Hugo Carvajal, who is needed on drug trafficking fees within the US, was arrested in September 2021 in Madrid.
Spain’s Excessive Courtroom has ordered that international police company Interpol instantly extradite a former director of Venezuelan navy intelligence to america, the place he’s wished on drug trafficking fees, from Spain.
The choice got here on Tuesday after the European Courtroom of Human Rights final week denied an effort by Hugo Carvajal to keep away from extradition that had earlier been authorised by Spain.
In an announcement, the courtroom mentioned the US embassy and the jail the place Carvajal is being saved, in Estremera, exterior of the capital Madrid, would learn of its resolution.
“For the reason that precautionary measure granted by the European Courtroom of Human Rights has been lifted, the Third Part [of the High Court] urges Interpol at hand over the defendant” to US authorities, in step with the unique ruling from 2019, it mentioned.
Interpol had no speedy remark, the Reuters information company mentioned.
Carvajal was stripped of his rank by the administration of President Nicolas Maduro after popping out in assist of Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s appearing president in February, and calling on the navy forces to interrupt ranks and to permit a cargo of humanitarian support to Venezuela.
He then fled by boat, in a 16-hour journey, to the Dominican Republic in March, earlier than relocating to Spain in April 2019.
Carvajal has lengthy been sought by US Treasury officers who suspect him of offering assist to drug trafficking actions of the FARC group in Colombia.
In an indictment filed in New York in 2011, Carvajal was accused of coordinating the transport of greater than 5.6 tonnes of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico in 2006 that was finally destined for the US.
The US additionally mentioned Carvajal fashioned a part of a drug cartel often known as Los Soles, which not solely wished to complement its members “however used cocaine as a weapon in opposition to america because of the adversarial results of the drug on particular person customers”.
If convicted, Carvajal may face between 10 years and life in jail, the US Division of Justice mentioned in April 2019 following his arrest.
Carvajal has been in Spanish custody since he was arrested in September 2021 in Madrid. He has denied supporting cocaine trafficking to the US.
Carvajal’s US-based lawyer had no speedy remark, Reuters mentioned. A spokesman for the US Lawyer’s Workplace in Manhattan, which is bringing the case in opposition to Carvajal, declined to remark.