DEA announced last night that several high-profile Mexican drug traffickers were extradited to face charges in the US. This continues new President Calderon’s anti-drug operations in Mexico, which include the deployment of thousands of military personnel and federal agents to several hotspots.

Such extraditions (there were over 60 last year) have been problematic for Mexico because the US has the death penalty (Mexico doesn’t), there is political sensitivity about Mexico’s relations with the US, and politicians, lawyers and cops can be paid to express opposition.