Tegucigalpa, Oct 7 (EFE).- A reputed Honduran drug trafficker wanted by U.S. judicial authorities was captured Tuesday in this capital, the head of the National Police, Ramon Sabillon, announced.
Hector Emilio Fernandez was arrested in an operation staged by several local police forces and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Sabillon told reporters.
The suspect "has (had) an extradition request from the United States" pending against him since 2013 and is accused of heading an organization "devoted to drug trafficking," said the police official.
Sabillon refused to rule out "some kind of relationship" between Fernandez and the Valle Valle brothers - Luis Alonso, Miguel Arnulfo and Jose - who are in prison in Honduras and are also wanted by the United States for drug trafficking.
The Valle Valle brothers, who were arrested late last week, were identified in August as drug kingpins by the U.S. Treasury via legislation known as the "Kingpin Act."
Their sister, Digna Azucena, was arrested in July in South Florida and is in jail.
The United States also has requested the extradition of Juving Alexander Peralta, another alleged Honduran drug trafficker, who was arrested in Tegucigalpa last month.
Peralta is considered to be one of the closest collaborators of Carlos Arnoldo Lobo, who on May 8 officially became the first Honduran to be extradited to the United States and in September was found guilty of drug trafficking crimes in federal court in Miami.
Honduras is used as a waystation or conduit through which South American drug traffickers send their illegal products - mainly cocaine - to the United States by air and sea. So far this year, Honduran authorities have seized more than 3,000 kilos (more than 3 tons) of illicit substances.
