Paraguay says U.S. seeks extradition of ex-South American soccer chief

ASUNCION, July 23 (Reuters) - The United States has sent Paraguay an extradition request for Nicolas Leoz, the former president of CONMEBOL, South America's soccer confederation, who was arrested on suspicion of racketeering in a corruption probe, Paraguay's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Leoz, 86, has been under house arrest since June 1 after he and 13 other international soccer officials and sports media and marketing executives were hit with U.S. charges involving more than $150 million in bribes. "We have received the documentation from the U.S. Embassy and have forwarded it to the Supreme Court," Juana Nunez, the ministry's liaison with Paraguay's justice system, told Reuters. An attorney for Leoz previously said that he was innocent and that his client had been surprised by the charges. (Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Richard Lough, editing by G Crosse)