The United States of America’s request for the extradition of Mark Seawell, one of three Seawell brothers who have a charge of drug trafficking against them, has been granted; his defense says it will appeal the judgment.
Seawell’s claim of his rights being infringed upon by his imprisonment in February 2007, on the extradition request from America, was dismissed in court as well.
The US claims that during the time frame of 1994 and August of 1997, all three Seawell brothers, Mark, Gary and Dwayne, were involved in drug trafficking.
“It says that they [all three Seawell brothers] organized a group to sell marijuana in Texas and to import cocaine from Belize through Mexico for distribution in Columbus, Ohio, and it says they caused over a million dollars to be sent in drug proceeds via wire transfers to Houston, Texas; Lakeland, Florida; and Belize City, Belize,” Arthur Saldivar, one of this Seawell brother’s defense attorneys said.
Mark’s case concluded in the Supreme Court of Justice John Muria, where it was decided that the 1870 through to 1932 United Kingdom’s Extradition Acts are still applicable to the laws of Belize, regardless of the Belize 2000 Extradition Treaty.
The application of the 1870 through to 1932 UK Extradition Acts was argued by Priscilla Banner and Magali Perdomo of the Attorney General’s Ministry on behalf of the United States as the law which still governs the extradition of fugitives between Belize and America.
Seawell’s defense is comprised of three attorneys, Dr. Elston Kaseke, Richard “Dickie” Bradley and Arthur Saldivar. Dr. Kaseke, during the trial, argued that since the enactment of the Belize 2000 Extradition Treaty, this should be the only law to be followed in the extradition of persons in Belize to America.
Kaseke said that his client “will appeal the judgment in the Court of Appeal.”
While Mark is set to appeal his extradition to America, his brother, Dwayne, was not that lucky, as he was captured by American authorities in February 2007 while in Jamaica and sent to Miami; Dwayne was convicted of the charge and is currently serving a 17-year sentence.
Gary, however, is still awaiting his day in court on the extradition request from America; the case was adjourned until August 30, 2010.