Senator Feinstein Lauds Mexican President Vicente Fox
for Extradition of Major Drug Cartel Figure
May 8, 2001

Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) this week praised Mexican President Vicente Fox for his work to extradite Arturo Paez Martinez, the first major Mexican drug cartel member extradited to the United States.

Paez is a Mexican citizen suspected of having been a top associate in the Arellano Felix drug cartel operating out of Tijuana. He was arraigned in U.S. District Court in San Diego yesterday after being extradited by Mexico. In January, Mexico’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that removed legal barriers to extraditing Mexican citizens. Paez’s extradition this past Friday was the first since the ruling.

The following is the text of the letter sent by Senator Feinstein to President Fox:

“I want to thank you personally for your efforts in extraditing Arturo Paez Martinez to the United States to stand trial. This case represents a watershed in our mutual fight against illegal narcotics, and I believe it will send a clear message to drug cartel members in Mexico that our nations are united in an unwavering determination to end the scourge of illegal drugs on both sides of the border.

I have been consistently impressed with your expressed commitment to the war against drugs. By sending Arturo Paez Martinez to the United States, you have demonstrated your willingness to back up that commitment with concrete action.

There are others yet to be extradited, of course, and the battle is not yet over. But I strongly believe that through cooperative efforts like this one, our two nations can finally move toward breaking the cartels that have caused so much destruction to Mexico and the United States both.”