Since the SEC can't enforce actions outside of their jurisdiction, this actually makes total sense.

just load the guy on the plane and charge him the moment the plane enters the US airspace ...

What would your reaction be if, for example, an EU country detained and prosecuted a US CEO?

Should they be allowed or should they be returned home and charged by their own government?

What would your reaction be if the CFO of a Chinese company was arrested in Canada and extradited to the US? ;-) These kinds of things do happen.

>What would your reaction be if, for example, an EU country detained and prosecuted a US CEO?

elation?

The guy in question lives in the US.

The SEC enforcement arm doesn't have much outside of debarment and fines.

Because any fraud committed by a CEO (or other executive position) can be solved by simply removing them from the position. You really can't commit fraud vs investors if you aren't the CEO (or other major position of power).

> The SEC enforcement arm doesn't have much outside of debarment and fines.

The heavy lifting is done by criminal referral to DOJ; other federal agencies don't get to do criminal prosecution even when they are the frontline enforcement agency for a law with criminal penalties.

Criminal referrals tend to be slower than SEC civil enforcement action (especially settlements), so if they happen behind the scenes, you won't necessarily know about them until later.