 In 1978, the United States signed a treaty with Mexico that acknowledged Mexico's right not to extradite one of its citizens if the citizen faced the death penalty.The Mexican Supreme Court also declared it against the law to extradite a Mexican citizen facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.The Mexican Consul announced that unless the Mexican government received assurances that Gómez-García would not face either of these punishments, there would be no extradition.