The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) has ordered the release of Juan Antonio Flete Lima and Lourdes Ivelisse Machuca Castillo, who are wanted for extradition by the US to face charges of laundering of assets resulting from drug trafficking. The court’s decision to stay the judgment is based on a similar process already being tried against the two in local courts for the alleged laundering of more than US$100 million. The Criminal Procedure Code states that no-one may be turned over to another court when a criminal trial is in process against the person in his/her own territory. The SCJ has confirmed that Flete and Machuca were related to a “powerful conspiracy” to perform multiple financial operations with the profits from the sale of controlled substances. The profit was used to buy automobiles and transport them under false names.