Mexico hands over record number of fugitives to US

Mexico turned over 85 alleged drug smugglers, murderers, sex offenders and other criminals to US authorities this year, a record number of extraditions to the United States as Mexico struggles in a war against violent drug cartels. Mexican and US officials in recent years have increased co-operation against organised criminals shipping cocaine into the United States from Mexico.
"This year, our governments set records in both the number of extraditions from the United States to Mexico and the number of extraditions from Mexico to the United States," US Ambassador Tony Garza said in a statement.
In 2007, Mexico extradited 83 people to face criminal charges in the United States, Garza said. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has launched a frontal assault on powerful drug gangs since taking office at the end of 2006, deploying tens of thousands of soldiers and federal police to violent hotspots around the country.
His crackdown has led to large seizures of drugs, weapons and cash, as well as arrests of high-level traffickers, but drug-related killings have soared to more than 5,400 this year. The United States extradited 32 fugitives to Mexico this year, seven more than in 2006, Garza said. In June, Mexican police nabbed and returned to the United States a convicted US sex offender on the FBI's list of 10 most-wanted fugitives.