Camilla Broe is the first Danish citizen to be extradited to a country outside the European Union, when she was handed over to the American police after being indicted on 14 counts of drug trafficking. She would have faced a sentence of up to 60 years in prison if she were convicted, but would have served only 6 months in the US before being deported to Denmark to serve another 2 to 8 years.US extradition application denied, by Julian Isherwood, Politiken, 25 August 2008Camilla Broe will be jailed in Denmark, KAROLINE A. MARKHOLST, BT, 3 September 2009
Alleged crime Broe was indicted by a Florida grand jury on 14 counts of drug trafficking. The Danish courts had not been presented with any evidence by the authorities in Florida. Both courts are only ruling whether the United States application for her to be extradited fulfills the formal demands according to the extradition agreement between the two countries.
However, the media published stories from unknown officials claiming that Broe was alleged to have been one of the leaders of a drug smuggling operation which imported some 100,000 Ecstasy pills from the Netherlands to Florida towards the end of the 1990s. According to unnamed sources inside the Florida state attorney office, she was the partner of the head of the operation and not only helped to enlist smugglers, but also laundering the proceeds from the sale of the drugs.
Broe arrived at the United States in 1986 in order to study and then started a relationship with a man whom she later had a daughter with. The boyfriend turned out to be violent and at some point he became involved with the drug market. Allegedly, without her social network and living in a foreign culture (albeit for 4 years) she was not able to end the relationship and, for this reason, her defense is based on the Battered woman syndrome. When the police arrested the boyfriend she fled back to Denmark. At the time of the arrest of her partner the police informed her of the possibility that they may wish to inquire further into her involvement with the drug operations but she was not arrested nor formally charged. Broe is not denying that her boyfriend was involved in the drug market.Camilla Broe – The Danish Faye Copeland , Ordinary Dane blog, 11 August 2009 Additionally, Broe confessed to involvement with arranging the drug couriers' trips.Camilla Broe tilstår, Ekstra Bladet, 11 November 2009
Life in Denmark Camilla Broe and her daughter, from Jacob Orgad aka "Koki" convicted Ecstasy Drug Kingpin , returned to Denmark without any wealth and with no income . Family and friends supported them until she found a job. She is not known to have been involved in any criminal activity while living in Denmark.Camilla Broes udlevering sat i bero , by Jens Ehlers, Jyllandsposten, 10 July 2009Terrorloven forfølger normale mennesker, by Asger Møller, knowncrimes.dk, 8 August 2009
Timeline On 7 August 2009, a board of Danish judges decided her case could be heard before the Danish Supreme Court.Danish woman facing extradition to U.S., by Julian Isherwood, Politiken, 7 August 2009
She was placed on house arrest with work release until extradition could be processed. However, she was jailed when she appealed the ruling to European Court of Human Rights, the house arrest being changed to incarceration in jail. She was taken to Vestre Fængsel on 10 August 2009. This prison is regarded as very tough compared to the county jail in Elsinore, where she had been detained previously.
Her case has been accepted by the European Court of Human Rights, but it did not stop her from being extradited to Florida.
The family has now created a foundation in order to raise money for her defence because her personal financial situation is not sufficient to provide a legal defense.
She was detained at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. Her inmate number is #82672-004.
Expected trial date was March 2012, but political pressure forced the court to start the trial no later than 14 December 2009.
On 5 January 2010, the judge ruled that the charges were subject to statutes of limitations.Sagen mod Camilla Broe droppes , by ptho, TV2 News, 6 January 2010
However, on 12 January 2010, the prosecution requested that the case be tried by a higher court authority, informing that a new trial date has been set to 1 March 2010.Camilla Broe bliver ikke løsladt , by Kaare Sørensen, jp.dk, 12 January 2010
On 25 February 2010, the court set her free but - because she entered the US under police escort - she faced charges of immigration violation.Camilla Broe acquitted, but stuck in US , RC News, The Copenhagen Post, 26 February 2010
She returned to Copenhagen on 1 March 2010.Camilla Broe er landet i Danmark, Berlingske Tidende, 1 March 2010 She had to take a direct flight as international arrest orders had not yet been cancelled.Føljetonen om Camilla Broe fortsætter, by Jens Noergaard Larsen, Danish Radio, 28 February 2010
On 22 March 2010 the appeal court followed the previous rulings and the case against her was dropped.Camilla Broe slipper for nok en retssag, Berlingske Tidende, 22 March 2010
On 8 February 2013 the court in Lyngby awarded her DKK 701,362.11 for her time spent in Danish jails while she was waiting for the extradition case to be done.Narkoudleveret Camilla Broe får erstatning, Denmarks Radio, 8 February 2013 If she wants to seek compensation for her time spent in the United States she has to make case in the United States.
On 26 August 2014 decided the Danish Supreme Court that Camilla Broe not be entitled to compensation from the Danish State as conditions for extradition were met. If she wants compensation for her time in prison she must seek it in the United States for the time she spent in prison in Denmark and the US. The decision means that the Danish government never has to pay compensation in extradition cases. The Danish citizen must always seek compensation in the country in where he or she is extradited to.
Date or PeriodDescription1986Camilla Broe arrives in the United States where she meets her then boyfriend, Jacob Orgad aka "Koki". She becomes a naturalized citizen Udvist mor: Jeg vil have en ende på sagen, Anni Kristensen and Jens Ehlers, Jyllandsposten, 2 July 20091995 to 1998The boyfriend engages in illegal drug smuggling Ecstasy from Europe to Florida. At this stage, the relationship had become violent.July 2001The police informs her that they consider investigating her unless she testifies against her former boyfriend. She chooses to return to Denmark Domstol afviser Camilla Broe, by Jacob Gyldenløve, Denmarks Radio, 12 August 2009March 2003She is secretly charged in Florida Her er Camillas plageånd, by Mikkel Selin, Heine Jørgensen and Carsten Norton, Ekstra Bladet, 24 August 2009December 2007The police arrest her based on the Danish anti-terrorism laws until the extradition request can be validated.May 2008After having negotiated the terms of the extradition agreement between Denmark and the United States, the justice department in Denmark accept that she can be extradited if the court system find that the extradition request is in order.August 2008The Lyngby District Court rules that the human concern as described in the Human rights conventions Denmark has signed outweighs the extradition request from Florida.July 2009The Eastern High court rule that she should be extradited.Florida wins extradition case, by Julian Isherwood, Politiken, 2 July 2009 She is taken into custody later that day but released a few days later because she does not impose a flight risk.Camilla Broe løsladt fra fængsel, by jely / japi, TV2, 7 July 2009August 2009Danish Appeals Permission Board denies her case to be heard before the supreme court. This ruling came as a surprise for legal experts in general, which has led some of the public to speculate whether the ruling is political Forsvarer kritiserer nævn, Berlingske Tidende, 7 August 20094 September 2009She was extradited to the United States. A press conference was held at Copenhagen airport before she was turned over to the US Marshals. Two days before the extradition process it was discovered that the charges against her were not valid according to Danish laws, so the prosecution in the United States was allegedly ordered to alter the charges., by Jely, TV2 news, 3 September 2009 She left Denmark on a commercial Delta Air Lines flight at 11:25.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge, Mark R. Trouville announces the extradition of Camilla Broe, marking the first time a Danish citizen has ever been extradited to the United States.Drug Enforcement Administration Extradites Danish Woman, First Dane Extradited to the United States , U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration press-release