Swiss approve extraditing Esquivel to US in soccer probe

[ZURICH] Swiss authorities have approved the extradition of Venezuelan soccer official Rafael Esquivel to the United States as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in soccer, the government said on Tuesday.

The former president of the Venezuelan Football Federation and member of the executive committee of the South American Football Confederation was arrested in Zurich in May along with six other officials from world soccer body Fifa on a US warrant.

He has 30 days to appeal against the decision by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) to allow extradition, the FOJ said in a statement.

REUTERS