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Published on January 16, 2025
Cartel Crony Clapped in Cuffs: ICE Deports Sinaloa Member Back to Mexico for JusticeSource: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Last Tuesday, a former member of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel found his way back to his home country, credited to the concerted efforts of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team in San Francisco. ICE announced that Mario Hidalgo, a 46-year-old Mexican national involved in drug trafficking activities, was deported to Mexico to face further criminal prosecution after serving a sentence in the United States, a report published on their official website reveals.

Hidalgo's past stretches back to affiliations with high-profile cartel leadership, notably being a close associate of the infamous Joaquin Guzman, known more widely as El Chapo, as detailed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Having faced extradition in 2020 from Mexico to the U.S. to answer for federal charges of felony conspiracy to import marijuana, Hidalgo was tried and sentenced to a seven-year prison term by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, a conviction carrying enough weight to remind those involved in the trade of narcotics that consequences lay in wait across borders.

Orestes Cruz, the acting Field Office Director of ERO San Francisco, stated with clarity that left little room for interpretation, "There is no safe haven for convicted drug traffickers and cartel members in the United States." This assertion reflects the unwavering stance of the ERO to uphold the nation's immigration laws and protect public safety; Hidalgo's case acts as a testament to this pledge, as he found himself in ERO custody on January 3rd shortly after completing his prison term and faced an administrative removal order, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outlined.