Information about the two extradition requests made by Mexico to Israel

At the instruction of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides the following information on the two extradition requests for Mexican nationals made by the Government of Mexico to the Government of the State of Israel.

Although Mexico and Israel do not have an extradition treaty, their actions in this area are based on international reciprocity and the principles established in the International Extradition Treaty or Law.

Case of Andrés Isaac Roemer Slomianski

A request to extradite Andrés Isaac Roemer Slomianski was filed on December 5, 2021 for the alleged crimes of rape and aggravated rape as reported to the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City. On Thursday, March 28, 2024, the Government of Mexico was notified that the Jerusalem District Court had ruled in favor of the extradition of Andrés Isaac Roemer Slomianski.

He has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Israel. The Government of Mexico appreciates Israel's cooperation in this process and interprets the decision as an encouraging step in the pursuit of justice.

Case of Tomás Zerón de Lucio

In the case of Tomás Zerón de Lucio, the extradition process has been long and unsuccessful.

The Government of Mexico requested his extradition from Canada on July 9, 2020. The Government of Canada searched for him unsuccessfully, informing Mexico on August 24, 2020 that Tomás Zerón had left Canada on August 21, 2019, bound for Tel Aviv.

In August 2020, the Attorney General's Office (FGR) began to take steps with the State of Israel to locate Tomas Zerón, who was wanted by the Mexican justice system.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry filed a formal extradition request with the State of Israel on December 30, 2021.

Since then, the Mexican Government has reiterated on several occasions, at the highest political and diplomatic levels, the importance it attaches to the case and its serious concern over the lack of progress.

Tomás Zerón de Lucio, former head of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), is wanted by the Mexican justice system for the crimes of torture, violation of human rights and forced disappearance in the case of the 43 students of the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, and for the abuse of power and authority, embezzlement, fraud and criminal association.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent letters to then Prime Minister Naftalí Bennett in September 2021, and to his successor, Benjamín Netanyahu, in June 2023, requesting and reiterating the extradition of Tomás Zerón.

Both the FGR and the Mexican Foreign Ministry have repeatedly insisted on the prompt resolution of this case, which is of national interest, to their counterparts in Israel, at 22 videoconferences, in at least 70 electronic communications and a visit to Jerusalem by a Mexican delegation headed by the head of the specialized unit for the investigation and prosecution of the Ayotzinapa case (UEILCA) within the FGR.

After asking Israel on multiple occasions for an update, on December 14, 2023, the Ministry of Justice of Israel communicated that the extradition request is in its final stage of analysis.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated this same information on February 1, 2024.

On March 21, Mexico unsuccessfully asked Israeli authorities for a progress report on the case.

Mexico is asking the Government of Israel to extradite an individual who is a fugitive from justice charged with acts of violence, instilling fear and torture. The lack of progress in resolving this case is interpreted as de facto protection by the Israeli Government of Tomás Zerón and threatens to become an irritating and disruptive factor with the State of Israel.

On behalf of the Government of Mexico, the Foreign Ministry and the Attorney General's Office will continue to follow up on the two pending extradition cases with the State of Israel.