Mexico sends 37 inmates to US to stop prison criminal alliances

Mexico City, Mexico — Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch stated that the third transfer of 37 members of criminal groups to the United States aims to prevent them from forming alliances and strengthening their operations from within penitentiary centers.

During the morning press conference held at the facilities of the Military Sergeants School, the official maintained that, even while deprived of liberty, some continued to operate, which is why the strategy includes their transfer abroad and the reinforcement of prisons.

“Within prisons, they often generate alliances with other groups. And unfortunately, in several places where they are incarcerated, they have the opportunity to continue committing crimes,” he said.

The head of the SSPC assured that the measure is part of a policy to prevent crimes such as extortion or homicide from being committed from within jails.

“This is for the benefit of our country by removing more than 90 people who commit crimes sometimes from inside prison, as what we are avoiding is extortion of Mexican citizens, homicides of Mexican citizens, and the continuation of alliances and strengthening of groups from within the prisons. That is what we are doing,” he added.

García Harfuch explained that the strategy is not limited to the transfer of inmates but includes permanent operations in federal centers and several state facilities.

“Random daily inspections are carried out with personnel from the National Guard, National Defense, with the support of the Navy Secretariat and personnel from the Security Secretariat in all federal prisons and in many local prisons,” he stated.

Actions have also been implemented to block illegal communications from the detention centers, he added.

“Work is being done on two fronts; it is not only the transfer of these individuals but also significantly strengthening prisons in our country, as we have also mentioned, from blocking antennas, blocking signals, or even removing an entire antenna as in the case of Altamira, Tamaulipas, which provided signal to a prison where telephone extortions were generated.”