By Michelle Ndaga
U.S. fugitive Nicolas Soares, 34, has been arrested in Nairobi and extradited to the United States to face second-degree murder and armed robbery charges linked to a 2010 killing in Miami’s Little Havana.
Soares was taken into custody last week after Kenyan authorities acted on a tip from U.S. law enforcement. He was flown to Miami the same day, marking the end of a 15-year international manhunt.
According to prosecutors, Soares allegedly shot and killed Herbert Caniza during a robbery in March 2010 before fleeing the country with assistance from his mother. After years on the run, investigators traced him to Nairobi, where he had been living under an assumed identity.
Upon arrival in the U.S., Soares appeared in a Miami-Dade court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. His bond was set at $250,000.
The extradition underscores the strengthening law enforcement cooperation between Kenya and the United States, made possible through long-standing bilateral extradition treaties and increased coordination on transnational crime and fugitive tracking.
Officials from both countries have hailed the operation as a model of effective international partnership in bringing long-sought fugitives to justice.
