Israeli Crime Boss Eran Haya Extradited to Israel After Two-Year US Legal Battle

After a legal battle spanning over two years in the United States, Israeli crime boss Eran Haya, a prominent police intelligence target, is set to be extradited to Israel. The extradition order was signed on Wednesday, and Haya is expected to return to Israel after a nine-year absence to face charges related to attempted murder. Police have gathered evidence, including a recorded video call, allegedly linking him to a plot to assassinate criminal Eli Mosli.

Documents from the proceedings in the U.S. District Court in New York detail the evidence against Haya concerning the attempted assassination of Mosli, the international operation that led to his arrest in Malaysia, and sharp criticism from a U.S. court regarding the FBI's conduct. Israeli and U.S. law enforcement agencies will coordinate Haya's transfer to investigators from the Tel Aviv District's Central Investigations Unit (Yamar) in the coming weeks, under heavy security.

Haya, the son of criminal Eitan Haya, known as the "Israeli Godfather," left Israel about nine years ago amid an investigation into the "Arab Spring" affair. He resided in several countries, including South Africa, Turkey, and Malaysia, allegedly continuing to manage his criminal operations in Israel from abroad, amidst a prolonged violent conflict with the Mosli family, former allies. Israel's extradition request charges Haya with two counts of attempted murder, along with weapons offenses, conspiracy, and other crimes. Central to the request is an alleged plot, foiled by police shortly before execution in January 2024, to assassinate Eli Mosli using a four-kilogram explosive device.

During his legal fight against extradition, Haya challenged the evidence's credibility, claiming a key witness received a promise of over $105,000 and a reduced sentence in exchange for cooperation. He also pointed to alleged contradictions in the extradition request and prosecution affidavits. However, Federal Judge Jennifer Willis ruled that the evidence provided a sufficient basis for approving extradition, noting that Haya's claims could be addressed in the Israeli criminal proceedings.

Haya's arrest involved extensive cooperation between Israeli and U.S. law enforcement. After moving to Malaysia in October 2023, and reportedly surviving an assassination attempt there, Israeli police shared his location with the FBI. He was arrested in Malaysia in April 2024 and transferred to the U.S. on May 13, 2024, where he faced charges related to passports and providing false information about his minor children. Haya argued his transfer to the U.S. was a pretext for his eventual extradition to Israel, citing his blindfolded transport and questioning during the flight about his Israeli enemies.

Internal FBI communications revealed during the proceedings suggested backdating documents related to his expulsion from Malaysia. Judge Willis expressed significant doubt about the U.S. authorities' actions for mere passport offenses and criticized their conduct. Nevertheless, she concluded that even if Haya's claims were true, they did not negate the court's authority to approve his extradition to Israel. The extradition order was finally signed on Wednesday, concluding over two years of legal proceedings.