Guatemala City, May 25 (IANS): Guatemala has extradited its former president Alfonso Portillo to the US where he will face charges of money laundering, according to official sources here.
A federal court from New York wanted Portillo to face a legal process for conspiracy to launder some $70 million which had gone through US banks to legitimize the money, reports Xinhua.
"Thanks to the efforts of the democratically elected Guatemalan government and to the legal and police officials for the extradition, which was authorized since 2011 by the Guatemalan Supreme Court," the US embassy said in a statement.
Guatemala's Minister of Interior Mauricio Lopez Bonilla validated the extradition according to the country's law. Portillo traveled in an air ambulance to New York city.