Mexico hands over 26 high-ranking alleged drug cartel figures to US for prosecution

Servando Gomez Martinez was so disillusioned about his low pay as a school teacher in Michoacan that he apparently founded the Knights Templar drug cartel and orchestrated human sacrifices to instill fear in his followers.

Martinez, whose nickname was "La Tuta," was among 26 cartel figures whom the Mexican government agreed to transfer to U.S. law enforcement for prosecution this week.

'Under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country.'

The agreement is a part of President Donald Trump's promise to dismantle Mexican drug cartels in order to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.

"These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country," reads a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi. "We are grateful to Mexico's National Security team for their collaboration in this matter."

Other figures who were transferred include those allegedly related to the Sinaloa cartel, the Los Zetas cartel, Jalisco New Generation, and the Guadalajara cartel. Another one of the defendants is accused of killing a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in 2008.

In order to secure their transfer, the U.S. agreed not to seek the death penalty against the alleged vicious cartel members. Mexico officially banned capital punishment in 2005.

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The transfer is the second group Mexico has handed over to the U.S. this year.

Gomez Martinez was arrested in 2015 and convicted four years later for running the drug-trafficking organization. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

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