BERN, Switzerland (AP) The Swiss justice ministry on Wednesday granted a U.S. request to extradite Venezuelan football official Rafael Esquivel in a FIFA bribery investigation.
Esquivel is ''accused of receiving bribes worth millions of dollars in connection with the sale of marketing rights to the Copa America tournaments in 2007, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023,'' the Swiss ministry said in a statement.
Esquivel was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in May and faces 20 years in prison on racketeering charges.
He can appeal the extradition decision within 30 days at Switzerland's federal criminal court.