The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 14 Mexican nationals were transferred to Mexico on Dec. 5 under the International Prisoner Transfer Treaty between the United States and Mexico. The individuals had been serving federal sentences in the United States for offenses related to drug distribution, illegal firearms, or both.
According to Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Shane Salem of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Correctional Programs Division, all 14 inmates had requested to be transferred to their home country. After approval from both governments, they will now serve out the remainder of their sentences in Mexico as outlined by the treaty.
These transfers are part of the congressionally authorized International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is managed by the Criminal Division’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit within the Office of International Affairs. The program allows eligible foreign nationals in federal and state custody to be transferred to their countries of nationality under certain conditions. The United States currently has bilateral transfer agreements with ten countries and participates in two multilateral conventions, covering more than 85 nations worldwide.
The treaties also allow American nationals incarcerated abroad to request transfer back to the United States. On Dec. 9, three U.S. citizens convicted for controlled-substance trafficking were returned from other countries; they have between 22 months and four and a half years left on their sentences.
More information about this program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu.
