The United States Embassy is reacting to the extradition to Albania of Sokol Hoxha, who went into hiding for 3 decades despite being sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The response states that the United States will never be a safe haven for criminals.
Hoxha was convicted of the murder of two brothers in Albania and an Albanian woman in Belgium.
Embassy reaction
Sokol Hoxha thought he could escape his past. Convicted in absentia for a double murder in Albania (2000) and another murder in Belgium (2010), Hoxha spent decades evading law enforcement — using a false identity, securing legal status in another European country, and, eventually, obtaining legal permanent residency in the United States under an assumed name.
That changed thanks to the tireless work of the International Criminal Investigations Unit of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana. Working with the U.S. Marshals Service, ICE, the Department of Justice, INTERPOL, and the Albanian State Police, DSS played a key role in accurately identifying Hoxha — uncovering a nearly 30-year period of concealment of his identity.
This case is a powerful reminder: The United States will not serve as a safe haven for those who abuse our immigration system to avoid accountability for violent crimes committed abroad. DSS is proud to stand alongside our domestic and international partners in this mission.
