Kenya Extradites Afghan Drug Lord to the US

Kenya extradited an Afghan national to the United States on Thursday, 9 July, to face narcotics and firearms charges after a Kenyan court approved his transfer following extradition proceedings.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the handover took place after proceedings at the Milimani Law Courts were completed. The suspect, who had been in custody since his arrest in Nairobi in April 2025, was escorted from Industrial Area Prison to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where he was formally handed over to United States officials.

The case began in March 2025 when the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant for the man's arrest. He is accused of taking part in a conspiracy to import narcotics and of offences involving machine guns and destructive devices. 

INTERPOL later issued a Red Notice, allowing law enforcement agencies in member countries to locate and arrest him pending extradition. Kenyan detectives arrested the suspect shortly after he arrived in Nairobi from Kabul, after which the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions began extradition proceedings.

In a statement, the DCI said the extradition was carried out through cooperation between Kenyan authorities, the United States government, the Judiciary and INTERPOL. The agency said the transfer reflected the long-standing partnership between Kenya and the United States in tackling transnational organised crime and reaffirmed Kenya's commitment to the rule of law and its international obligations.