The government of Honduras has received a request from the U.S. for the extradition of Jaime Rosenthal, 80, the country's former vice president, on the basis of money laundering related to drug trafficking.
Arturo Corrales, foreign minister of Honduras, said Saturday that the request must be sent to the country's Supreme Court by Tuesday in order to receive a ruling, reported The Washington Post. "It's not a day of joy for Honduras, [and] it's not even close to a day of joy for the Rosenthal family," Corrales said, according to Agence France-Presse. "We all regret and would prefer that it did not happen, but the extradition request is in."
The request was received just before Christmas, Reuters noted, and it is another element in the thickening plot involving the illegal activities of the Rosenthal family.
The Rosenthals are one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Honduras. They were accused by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2015 of operating one of the most extensive money-laundering networks in Central America. Along with their lawyer Andres Acosta Garcia, they have been accused of running a 10-year operation that allegedly laundered funds for drug traffickers in Central America through American bank accounts using their Grupo Continental conglomerate, according to The Latin Correspondent.
Jaime Rosenthal's nephew, Yankel, president of Honduran soccer club Deportivo Marathon and a former minister of investment, was arrested in Miami this past October on charges of money laundering. That same month, the U.S. Treasury Department classified Jaime, Yankel and Jaime's son Yani, a former cabinet minister, under the Kingpin Act-a designation that freezes any assets that the individuals or companies might possess in the U.S., as well as prohibits American citizens from conducting business with them, The Los Angeles Times reported last month.
U.S. authorities have linked the Rosenthal family to the infamous Los Cachiros cartel, which is thought to be the major transport agent for cocaine between Colombian and Mexican groups, according to InSight Crime.
The family has denied the accusations, stating, "We have never been involved in illegal acts, much less in drug trafficking or money laundering activities," according to The Latin Correspondent.
