DOMINICAN FUGITIVES EXTRADITED: JORGE MATOS,

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001642 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR, L/LEI FOR TORRES AND MUELLER; DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR CRIM/OIA ORJALES AND ESTABROOK; US MARSHAL SERVICE PLEASE PASS TO CHRIS DUDLEY; DEA FOR OF,OFI,DO,DCO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CJAN CVIS SNAR KCRM DR SUBJECT: DOMINICAN FUGITIVES EXTRADITED: JORGE MATOS, NELSON SOLANO, AND LUIS DE LA ROSA ¶1. In the last several weeks, Dominican authorities have extradited three individuals to the United States for prosecution of a variety of narcotics-related offenses. ¶2. On May 15, 2006, U.S. Marshals returned Luis de la Rosa Montero to Puerto Rico for trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. As detailed in indictment 05-302 (DRD),filed on September 8, 2005, de la Rosa is charged with importation of and conspiracy to import both heroin and cocaine into the United States in violation of federal statute. ¶3. Four days earlier, on May 11, U.S. Marshals returned Nelson Solano Guzman to the United States for trial. According to indictment number 05 Cr. 563 (LTS),filed on May 24, 2005, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Guzman is likewise charged with narcotics violations, specifically conspiracy to import and distribute heroin. ¶4. The third subject, Jorge Antonio Matos Feliz, was charged on September 9, 2004 (superseding indictment number 03-CR-80-P-H) with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base. He was returned to the United States in the custody of U.S. Marshals for trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine on April 27, 2006. ¶5. Those who did not make free, knowing, and voluntary waivers of their right to a local extradition hearing were ultimately judged extraditable by the Criminal Chamber of the Dominican Supreme Court. All three extraditions were properly confirmed by presidential decree. ¶6. These three extraditions mark the 16th, 17th, and 18th extradition of fugitives to the United States during FY-2006 and bring to a total of 8 the number of fugitives extradited in CY-2006. The charges pending against these individuals reflect a larger trend in Dominican extraditions to the United States -- narcotics-related offenses supply the underlying charges against the vast majority of extradited Dominican fugitives (89% for FY-2006, 75% for CY-2006). HERTELL