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Swoop on cruise ship for wanted Guatemala football official
US authorities swooped at dawn Friday on a Disney cruise ship in Florida where a top Guatemalan football official wanted over the deepening FIFA corruption scandal was enjoying a family holiday, officials and media said.
Hector Trujillo, secretary general of Guatemala`s Football Federation, was among 16 more current or former football officials indicted in the United States on Thursday, part of a roiling scandal at FIFA, the game`s graft-mired world governing body.
"Hector Trujillo was arrested this morning at approximately 6:00 am (1100 GMT) by CBP (customs) without incident on a cruise ship in Port Canaveral, Florida," said FBI spokeswoman Kelly Langmesser.
"He was then turned over to FBI custody. He was to be presented in federal court today in Florida."
Trujillo, 62, was aboard a Disney cruise ship with several relatives, including grandchildren, when he was arrested, said the WPLG channel.
In addition to his work at the national football federation, Trujillo is an alternate judge in the Constitutional Court, Guatemala`s highest tribunal.
"This is an event that impacts the Constitutional Court because of the serious accusations made against a judge, and this impacts all the people of Guatemala," said the head of Guatemala`s Constitutional Court, Gloria Porras.
Guatemalan prosecutors said separately the US had sent an extradition request for the head of the football federation, Brayan Jimenez.
The executive committee of Guatemala`s football federation said it had suspended Jimenez and Trujillo and a general assembly would make final decisions about their posts on December 22.
They are suspected of taking bribes to attribute marketing rights for major FIFA fixtures, in the process violating US laws on wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
Jimenez was a member of FIFA`s committee for fair play and social responsibility. He stepped down from that role just hours before Trujillo`s arrest was announced.
Another Guatemalan indictee is Rafael Salguero, a former FIFA executive committee member.