U.S. requests to drop case of 2 traders

The U.S. is moving to drop charges against two former JPMorgan Chase & Co. traders accused of hiding more than $6.2 billion in losses after it failed to extradite the two men.

Prosecutors in New York’s Manhattan borough on Friday asked a judge to dismiss the case against Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout, who live outside the U.S. They also said they could no longer rely on statements by Bruno Iksil, the Frenchman at the center of the case who was dubbed the “London Whale,” on the basis of his recent statements and writings that hurt the case.

Prosecutors announced their request to dismiss charges in a news release late Friday afternoon. Joe Evangelisti, a spokesman for the bank, declined to comment on the decision.