SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The U.S. Department of Justice has transferred 14 prisoners to Mexican custody to finish out their terms south of the border.
The prisoners were all convicted on drug charges related to their ties to Mexican drug cartels — collectively they have 96 years left to serve.
According to DOJ, this transfer will save U.S. taxpayers $4 million.
“The Department of Justice will continue with these transfers according to our agreement with Mexico to reduce costs of imprisonment and to help with overcrowding in our federal prisons,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, assistant U.S. Attorney with DOJ’s criminal division.
According to Galeotti, the inmates had all requested a transfer to Mexico as a way to finish out their years in prison.
The inmate transfer is part of the International Prisoner Transfer Program approved by Congress in 1977, which states “prisoners can be transferred to their countries of origin from the United States under certain circumstances.”
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