Grassley, Risch Raise Concerns about Honduran Government’s Plan to Terminate Extradition Treaty with U.S.

Grassley, Risch Raise Concerns about Honduran Government's Plan to Terminate Extradition Treaty with U.S.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement on the Honduran government's plans to terminate its extradition treaty with the United States:

"We are deeply concerned by the Honduran government's plans to terminate its extradition treaty with the United States. Our treaty has been an effective law enforcement tool, as evidenced by the extradition of several drug traffickers and at least one human smuggler from Honduras to the United States just this year. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice announced indictments against 15 current and former Venezuelan officials, including Vladimir Padrino, for allegedly collaborating with senior members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia. This terrorist organization aims to use cocaine as a weapon to 'flood' the United States. We share Ambassador Dogu's surprise about senior Honduran security officials meeting with indicted drug traffickers such as Padrino.

"Democracy and justice require the Biden-Harris Administration and President Castro to recommit to the robust implementation of our bilateral extradition treaty and the fight against transnational criminals like Venezuela's Maduro."

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