Honduras orders provisional arrest of Colombian wanted for extradition on drug-trafficking charges
A Honduran judge has ordered the provisional arrest of Fermín Alberto García, alias Paky, a Colombian citizen wanted for extradition on drug-trafficking charges.
Honduran judge detains Colombian sought for extradition on drug-trafficking charges
An extradition judge of first instance in Honduras ordered on Thursday the provisional arrest of Colombian citizen Fermín Alberto García, 53 years old, known by the alias "Paky", according to information released by the Judicial Power through its social media accounts. The report was made by eje21.com.co, citing information from the EFE agency.
García appeared before the judge at an information hearing held in Tegucigalpa. The judicial office also set the initial hearing of the extradition process for 10 September.
The Colombian was detained on Wednesday in Puerto Lempira, capital of the Gracias a Dios department, in the Honduran Caribbean, a border zone with Nicaragua. The arrest was carried out pursuant to an order issued at the request of Colombian judicial authorities, who require him for alleged involvement in trafficking, manufacture or aggravated possession of narcotics.
Following the hearing, García was transferred to the National Penitentiary, located north of the Honduran capital. The provisional arrest constitutes the first phase of the extradition process and allows authorities to keep him in custody whilst the judicial process advances.
The suspect's judicial record in Honduras is not new. In 2016, García had already faced a case for money laundering in that country, in which he accepted an abbreviated procedure and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Honduran authorities also identify him for alleged links with structures dedicated to international drug-trafficking. The investigation connects him, among other facts, to the seizure of 211 kilogrammes of alleged cocaine registered in September 2015 in the Honduran Caribbean zone.
Honduras, due to its geographical position and extensive Caribbean coastlines, is used by drug-trafficking organisations to move shipments of cocaine towards the United States by aircraft and fast boats.
Source: Google News CO — Crime