FORMER Southampton midfielder Jhon Viafara has been extradited to the US from his native Colombia to face charges of drug-running.
Viafara, 41, who spent two years at St Mary’s after a £750,000 move to the south coast in 2006, was arrested in March.
Colombian cops escort ex-Southampton and Portsmouth ace Jhon Viafarais onto a plane for extradition to the US on drug-smuggling chargesCredit: AFP
Jhon Viafara is in handcuffs as the former Columbia star faces the next stage of his cocaine-smuggling caseCredit: AFP
Jhon Viafara is best-known in Britain for his 2006-2008 spell at SouthamptonCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Fingerprinting took place on Jhon Viafara before he was sent to the USCredit: Reuters
He is accused of importing two tonnes of cocaine to the US, valued at £21m, and has been held in custody for 10 months.
Viafara is alleged to have been the kingpin in an operation that used speed boats and small planes to send the drug into America.
US authorities have accused him of being the money man orchestrating payments to a “network of drug traffickers and co-ordinating routes to and from central America”.
Viafara was led on to his flight to Texas in handcuffs.
‘I USED TO SHARE A ROOM WITH MESSI’
The ex-midfielder, whose alias is “El Futbolista”, told reporters before boarding the plane to the States of his time behind bars.
He said: “I used to share a changing room with Messi, but now I’m having to share a room with somebody who has been at war in our country.”
Viafara, who won 34 caps, joined Portsmouth from Colombina side Once Caldas in June 2005.
But after 14 appearances under Alain Perrin, he lost his place when the Frenchman was sacked and replaced by Harry Redknapp.
He spent six months on loan with Real Sociedad before landing a three-yer deal at Southampton.
But he returned to Once Caldas in 2008, reportedly feeling home sick.
Spells followed with six other other clubs in his home country before he retired in 2015.
Jhon Viafara has been in custody for ten months, ahead of extraditionCredit: AFP
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
