Extradition Process Begins Against Alleged US Agent’s Killer

The man accused of leading the gang that allegedly ambushed and killed US Federal agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico last February could soon be extradited to stand trial in the US. According to a report in mysanantonio.com an arrest warrant was issued against the already-incarcerated Julian Zapata Espinoza,  known as  “Tweety Bird.”

The Mexican authorities acted in anticipation of receiving a US extradition request, and once that is in their hands a Mexican federal judge will evaluate the request and decide accordingly. The hope is that the process runs quickly.

“This sort of extradition process can sometimes take years,” cautioned Rocio Torres, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, though she added the cases are usually completed in months.

According to the same mysanantonio.com report the alleged ring leader was arrested soon after the deadly attack along with 11 members of Zeta syndicate. US  authorities claim that Jaime Zapata and fellow agent Victor Avila were ambushed while traveling along the main highway between Mexico City and the Texas border:

The U.S. agents identified themselves as U.S. diplomats after the gunmen forced them off the highway, officials have said. But the detained gunmen reportedly have said they mistook the agents for members of a rival gang.

The report indicates that more than 400 people have been extradited from Mexico to the United States since Mexican President Felipe Calderon took office.

Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda

[Photo by ice.gov]