Sokol Hoxha Extradited to Albania, U.S. Embassy: The United States Is Not a Safe Haven for Criminals Who Abuse the Immigration System

Sokol Hoxha has been extradited from the United States to Albania. He had been convicted in absentia of a double murder committed in Albania in 2000, as well as another murder in Belgium in 2010.

Following a lengthy investigation, the authorities managed to identify Hoxha and discovered that he had concealed his identity for nearly three decades.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the U.S. Embassy said the case demonstrates that the United States will not become a safe haven for individuals who abuse the immigration system to avoid being held accountable for their crimes.

According to the statement, Hoxha had evaded justice by using a false identity. Under an assumed name, he had initially obtained legal status in another European country and later permanent residency in the United States.

His true identity was uncovered thanks to the efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s (DSS) International Criminal Investigations Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Marshals Service, ICE, the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL, and the Albanian State Police.

Concluding its statement, the U.S. Embassy reaffirmed that the United States will not be a safe haven for individuals who misuse the immigration system to evade responsibility for serious crimes committed abroad. The Embassy also praised its cooperation with Albanian and international partners in combating crime.