(NewsNation) — A Texas sheriff’s department is warning local residents to exercise caution if they are traveling into Mexico after more than two dozen cartel members and two high-ranking leaders were extradited to the United States this week.
Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar wrote in a social media post that when cartel leaders have previously been extradited to the U.S., the criminal organizations “tend to respond with extreme violence.”
The warning comes after 29 cartel members, including one accused of killing a Drug Enforcement Administration agent in the 1980s, were sent from Mexico to the United States to face criminal charges.
In a statement, the DEA called the extradition of Rafael Caro Quintero “extremely personal” for DEA agents. The agency believes that Quintero is responsible for the killing of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Quintero was among the 29 cartel members who were sent from Mexico to the United States and who face charges ranging from drug trafficking offenses to homicide.
Also extradited was Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel.
Cerventes is one of the most wanted men in the United States, and sources told NewsNation his arrest has high-ranking members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel worried. They fear, sources say, that if Cerventes cooperates with U.S. officials, he could reveal critical information about his brother’s whereabouts.
In the social media post, the Webb County sheriff warned Laredo, Texas, residents who may be traveling to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and other parts of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas to exercise caution due to the extradition of the cartel members.
The cartel has often responded with violent acts against Mexican government officials, which puts Nuevo Laredo residents at risk, the post said.
Cuellar said that his department is prepared to deal with any possible acts of violence or retaliation that could take place in his jurisdiction. Her also advised that travelers be mindful of safety issues and that residents take “heightened precautions.”
The sheriff said that in early February, the city of Nuevo Laredo witnessed a dramatic rise in violence, including gun battles that took place in the area.