The Dept. of Justice said it requested Red Notices—or international wanted persons alerts–for two former FIFA officials and four corporate executives on charges including racketeering, conspiracy and corruption.
The move Wednesday is the latest development in the agency’s rapidly unfolding investigation into the world soccer organization and follows the resignation on Tuesday of longtime president Sepp Blatter, despite his reelection to the post days earlier.
It also follows arrests in Zurich last week of seven of 14 FIFA officials against whom the agency had brought similar charges. Swiss authorities, who made the arrests at the behest of the US, have opened their own probe into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The New York Times that a judge in New York ordered the release of the transcript of a 2013 hearing in which Chuck Blazer, an American former member of FIFA’s executive committee who is now cooperating with the authorities, pleaded guilty to racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering as part of the investigation into corruption in global soccer and the Federation Internationale de Football Association.
Those whose arrest was sought for extradition on Wednesday are Jack Warner of Trinidad & Tobago, Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay, Jose Margulies of Brazil, and Alejandro Burzaco and Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, all of Argentina.
INTERPOL assists national police forces in identifying or locating individuals with a view to their arrest and extradition. Only law enforcement authorities of the INTERPOL member country where the individual is located have the legal authority to make an arrest.
