Washington, D.C. - -Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Embassy Security Act, which includes funding for the State Department.  “The passage of this legislation represents a growing recognition by Congress that we must act now to stop the rising tide of American citizens who commit crimes in the United States and attempt to flee our judicial system by seeking safe harbor in foreign countries,” said Brady. 

The bill includes a measure authored by U.S. Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX), a member of the House International Relations Committee, that requires the State Department to identify countries that have become safe havens for criminals, identify factors which contribute to the international extradition problem, and submit to Congress a report on updating and modernizing outdated extradition treaties.

“100 years ago, criminals fled across state and county lines to escape justice. Today, criminals flee the country and continent,” said Brady. “This measure is designed to start the process to close safe havens by updating and modernizing outdated U.S. extradition treaties, half of which pre-date World War II.”

Recent cases illustrate the loopholes and injustices of current extradition laws. These include Maryland’s Samuel Sheinbein who fled to Israel, Florida’s Jose Luis Del Toro Jr. and California serial killer David Alvarez who both sought refuge in Mexico, and Pennsylvania convicted murderer Ira Einhorn who remains free in France.

“The world has gotten smaller. Those engaged in drug trafficking, terrorism, violent crime, fraud, and corruption are taking advantage of outdated treaties,” said Brady.

“This legislation sends a signal to the world that America is serious about closing safe havens and that the international community has a responsibility to work together to address this growing problem,” said Brady. “Just as countries have updated their trade, human rights, and environmental laws to reflect a changing world, it’s time for the international community to update their extradition agreements. If we succeed, criminals will have nowhere to hide.”