Martinelli arrested in Florida, accused of espionage

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was arrested by U.S. authorities on Monday near Miami, Florida on charges of political espionage according to information from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Martinelli was taken into custody without incident according to Manny Puri, assistant chief of the agency's district office in Miami. Puri said deputy marshals had placed his residence under surveillance and acted on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the U.S. Justice Department. The warrant was in response a request from Panama issued last September seeking Martinelli's extradition.

Mr. Martinelli’s office issued a statement saying that the former president had requested political asylum in the United States. “The United States is a democracy where laws and the rights of citizens are respected,” the statement said.

Official sources told the newspaper La Prensa the next will be steps towards extradition. These steps include:

- A US Government Prosecutor filing a complaint stating an intent to extradite Martinelli.
- An extradition hearing to determine whether they will certify the extradition request.
- The Secretary of State has the final authority to deliver Martinelli to the Government of the Republic of Panama.