Life sentence possible for woman accused in Puerto Rico of hiring hitman to kill husband

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Authorities say a Puerto Rican woman accused in a murder-for-hire scheme faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Aurea Vazquez Rijos was arrested Sunday in Spain as she was getting off a flight from Italy. The fugitive was charged in 2008 with hiring a man to kill her wealthy Canadian husband in a tourist district of the U.S. island's capital.

U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez told reporters Monday that the suspect is "exposed to life imprisonment on the charges as it is now."

Carlos Cases is a FBI special agent in charge in Puerto Rico. He says investigators recently received information that Vazquez had bought a plane ticket to Spain using her U.S. passport.

Officials say the extradition process could take nine months.