El Ciudadano
Original article: México exigirá a EE.UU. la entrega de bienes decomisados a narcotraficantes: “El principal daño se ejerció aquí”
Mexico Demands US Hand Over Seized Assets from Drug Traffickers: «The Main Damage Occurred Here»
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government will demand the United States (US) to return any assets or seized properties linked to organized crime, especially drug traffickers. The President was emphatic, stating that regardless of the amount of assets confiscated on American soil, their destination should be Mexico, given that «the main damage occurred here».
«To be very clear, everything that benefits the people of Mexico is our function and our responsibility. If there are seizures of assets from any drug trafficker or white-collar criminal in the United States, we will request that they be returned to Mexico under the laws, because the main damage occurred here and it will be determined within the framework of collaboration laws,» she stated.
This proposal arises in the context of the case involving Ismael «El Mayo» Zambada, a well-known drug lord and co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Mexican administration clarified that it does not have an exact figure on the assets Washington intends to confiscate, relying instead on an official projection.
Regarding this, the President explained that the $15 billion managed by the US Department of Justice represents an «estimate of the damage» caused by Zambada over decades of illicit activities, not a real inventory of properties or bank accounts already identified.
«It’s an estimate from the Department of Justice of the damage that Mayo Zambada may have caused throughout his time as a criminal, which was part of drug trafficking,” she said, in remarks reported by La Jornada.
Recovery of Assets and Properties Seized from Mexican Drug Traffickers
The Mexican government has designed a clear action plan to effectively pursue this demand. Sheinbaum announced that in the coming days, the security cabinet and the head of the Attorney General’s Office, Ernestina Godoy, will provide technical details regarding the implications of this multi-million dollar calculation, clearing up any confusion about whether these resources are already under the custody of the US justice system.
The demand policy extends beyond the major cartels to include corrupt officials. As an example of this strategy, the President highlighted the recent recovery of $500,000 linked to former Security Secretary Genaro García Luna, who held this position during Felipe Calderón’s administration and was convicted in the United States.
The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), led by Omar Reyes, managed this return, and the funds are now in the hands of the Mexican State to be allocated to a specific purpose that will be announced soon.
Resources for the People
The central message from the administration is that any seized asset should directly benefit the citizens. The President emphasized that the government’s role is to safeguard the public interest, and in that regard, the formal request for handover will be made «under the framework of collaboration laws» at the international level. This stance seeks not only symbolic reparation but also material compensation, demanding that resources generated by illicit activities in Mexico be returned to repair the social fabric affected by violence and corruption.
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