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Guatemala nixes presidential bid of politician nabbed in US, linked to drug cartel

Guatemala's electoral court has annulled the candidacy of a presidential hopeful arrested in the U.S. last week and accused of ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel

A banner of presidential candidate Mario Estrada Orellana, with the National Change Unit (UCN) party, hugging children hangs outside his party's headquarters in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 18, 2019. Estrada Orella, 58, was arrested Wednesday in Miami on drug and weapons charges, accused of plotting to assassinate political rivals and let drug dealers use Guatemala's ports and airports. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A banner of presidential candidate Mario Estrada Orellana, with the National Change Unit (UCN) party, hugging children hangs outside his party's headquarters in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 18, 2019. Estrada Orella, 58, was arrested Wednesday in Miami on drug and weapons charges, accused of plotting to assassinate political rivals and let drug dealers use Guatemala's ports and airports. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)Read moreMoises Castillo / AP
    by The Associated Press, The Associated Press
    Published 

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala's electoral court has annulled the candidacy of a presidential hopeful arrested in the U.S. last week and accused of ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

The tribunal says its decision is due to "the notorious deeds that were revealed" in the case of Mario Amilcar Estrada Orellana. It's applying a constitutional article concerning the suitability of candidates for elected office.

Estrada and an alleged accomplice were detained April 17 in Miami on drugs and weapons charges, accused of plotting to assassinate political rivals and let traffickers use Guatemalan ports and airports.

Estrada’s party has sought to distance itself from the allegations while asking for his presumption of innocence to be respected. Yoni Avila of the Union of National Change party said Wednesday that it would not appeal the ruling.