networks from inside Mexican prisons, where they have been able to corrupt officials. Until now, however, the Mexican government has resisted the extraditions, arguing that the drug cartel leaders must face justice here first. Also, until a recent Supreme Court ruling, Mexican officials were unable to extradite criminals because they face the death penalty in the United States, which is banned in Mexico. The court overturned that rule. "The actions overnight by the Mexican government are unprecedented in their scope and importance," the United States attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, said in a statement on Saturday.

This is the second time that we have seen positive changes coming out of Mexico since the recent election of President Calderón. This change resulted in the extradition to America of the following individuals:

Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the leader of the Gulf Cartel in Tamaulipas State, was among the 21 people flown under heavy armed guard to the United States on Friday night and handed over to federal authorities. He is under indictment in Texas for trafficking in marijuana and threatening to kill three law enforcement agents. The Mexican government also turned over Ismael and Gilberto Higuera Guerrero, brothers who were high-ranking members of the Arellano-Félix cartel in Tijuana, as well as Hector Palma Salazar, a former leader in the Sinaloa cartel. All face racketeering and drug trafficking charges in Southern California. The Sinaloa cartel controls the border around El Paso. Joaquín Guzman, known as El Chapo, escaped from prison in 2001 after bribing officials and still oversees the gang, along with several other important traffickers who have somehow eluded the Mexican police.