U.S. Welcomes Extradition of Drug Trafficking Suspect by Guatemala

Guatemala on Friday handed over one of its most wanted drug fugitives to the United States, which noted the extradition as the Central American country's "most important" in decades.

Aler Baldomero Samayoa, alias "Chicharra" (Cicada), is accused of leading a group called Los Huistas, which allegedly trafficked US-bound cocaine from South America to Mexican cartels.

He was captured in Mexico in March and deported to Guatemala as a result of joint efforts between the two countries and the United States, officials said at the time.

Announcing his extradition, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said that he hoped the suspect would "share a lot of information" with US authorities to help the fight against the "scourge" of drug trafficking.

The US embassy in Guatemala City described his handover as "the most important extradition in decades" by the country to the United States.

In March, Samayoa told reporters from his cell that he would accept the charges against him.