Sinaloa, Mexico – Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs has approved the extradition of Jehonany Alexander Valdéz Serrano to the United States. Valdéz Serrano is known as El 500 and faces drug trafficking and criminal association charges.
The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs authorized his extradition on March 5, 2025. Valdéz Serrano then obtained a federal injunction to suspend the transfer. Judicial records list his aliases as El Quinientos, El 500, and El Ingeniero.
Legal Approval and Challenge
Records show elements of the Attorney General’s Office, working under Interpol coordination, executed the December arrest. They operated in Culiacán with support from the Army, Navy, National Guard, and the Secretariat of Security and Civil Protection. A federal judge had already issued an arrest warrant specifically to secure his extradition to the United States.
Officials first held him at Reclusorio Norte in Mexico City. They then moved him to the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 14 in Gómez Palacio, Durango.
Context of Extradition Push
This case follows a major February operation in which Mexico extradited 29 cartel figures to U.S. authorities. Those included Rafael Caro Quintero, a founding leader of the Guadalajara Cartel. The handover came amid U.S. threats to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican goods and under an executive order that designated cartel groups as foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. Justice Department welcomed the move but noted delays in compliance, and Mexican officials cited national security and bilateral cooperation as drivers of the unprecedented decision.
Critics warn that extradition can hinder local justice. A 2023 investigative report by La Verdad and El Paso Matters found that several high-profile fugitives who were handed over to U.S. courts avoided Mexican trials for serious crimes. They argued that extradition sometimes serves as a shortcut, allowing cartel figures to clear their Mexican records and return to freedom sooner than if tried domestically. Meanwhile, law enforcement continues to secure other extraditions, such as the February transfer of Edgar Perez Villa, an alleged CJNG enforcer sent to San Diego to face heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges.
Broader Impact
Analysts say this arrest adds to a string of high-level captures that have strained the cartel’s cohesion. In the first half of 2025, homicide rates in Sinaloa surged to 883, up from 224 in the same period last year, driven in part by internal splits following top leader arrests. Residents report that daily life and tourism in Culiacán have suffered, with businesses closing early and schools moving online due to security fears.
U.S. Charges and Past Conviction
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations is seeking Valdéz Serrano on criminal conspiracy and large-scale drug trafficking allegations. Prosecutors link him to a network that moved cocaine shipments from Mexico into several U.S. states.
He served a U.S. prison term following his 2008 conviction in California for cocaine trafficking. He could face decades behind bars if convicted again.
Next Steps in Extradition
No transfer date is set while his injunction remains in effect. Legal experts say Mexican courts often take months to rule on extradition challenges.
The handover would mark a new phase in bilateral efforts to curb the Sinaloa Cartel’s cross-border operations. It underscores growing U.S.-Mexico cooperation against transnational organized crime.
