US submits formal Assange extradition request

The United States has submitted its formal request to the United Kingdom to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to a US official with knowledge of the matter.

Assange was arrested in April at Ecuadorian embassy in London and the US had roughly 65 days -- or until mid-June -- to send in full extradition papers.

Prosecutors initially charged Assange with a single count of computer intrusion, but last month added 17 new counts, including controversial charges under the Espionage Act for encouraging, receiving and publishing national defense information in concert with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

Now that the formal extradition package is in, the Justice Department is unlikely to mount additional charges against Assange.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.