Thursday 21 August
2008, San José, Costa Rica
Panama, Colombia
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Venezuela, Argentina
Begin Construction of
Railway Linking Their
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Colombian Government
Says FARC Victims Apply
For Reparation
Brazil Authorizes
Extradition of Colombian
Drug Dealer To U.S.
Demonstrators Block
Highways In Bolivia
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Brazil Authorizes
Extradition of Colombian
Drug Dealer To U.S.
RIO DE JANEIRO -
Brazil's Minister of
Justice Tarso Genro
approved Tuesday night
the extradition of
Colombian drug dealer
Juan Carlos Ramirez
Abadia to the United
States, local media
reported Wednesday.
The necessary legal
procedures have been
finished and the
extradition is expected
to take place this or
next week after final
approval from President
Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva, according to the
justice ministry.
Abadia, arrested on Aug.
7, 2007 in Sao Paulo,
used to head the Norte
del Valle Cartel, which
is one of the largest
drug trafficking rings
in the world.
In March this year,
Brazil's Federal Supreme
Court voted to extradite
Abadia to the United
States under the
condition that he be
exempted from the death
penalty.
Abadia had been
sentenced to 30 years in
prison in Brazil, after
confessing to money
laundering, identity
theft and other criminal
charges.
Abadia is also said to
be responsible for over
300 deaths. The U.S.
government said his
cartel was responsible
for international drug
trafficking involving
1,000 tons of cocaine,
as well as murder and
money laundering.
Abadia is currently
serving his term in
Brazil's Campo Grande
Federal Penitentiary. In
early August, he and
Brazilian drug dealer
Fernandinho Beira-Mar
were accused of heading
an extortion scheme in
the prison.
They had planned to
kidnap President Lula's
children and several
senators and federal
judges to buy their
freedom.
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