Chile soccer federation president flies to US amid probe

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - The president of Chile's soccer federation traveled to the United States on Tuesday amid a corruption investigation and less than a week after taking a 30-day medical leave.

Local television aired footage of a gaunt-looking Sergio Jadue arriving at Santiago's airport surrounded by a large group of reporters. Jadue declined to comment on whether he will be helping U.S. authorities who are investigating corruption in world soccer, saying only in a soft voice that he was taking "a couple of months of vacation" with his family before boarding a plane to Miami.

Last week, Jadue returned from an unexpected trip to Brazil and told reporters that he had no reason to resign and dismissed rumors that he had traveled to cooperate with U.S. authorities. Hours later, members of Chile's investigations police, the country's equivalent of the FBI, visited the headquarters of the federation to notify Jadue and other officials that they were wanted for questioning as part of a probe.

The head of Colombia's soccer federation, Luis Bedoya, recently resigned citing personal reasons. Both have been vice presidents of the embattled South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, but they were not among the soccer executives named in a U.S. Department of Justice probe in May.

Colombian prosecutors, however, have said they are investigating financial transactions by Bedoya and have requested information from U.S. authorities.

The U.S. Justice Department has indicted 14 soccer officials and businessmen on charges of bribery, racketeering, and money laundering. Among them are two former CONMEBOL presidents, who are fighting extradition to the U.S.

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Follow Luis Andres Henao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuisAndresHenao