At around 10:30 this morning, Robert Hertular was taken from his cell at the Hattieville Prison and transferred to the Phillip Goldson International Airport where a private jet, chartered by the DEA was waiting for him. At 11:00, Hertular was flown out of Belize to stand trial in the United States for conspiracy to export controlled drugs, distribution of a controlled drug, impeding and intimidating a U.S. law enforcement officer, and obstruction of justice.
The extradition is after Hertular lost a case in the Supreme Court two days ago, and though he had 21 days to appeal, none had been filed, so U.S. and Belizean authorities seized on the opportunity and hustled him out today. But Hertular's Attorney Mike Peyrefitte says the extradition is thoroughly illegal.
Mike Peyrefitte, Hertular's Attorney
"What irks me is that Mr. Hertular had 21 days to appeal the decision of Mr. Barrow just a couple days ago. Section 14 (6) of the Court of Appeal act and Section 16 make it very clear that if we want to appeal to the court of appeal against that writ of habeas corpus being denied we had to apply either to Mr. Barrow or to the Court of Appeal and we had 21 days to do that. Now the government may come and say that Mr. Hertular like Mr. Herbert agreed to go. But we had to find out that this happened after it already had happened because then Mr. Hertular never called his wife, his attorney, or his parents so nobody knew he that was going when they came and they got him. And you know Mr. Kaseke told me that he has been extradited and then he burst out laughing like it is one big joke like he had one over me that he took my client out of the jurisdiction without my knowledge while we still had time within which we could present our appeal to challenge the writ of habeas corpus that was denied by Mr. Barrow"
Keith Swift,
Mr. Hertular lost his appeal on Wednesday so the government is claiming that was the green light for them to go ahead and extradite him.
Mike Peyrefitte,
"As I said the court of appeal act is very clear. The court of appeal act makes special provision for habeas corpus; whenever the writ is accepted or denied the party losing has 21 days within which they can appeal. And there is no need for any procedure before then because the law is clear. If you have 21 days to appeal that particular decision then you have your 21 days to prepare your appeal and then 21 days thereafter to prepare your grounds of appeal. So the law is very clear and I don't know what is the basis for them taking him out of the jurisdiction two days after a judgement was passed against him."
"We have to question whether or not it makes any sense to go through the legal process in Belize because if the U.S. wants you they just come and grab you and take you. There were no answers forthcoming today after I heard about the incident. Mr. Skeen from the prison would not answer my questions, Mr. Navarette would not answer my questions, Mr. Garcia would not answer any questions and finally I got through to the Solicitor General who said that this morning Mr. Hertular left. I mean there was no word to the attorney, no word to the family, no word to the parents, or nothing like that. That is totally unacceptable and as far as I am concerned it is kidnapping similar to what happened in the George Herbert situation."
Hertular was picked up on an extradition warrant in January. At the time he and his brother Hadrian were on bail for drug trafficking charges in Belize in connection with the discovery of over a 1,000 kilos of cocaine.
Follow Robert Hertular Trials and Tribulations Through our Archives:
. U.S. Wants Hertular
. Hertular Loses Constitutional Motion
. Hertular Will be Extradited
. Hertular Appeals
. Hertular Loses Appeal