Martinelli brothers arrested in US

Luis Enrique and Ricardo, sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli, were arrested Tuesday night for immigration reasons at their Coral Gables home.

Both sons are being detained at the Krome processing center in Miami, United States (US) , according to sources from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). English), from the US Department of Homeland Security.
  
Because the federal government is closed until next Monday for Thanksgiving  holidays, it is expected that they will both  face a hearing before a Court of migration, in the state of Florida only next week.

US immigration and judicial authorities in Panama confirmed that the Martinelli Linares brothers were detained on Tuesday, June 20, at 6919 Sunrise Terrace, Coral Gables, Miami.

"Both [Martinelli Linares brothers] legally entered the United States, however, their visas were revoked in 2017 and since then, they have been  residing illegally in the United States," said ICE, in a statement signed by its spokesman Bryan Cox.

At midday yesterday, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) of the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest of both Panamanians.  ICE is  an entity that has,  among its functions,  the investigation of cases of international corruption and money laundering.

Carlos Carrillo, a lawyer for the sons of the former president here in Panama, said he could not confirm the facts.

Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares were detained at the Krome processing center in Miami, Florida, United States (US), according to ICE sources.

The ICE Krome processing center is where people related to immigration problems or litigation in the US are attended.


Indeed, on January 29, 2017, this means, according to confirmation from several sources, published that the EU had revoked the visa of the brothers Martinelli Linares, as well as Marta Linares de Martinelli, wife of the former president. The reasons for the revocation of the visa were not specified.


In the Migration Court, the legal status of the Martinelli Linares brothers would be defined. There is where their  lawyers could file appeals.

In the event that the Migration Court decides the deportation of the Martinelli Linares brothers, they would be returned to Panama and handed over to the National Police, which would place them at the disposal of the competent judicial authorities for any pending criminal proceedings.

For her part, former First Lady Marta Linares de Martinelli , insisted in the media that her children have legal status in the United States and threatened to sue the media that, according to her, have lied about the case. "I’m going to sue all of them. Better have their sources well documented. They have told so many lies together. And then they say it’s against freedom of expression! Because his debauchery is going to swallow him very expensive"  she said in her Twitter account.

The sons of the former president face at least four criminal proceedings, two of which the Public Ministry (MP) asked Interpol to issue a red alert against them for their capture.

The MP, through the Foreign Ministry , requested the arrest, for both their  extradition, as part of the investigation for the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering, for the bribes paid by Odebrecht.

However, the lawyer Luis Eduardo Camacho González filed an amparo of guarantees against the MP’s decision to request the extradition of the Martinelli Linares brothers. The result of this resource is unknown.