The United States federal judiciary moved to advance the extradition of former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, with an order issued this Wednesday that places him under arrest and sets the stage for his transfer to Peru. The case centers on Toledo’s alleged involvement in the Odebrecht corruption network, a sprawling inquiry that stretched across multiple Latin American nations and raised questions about political accountability during his time in office.
During a video conference hearing, a California judge urged Toledo to surrender to law enforcement authorities by the upcoming Friday at 9:00 a.m. local time (16:00 GMT) on the West Coast. The directive directs Toledo to appear at a designated federal facility as part of the ongoing extradition process.
Specifically, Toledo, who governed Peru from 2001 to 2006, is ordered to travel to the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building, the former home of the Northern District Court of California in San Jose, where the formal proceedings connected to his surrender will play out. The court explicitly stated that Toledo should be confined in a detention facility until his handover to Peruvian authorities is completed. The judge emphasized that safe-keeping is essential as the extradition unfolds.
Residing in San Francisco, Toledo had been expected to be arrested for extradition on an earlier date, but the process experienced multiple delays through various legal channels. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied a request for a further hearing to reconsider the surrender arrangements, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office asked the court to reactivate the arrest warrant in light of new developments. These steps reflect the federal government’s continued commitment to fulfilling the extradition request amid evolving legal considerations.
Toledo, aged 77, was previously taken into custody in California in 2019 and spent several months in a secure facility before being placed under house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic period starting in March 2020. Later developments prompted the Department of Justice to review the case again and to receive input from the State Department, which ultimately indicated consent for extradition on a timeline consistent with Peru’s requests. The DOJ’s assessment found sufficient grounds to justify surrender, a conclusion affirmed by corresponding interagency coordination.
Peruvian authorities contend that Toledo received an amount approaching $34 million tied to the Odebrecht construction enterprise. Investigations suggest funds were routed through a network of offshore entities used to acquire substantial real estate holdings in Peru, a pattern that raised serious questions about illicit financial flows and the influence of private interests on public contracting. The allegations point to activities including money laundering, collusion, and influence peddling connected to contracts awarded to Odebrecht for major cross-border infrastructure projects between Brazil and Peru.
The Odebrecht affair, widely regarded as one of the most extensive corruption scandals in Latin America, implicates a long line of political figures and public figures in Peru, notably including relatives and close associates of former presidents. The case has underscored the ongoing challenge of ensuring transparency and accountability in government procurement and public-sector governance across the region. In Peru’s political landscape, the affair has become a reference point for debates about reform and anti-corruption measures, with broad implications for public trust and international cooperation in legal processes. (Source attribution: governmental and judicial authorities involved in the case)”