🔒 Inmate's release bid fails as US extradition awaits

Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale dismissed a habeas corpus application by Juan Carlos Gonzalez Infante, who claimed he was unlawfully detained. The Chief Justice deemed the application misguided as Gonzalez Infante has a right of appeal, with the hearing scheduled for 18 June. Gonzalez Infante, a Venezuelan national, has been detained for over four years due to numerous delays. He is appealing against his extradition to the United States on cocaine trafficking charges. A court ruled in November 2022 that he should be extradited, but this decision is subject to appeal. 🏛️

Gonzalez Infante arrived in the Cayman Islands in May 2019 and was arrested on suspicion of smuggling gold and money laundering. He has been in custody since then, with an application for his extradition to the USA made in November 2019. Despite being acquitted of smuggling and money laundering charges in March 2020, his application for bail was refused. The extradition hearing took place in November 2020, with the verdict being that the extradition request was lawful. The governor ordered his extradition to the US in March last year to stand trial for drug smuggling offences allegedly committed between 2006 and 2007. 🚁

While Gonzalez Infante's detention period has been lengthy, the chief justice found nothing unlawful about it given the circumstances. The case has experienced numerous delays due to issues such as legal aid, representation and securing medical reports. Gonzalez Infante, now 62, is reportedly suffering from several health issues, including early-onset dementia. 🏥