Since the announcement of infamous cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera’s extradition to the United States, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly is heralding the move as a first step in the right direction.
Kelly said in a statement that El Chapo’s extradition “marks an important opening salvo” to the fight against the Mexican drug cartels by DHS.
“Last week’s significant development in the long-term investigation against drug lord Joaquin ‘Chapo’ Guzman Loera marks an important opening salvo in bringing the alleged head of the world’s largest drug trafficking organization to justice for his crimes,” Kelly said.
“I commend the Government of Mexico – specifically President Peña Nieto, Secretary Luis Videgaray and Attorney General Raul Cervantes Andrade – and all those involved in his arrest more than a year ago as well as his seamless transfer from Mexican to American custody,” Kelly continued.
Kelly said he was “proud” to be at the helm of DHS when “one of the world’s most wanted men will stand trial in a U.S. courtroom.”
El Chapo is the leader of the famed Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal enterprise which runs the majority of drug trafficking in the U.S., Breitbart Texas reported.
The drug lord is facing multiple charges in Texas, California, Washington, D.C., and New York, including money laundering, drug trafficking, conspiracy and murder.
President Donald Trump has made tackling the drug trade in the U.S. a top priority both during and after the campaign, mentioning the “carnage” that drugs from foreign criminal organizations have brought to the country in his inaugural address.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.