A Nairobi Magistrate’s Court has approved the execution of an international arrest warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Antoine Kassis, an American citizen suspected of involvement in narcoterrorism and money laundering.
Kassis appeared before Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi at the Milimani Law Courts, where the magistrate ruled that the application by Kenyan authorities to extradite the suspect to the United States met the legal requirements under the Extradition Act.
Following the ruling, the court ordered Kassis’s extradition to the U.S., where he will face charges related to narcoterrorism and money laundering.
The suspect was apprehended in Nairobi in response to a warrant issued by the U.S. court. After his arrest, he was presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Milimani, where Kenyan police sought to detain him for 21 days to allow time for formal extradition proceedings.
According to case details, Kassis is alleged to be part of a U.S.-based criminal syndicate involved in trafficking drugs and laundering money from Colombia to Syria, in exchange for weapons trafficked back into Colombia.
The investigation, led by DEA Special Agent Melissa Schneider, revealed that Kassis worked with a broker named Kherfan to facilitate drug and arms deals. He allegedly provided money laundering services in Colombia and trafficked cocaine while also selling military-grade weapons diverted from the Syrian government to the black market.
With the court’s endorsement, Kassis is now set to be extradited to the United States to face trial on the charges against him.
