Following the guilty plea by six Mexican nationals who were facing a single count of entering Botswana through an ungazetted point, the State has revealed that it has commenced processes to extradite the sextet to Mozambique.
The six Mexican nationals, namely, Gumecindo Enrique, 61, Jose Pena, 48, Fansico Alejandro, 33, Jose Corrales, 39, Carlos Aguilar, 32, and David Teran, 26, were arrested on November 25 in Gaborone.
The six were arrested alongside a Nigerian man, Uchema Njoku, 53, who has been charged with aiding and abetting crime by allegedly assisting suspects to illegally enter the country.
Appearing before Extension II Magistrate Court on Monday (19) for a status update, Prosecutor Keletso Kgati applied that a plea be taken for the accused persons.
“This matter has come for a status update, and we apply that a plea be taken for the accused persons for the charge they are facing since a plea was reserved in the last appearances,” the State applied. An objection was raised by defence attorney Mawite, highlighting that they have yet to receive all documents necessary for the case.
“May a plea be reserved for accused seven as we have not been served with any witness statements,” he objected. Whereas the defence for the six Mexican nationals did not object to the application for the plea to be taken.
Magistrate Mmesi acceded to the defence’s plea to reserve the plea for the Nigerian national (Njoku), who is married to a Motswana woman. Standing in their dock, all six nationals pleaded guilty to the single charge of entering Botswana through ungazetted point.
In light of this State applied that the group return for facts reading and stated that the Nigerian national will be served.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the prosecutor revealed that they are in the process of extraditing the accused persons to Mozambique, as they are on Interpol radar.
“We are in communications with people in Mozambique about extraditing them, so it will be soon,” Kgati said. In the last court appearance, it was established that the six Mexican nationals are facing two to three charges of drug trafficking in Mozambique and went into exile after being granted bail.
WATCH : Six Mexican nationals have just pleaded guilty to the charge of entering Botswana through ungazzeted point. The sextet are also ,allegedly , a notorious drug cartel group from Mozambique operating locally. They appeared before Extension II Magistrate court this morning. pic.twitter.com/JmjfbSiEju
— Mmegi (@MmegiOnline) January 19, 2026
The group is earmarked to be the so-called drug kingpins in Mozambique who have set up a drug lab wholly operated by them and supply the neighbouring countries with drugs.
Tantamount to their crimes, the State also disclosed that the group was found in possession of an undisclosed amount of money, which has since been handed over to the Bank of Botswana.
Source: The Monitor Botswana