MIAMI, United States — A man wanted for a 2010 murder in Miami has been extradited from Kenya and now faces charges of second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon, bringing an end to a 15-year international manhunt.
Nicolas Soares, 34, appeared in a South Florida courtroom on Thursday morning after being flown back to the U.S. from Nairobi, where he had been captured through a coordinated operation involving the Miami Police Department and federal authorities.
According to court records, the case dates back to September 2010, when Soares, then 19, allegedly went to the home of Herbert Caniza with the intent to rob him of cash and marijuana.
Police say that when Caniza opened his front door, Soares shot him in the chest and fled the scene.
Investigators later determined that Soares planned the robbery because he “needed more money and marijuana to sell,” according to the Miami Police Department’s arrest warrant.
A witness reportedly corroborated the robbery plan, the motive, and how Soares obtained the firearm used in the crime.
Detectives also interviewed Soares’ mother, who told investigators that her son had called her shortly after the incident, claiming he was “in danger” and needed to leave the area immediately. She later arranged for him to travel to Brazil, where he was believed to have stayed with relatives before disappearing into East Africa.
Authorities say that after years of cold leads, a renewed multi-agency investigation earlier this year traced Soares to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Working closely with Interpol and Kenyan security agencies, U.S. officials secured his arrest and subsequent extradition.
The arrest warrant was signed in March 2025, and Soares was formally booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday, where he remains held without bond.
Police officials in Miami described the extradition as “a testament to international cooperation and the relentless pursuit of justice.”
“This case shows that time and distance cannot shield anyone from accountability,” a Miami-Dade spokesperson said.
Soares is expected to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge next week for a pre-trial hearing. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence under Florida law.
