ERO San Francisco removes Sinaloa Cartel member to Mexico

SAN FRANCISCO — Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations San Francisco removed a Mexican national Jan. 7 to his home country. Mario Hidalgo, 46, is wanted for charges stemming from drug trafficking.

Hidalgo was extradited to the United States from Mexico Oct. 18, 2020, to face federal charges of felony conspiracy to import marijuana. He was convicted by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California and sentenced to a seven-year prison term. Hildalgo is a close associate of the former Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman, aka El Chapo.

“There is no safe haven for convicted drug traffickers and cartel members in the United States,” said ERO San Francisco acting Field Office Director Orestes Cruz. “This removal exemplifies our officers’ hard work and dedication to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and public safety.”

Hidalgo, who had 16 previous voluntary returns to Mexico from 2002 to 2003, was taken into ERO custody without incident Jan. 3 upon completing his prison sentence and served with an administrative removal order. Hidalgo was then returned to Mexico and turned over to the Mexican authorities four days later to face additional criminal prosecution by the Mexican government.

ERO is one of ICE’s three operational directorates and is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROSanFrancisco.