White House anti-drug czar John Walters said that extraditions were key to taking on the gangs that killed some 2,000 people in Mexico in 2006, but there was a risk of new turf battles as kingpins try to take over smuggling routes from rivals who have been extradited. It is however difficult to predict the impact of the extraditions on the levels of violence, and that it was a risk worth taking in order to improve long-term stability of the region. 

Mexico handed over four major traffickers, including alleged Gulf cartel boss Osiel Cardenas, to the United States last week and has in recent weeks deployed thousands of soldiers in several of Mexico's lawless states. 

The extraditions were ordered by President Felipe Calderon within a short time of taking office late last year, has for the obvious reason won ?lustrous? praise from Washington. John Walters said "President Calderon has taken powerful, unprecedented steps to take these structures down," "this is an example of leadership that is truly stunning". Calderon's government announced that it will send more imprisoned traffickers to face charges in the US courts, and is prepared to face any violent reaction. "This action is a demonstration of our government's firm commitment to confronting the wave of violence and impunity of organized crime," the Mexican government said in a statement. ?It will not tolerate violence and will respond to criminal organizations with all its force?, it added. The U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales praised the move saying, ?the actions overnight by the Mexican government are unprecedented in their scope and importance; never before has the United States received from Mexico such a large number of major drug defendants and other criminals for prosecution in this country.? 

Mexico's drug gangs have been highly successful in the past two decades, gradually replacing Colombian gangs in the US to control the profitable distribution of cocaine from coast-to-coast. Colombia remains the world's largest producer, but Mexican cartels are now the most powerful in the world.

President Calderon ordered soldiers into several states to try to stem the explosion of drug violence. His government said murder rates have already dropped sharply since the operation began, although it has so far made few major arrests. It is especially keen to trap Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who runs the notorious Sinaloa cartel and broke out of a top security prison hidden in a laundry van six years ago. Among those extradited last week was Hector "El Guero" Palma, one of Guzman's top lieutenants. 

Security at Mexican prisons is notoriously weak, meaning top traffickers have been able to run their operations even from behind bars. Sending them in the U.S. prisons, where telephone calls, mail and visits are all closely monitored, should shut them down and force their gangs to scramble for new leaders.

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