Two fired Colombian prosecution officials on Wednesday have been extradited to the United States for selling classified information to drug traffickers, local media reported Wednesday.
The two individuals, a man and a woman, worked for the international office of Colombia’s prosecutor general. They are accused of using their access to classified information to warn prominent drug traffickers about ongoing investigations of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The ex-officials were arrested on Colombian territory in November last year. On Thursday, Colombia’s W Radio reported both had been called to appear before a New York City judge.
If found guilty, the pair could face up to 20 years in prison and may additionally have to pay a $250,000 fine, the New York City district court said.
According to Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, one of the suspects had access to information about planned extraditions of Colombian drug traffickers. Allegedly, the suspect sold this information to criminals for $30,000.
Ties between corrupt members of Colombian authorities are not uncommon. The security chief of former President Alvaro Uribe is in a U.S. prison for leaking information to drug trafficking organization “Oficina de Envigado” and three members of the military were arrested Wednesday while trafficking 300 kilos of cocaine allegedly belonging to drug lord “Megateo.”
MORE: Soldiers carrying 300 kilos of cocaine arrested in northern Colombia