US requests extradition of former Guatemalan VP

Two years ago Roxanna Baldetti resigned the vice presidency of Guatemala. She was subsequently arrested on corruption charges. The United States just requested her extradition on drug trafficking charges. Baldetti is suspected of involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring while in office (2010-2015). According to the BBC, she is accused of

• "Taking a 50% cut of illegal payments channelled to officials helping businesses evade customs duties
• Conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the US
• Leading a scheme in which millions were spent on a product to decontaminate a lake; the product turned out to be mainly sea water."

Although she was not the only one, and might not be the biggest fish, it takes a bit of chutzpah to oversee such a criminal racket while vice president. Former VP Baldetti will have to stand trial on the customs and lake schemes before extradition.

The Obama administration seemed to have worked well enough with the Hernandez, Funes/Ceren, and Perez Molina governments. The benefits to working closely with them was determined to outweigh the costs of avoidance. However, each administration was tainted by officials allegedly involved in corruption and drug trafficking. The US voiced very few concerns publicly. Perhaps this is an area where Trump's bluntness will provide some needed spark. Depending upon the evidence that we have at this point in time, I don't think that would be such a bad consideration.