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Joran van der Sloot's Extradition to US Not a Done Deal

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on May 11, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Despite claims otherwise, Joran van der Sloot's extradition to the U.S. is not yet set in stone. Though a Peruvian judge approved his "provisional detention" last month, the convicted murderer has indicated that he intends to fight his extradition.

In court on Tuesday, van der Sloot told a judge that he would rather serve out the remainder of his 28-year murder sentence in Peru than be sent to the U.S. Rumor has it his jailed lifestyle is significantly more cushy than it would be in a federal prison.

Despite his objection, most agree that van der Sloot will be extradited at some point in the following months. Per the the U.S.-Peru extradition treaty, an extradition request must be granted if the individual has been charged with an offense punishable by at least a 1-year jail sentence in both countries.

Van der Sloot was indicted for wire fraud and extortion in 2010, according to CNN. There is evidence that he offered Natalee Holloway's mother fake information about her daughter's remains in exchange for $250,000. She paid him $25,000 of it.

Because the judge approved van der Sloot's provisional detention, it's been implied that extortion and fraud are higher-level crimes in Peru.

Granted, it's still possible that Peru's Supreme Court or government ministers will stop Joran van der Sloot's extradition. His lawyer claims he will not receive a fair trial in this country and that the U.S. will not return him once here, reports ABC News. However, the general consensus is that no one is willing to step in.

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