Daniel Salcedo and Ronald Herrera to be Extradited to United States on October 29

Ecuador's Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, announced on October 14 that Daniel Salcedo Bonilla and Ronald Herrera Ramírez are scheduled for extradition to the United States on October 29. Both individuals are currently incarcerated in the El Encuentro prison, located in the province of Santa Elena.

The extradition follows the National Court of Justice of Ecuador (CNJ) granting the request on October 1, after both Salcedo and Herrera had accepted their transfer to U.S. authorities on September 9.

In the United States, Daniel Salcedo Bonilla and Ronald Herrera Ramírez face accusations filed before the Southern District Court of New York. Shared charges include conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of firearms (machine guns), and conspiracy to possess such weaponry. Additionally, Daniel Salcedo faces two further charges: illicit association to commit money laundering and money laundering. According to the accusation, Salcedo allegedly agreed with Herrera and others to traffic Colombian cocaine through Ecuador to international destinations between 2023 and 2026.

In Ecuador, both Salcedo and Herrera are involved in the Magnicidio FV case, which concerns the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9, 2023, in Quito. Salcedo is among seven individuals prosecuted as alleged intellectual authors of the crime, while Herrera is a protected witness for the Prosecutor's Office in that case.

What to watch

The upcoming extradition on October 29 will transfer these individuals to U.S. jurisdiction to face the specified charges. This action concludes the Ecuadorian legal process for their extradition and initiates the U.S. judicial proceedings related to the alleged narcotics and money laundering activities.

Sources: eluniverso.com; vistazo.com.