(ConservativeHub.com) – A fugitive who went missing during his trial is now back in US custody. Manuel Gortari-Redondo returned to the country on November 23 after authorities caught him in Mexico. He’d been on the run since June 2013.
Gortari-Redondo was on trial for charges related to his involvement in a drug operation in Tucson, Arizona, from June 2006 to July 2011. Authorities arrested him along with several others on August 9, 2011, but he fled during his court case. Officials continued his trial in his absence and convicted Gortari-Redondo of various crimes related to his enterprise. He received a sentence of 13 1/2 years in prison.
Fugitive Since 2013 Arrested and Extradited to Tucson: A fugitive wanted for his involvement in a criminal drug enterprise was extradited from Mexico and returned to Tucson and two co-conspirators remain at large. https://t.co/klyQlXYuz4
— FBI Phoenix (@FBIPhoenix) December 5, 2022
The search for the fugitive went cold until early 2022. At that point, the FBI said, tips led to his discovery by agents in Mexico, where authorities took him into custody. The US was able to extradite him to Tucson to serve his time. Two of the others arrested with him in 2011 remain on the loose; his wife, Sandra Mendivil-Redondo, and another man, Mario Carmona Rodriguez.
Mexico is a popular destination for those fleeing criminal prosecution in the United States. Many people think the country will not return fugitives to the US, but the two nations have an extradition treaty and regularly exchange prisoners. Additionally, the border has plenty of technology to track people crossing it, and the US Marshals have an office in Mexico to work on extradition crimes.
According to Statista, the United States extradited 43 people from Mexico in 2021. The highest number of fugitives brought back was in 2012, when 115 people returned after fleeing.
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