Five Mexican Cartel Members Linked to Terrorist Groups Transferred to US Custody

Operation disrupts criminal networks threatening border communities

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Five Mexican fugitives tied to U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations like the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa Cartel have been transferred to American custody, exposing how border security failures have allowed terrorist-linked criminals to operate freely and threaten U.S. communities. The historic cross-border law enforcement operation was carried out under Mexico's National Security Law, which allows for the expedited removal of high-threat fugitives without lengthy extradition proceedings.

Why it matters

This operation targets specific cartel cells operating near the U.S.-Mexico border, providing immediate safety improvements for American communities in El Paso and surrounding areas that have suffered under cartel violence and trafficking operations. It also establishes a precedent for larger expulsions under Mexico's National Security Law, potentially accelerating the dismantlement of foreign terrorist organization-designated cartels that have evolved from criminal enterprises into hybrid criminal-terrorist entities.

The details

The five individuals transferred to U.S. custody are central targets in ongoing investigations into the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa Cartel. They face federal charges for providing material support to terrorist organizations, as well as narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and human smuggling. This operation builds on bilateral efforts like the Mérida Initiative, launched in 2008, which has intensified under recent administrations focused on dismantling cartel networks now classified as foreign terrorist organizations.

  • On February 11, 2026, ICE announced the transfer of the five Mexican fugitives to U.S. custody.

The players

Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación

A violent Mexican cartel that emerged around 2010 as a splinter group from the Sinaloa Cartel. It was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in February 2025.

Sinaloa Cartel

A powerful Mexican cartel founded by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, who was extradited to the U.S. in 2017. It has long dominated narcotics trafficking across the Western Hemisphere and was also designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.

Maria Del Carmen Navarro Sanchez, Luis Carlos Davalos Lopez, and Gustavo Castro-Medina

Three of the five Mexican fugitives transferred to U.S. custody, who face federal charges for providing material support to terrorist organizations alongside other crimes.

Humberto Rivera-Rivera

Identified as an alleged Sinaloa faction leader in Valle de Juarez, he faces narcotics trafficking charges.

Roberto Gonzalez-Hernandez

A purported high-ranking Los Cabrera Cartel member who confronts charges of narcotics conspiracy, smuggling, and firearms violations.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Department of Justice maintains prosecutorial oversight for these cases as HSI investigations continue.

The takeaway

This operation demonstrates that decisive action against terrorist-designated organizations can protect American families and restore the rule of law at the southern border, vindicating concerns about cartel infiltration that prior administrations downplayed or ignored.