It’s time for President Obama to pursue Maj. Hoerig’s killer

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins has a question for President Barack Obama: If you had the courage to send elite troops into Pakistan to extract Osama bin Laden, why can’t you get Brazil to turn over an American citizen to stand trial on charges of murdering another American citizen on U.S. soil?

Specifically, Watkins wants to try Claudia Hoerig in the death of her husband, U.S. Air Force Reserve Maj. Karl Hoerig in their Newton Falls home more than four years ago. Before Maj. Hoerig’s body was found, Claudia Hoerig fled. And she is being protected by the Brazilian government for reasons that are unclear. She was indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on a charge of aggravated murder with a gun specification. The United States has an extradition treaty with Brazil that clearly calls for her to be returned to the United States to face the charges.

Watkins points out that Claudia Hoerig is not a Brazilian citizen. She voluntarily renounced her Brazilian citizenship in 1999, under her married name at the time, Claudia Bolte. Yet Brazilian authorities continue to protect her from the justice she should face, citing her having been born in Brazil. Legally her citizenship status trumps her place of birth.

Watkins is quite serious in suggesting that he’d like to see Hoerig returned to the United States by any possible means. He even notes that the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case of a man brought forcibly from Mexico to face charges in the killing of a U.S. drug enforcement agent.

We’re reluctant to endorse such extraordinary measures in this case. Hoerig is accused of the callous murder of her husband, but she is not a bin Laden.

Decorated veteran

Still, it is disturbing that the Obama administration has not taken all of the steps it could to see to it that Claudia Hoerig is returned to the United States. The commander in chief should feel a special responsibility in this case since the victim is a decorated military veteran.

Certainly the United States should give Brazil no cooperation in any extradition action in which Brazil is seeking the return of one of its citizens from the United States. But since such cases may be few and far between, Obama should instruct the State Department to pursue pressure in other areas, up to and including the rejection of visas for travel in the United States.

Some would say that would constitute drastic action. We would say that Brazil’s refusal to surrender Claudia Hoerig is such a violation of its international obligation to serve justice that a drastic response is warranted.

Claudia Hoerig is presumably enjoying her freedom in Brazil, while the family of Karl Hoerig is tortured by the prospect that they may never see justice. As long as that continues, the Brazilian and U.S. governments share the shame.