Two sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli were arrested in Coral Gables for being in the U.S. illegally, authorities said.
Luis Martinelli-Linares and Ricardo Martinelli-Linares were taken into custody Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed Wednesday. Both had legally entered the U.S. but their visas were revoked in 2017 and they have been in the country illegally since that time, officials said.
Last year, it was reported that the brothers were being sought by Interpol for an alleged bribery scheme involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Their father, Ricardo Martinelli, was arrested last year in Coral Gables and extradited back to Panama this past summer to face possible charges of political espionage. The 66-year-old ex-leader is accused of intercepting the communications of at least 150 people and spending millions on spy equipment during his 2009-2014 term.
Martinelli, who made a court appearance earlier this week, has denied the charges.
