The United States Department of Justice has recently secured the extradition of more than a dozen fugitives from ten countries, showcasing successful coordination with international law enforcement in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The extradited individuals face charges in the U.S. for various crimes, including murder, child rape, gang activity, and international fraud.
Head of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, Matthew R. Galeotti, emphasized the importance of these efforts. "The dedicated, persistent work of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with foreign partners resulted in the extradition of fugitives wanted in the United States for violent crimes," he stated. He further added, "The Justice Department will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States transnational criminals and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad."
Among those extradited is Eswin Mejia, 28, extradited from Honduras for charges relating to vehicular homicide and missing court in the 2016 death of Sarah Root in Nebraska. Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, was extradited from Guatemala over his alleged involvement in a 2022 mass casualty incident in Texas. Moises Humberto Rivera Luna, 55, was returned from Guatemala on charges connected to MS-13 gang activities.
Carlos Espino Farfan, 36, from Spain, faces serious charges out of Salt Lake County, Utah, including first-degree felony rape of a child. Former Colombian Navy personnel Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela, 54, and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez, 32, were extradited on charges related to drug trafficking activities.
Extradited from Mexico is Louie Hernandez, 61, facing murder charges in Washington state. Similarly, Juan Ramirez, 37, returned to California to face charges for a 2013 fatal stabbing incident. Solomon Sincler Gheorghe, 20, was extradited from France facing charges for causing a fatal vehicle accident in North Carolina.
Rostislav Panev, a dual Russian and Israeli national, faces charges in New Jersey linked to the LockBit ransomware group. Marco Tulio Fernandez-Rodriguez, 24, from the Dominican Republic, faces charges in New York related to an attempted robbery that resulted in two deaths.
The extradition list also includes Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, from the United Kingdom, facing fraud charges in Florida, and Bikramjit Ahluwalia, 39, from Spain, facing fraud and other charges in North Carolina. Danhong “Jean” Chen, known as Maria Sofia Taylor, 60, from the Kyrgyz Republic, faces charges in California related to immigration fraud.
Significant assistance in securing arrests and extradition was provided by the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service, with acknowledgments extended to the varying international law enforcement partners involved.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.