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Mexican federal prosecutors have requested the extradition of a convicted drug lord, turned protected witness, following his recent re-arrest on new drug charges. Among the charges that Mexico is trying to prosecute the drug lord for is his role as one of the masterminds in the murder of famed Mexican journalist and author Javier Valdez.

This week, Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero revealed that his office had filed an extradition request with the U.S. government for Damaso “El Mini Lic” Lopez Serrano in connection with the 2017 murder of Javier Valdez, a famed journalist who founded the Rio Doce news outlet.

Mexican authorities arrested and prosecuted various individuals tied to the actual killing. However, according to Gertz Manero, Lopez is the suspected mastermind who ordered the killing over Valdez’s investigations that revealed infighting within factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

According to Gertz Manero, Mexico requested a similar extradition in 2017, but that one was denied due to Lopez being a protected witness.

As Breitbart Texas reported in 2017, Damaso Lopez surrendered to U.S. authorities in California, seeking protection from his rivals in Mexico. Damaso and his father, known as “El Licenciado or the Attorney,” had led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that had a falling out with other top leaders. Earlier that year, Mexican authorities arrested El Licenciado. His arrest forced his son to flee to the U.S. and become an informant and protected witness.

El Mini Lic pleaded guilty to various drug charges and cooperated with authorities in exchange for a lesser sentence. Once his prison term was completed, Lopez made headlines by allowing himself to be interviewed and appearing on some podcasts.

However, earlier this month, U.S. federal authorities re-arrested El Mini Lic on new drug charges connected with the distribution of fentanyl. He remains behind bars awaiting trial.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.