, setting the stage for upcoming legal actions against 29 drug lords transferred to the U.S. by the Mexican government. Noteworthy figures among them include Rafael Caro Quintero and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. Ismael El Mayo Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is also under U.S. custody. The Department of Justice is not pursuing the death penalty for certain defendants, focusing instead on potential plea deals. Recent executive actions have classified cartels as terrorist groups, indicating a heightened response to drug-related violence.
The U.S. justice system is now preparing to sink its teeth into the main course: the 29 drug lords handed over by the Mexican government to Donald Trump in the early days of his administration.
The Department of Justice officially notified that it will not seek the death penalty against Zambada, Caro Quintero, and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, known as El Viceroy.
By taking capital punishment off the table, prosecutors ease some of the pressure on the defendants and narrow the next steps to two options: work out a plea deal or face an open trial.
The order marks an escalation from Trump's first move in February, when he designated six Mexican organizations and two Central American gangs as terrorist groups.
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