Two Mexicans extradited to US in killing of agent

Two Mexicans have been extradited to the United States and charged with involvement in the 2011 murder of an immigration and customs agent, justice officials said.

The two men face murder charges in the 2011 killing of Jaime Zapata, and attempted murder charges against another agent, a Justice Department statement said.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were aboard an armored vehicle near San Luis Potosi, Mexico when gunmen with the Los Zetas drug cartel opened fire, killing Zapata and wounding Avila.

ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata was shot and killed in Mexico by members of the Los Zetas drug cartel

Jesus Ivan Quezada Pina, 28, and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, 33, appeared before a magistrate in Washington. They are being held without bond.

Four other suspects including a cartel commander have pleaded guilty in the same cases. They were among five extradited over the affair.

The commander, Julian Zapata Espinosa, has testified that there was a mix-up, and that when the US agents refused to get out of the vehicle, the gang opened fire thinking the men were with a rival drug cartel.