Swiss extradite FIFA bribery case suspect Esquivel to US

Posted March 07, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

BERN, Switzerland (AP) - Switzerland's justice ministry says a former Venezuela soccer federation president, Rafael Esquivel, has been extradited to face bribery charges in the United States in the widening FIFA case.

The Swiss office says two American police officers "took charge of him in Zurich and accompanied him on the flight to New York" on Monday.

Esquivel should appear in federal court in Brooklyn within 24 hours.

He was detained by Swiss authorities since being arrested at a Zurich hotel last May, and finally agreed last month to be extradited.

American prosecutors allege Esquivel took bribes worth millions of dollars linked to Copa America tournaments, including one hosted by Venezuela.

A U.S. indictment noted that Esquivel owned several residential properties in Florida.

Two soccer officials remain detained in Switzerland in the FIFA case.

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