Former Head of Mexico's State Oil Company Awaits Extradition
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:35 pm
FILE - Emilio Lozoya, former head of Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex, gives a press conference in Mexico City, Aug. 17, 2017.
Emilio Lozoya, the former CEO of Mexico's state oil company Pemex, who faces charges of money laundering and accepting bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, could be extradited to Mexico from a Spanish jail as early as Thursday.
Lozoya, who last led Pemex just over four years ago, was a fugitive on the run until his arrest in the Spanish town of Malaga in late February on an outstanding arrest warrant from Mexico.
Lozoya, who was close to former President Enrique Peña Nieto, decided to return voluntarily to Mexico and cooperate with prosecutors in cases against him for alleged corruption.
Mexico sent a plane to Spain to transport Lozoya because of the restrictions on commercial flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.