US Justice Dept: Venckiene in govt custody, no further detail

"I can confirm that Ms. Neringa Venckienė is in US government custody. As a matter of long-standing policy, the US Department of Justice generally does not comment on extradition-related matters," the department's spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman told BNS.

Last Wednesday, US authorities notified the Lithuanian Embassy to the United States about Venckienė's detention. At a court hearing on Thursday, Venckiene asked to be released on a bail, however, the plea was rejected. Prosecutors said the proceedings were held in Chicago.

If handed over to Lithuania, Venckienė may stand charges of refusing to obey a court order to hand over her small niece to her mother, as well as molesting the child, illicitly collecting information, abusing her rights as the girl's guardian and other crimes.