The Americas Post » Corruption, Asset Recovery & Transparency

Mexican cartel leader gets off easy in US court

tlc — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:18:30 +0000

The Americas Post - The Tijuana cartel leader got off with a lighter sentence than his underlings

Former drug capo Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty this week to federal racketeering and money-laundering conspiracy charges, putting an end to a long case against Mexico’s formerly most powerful organized crime group.

Arellano Felix, 58, the former leader of the Arellano Felix drug cartel, converted Tijuana into a major trafficking route to the U.S. during a 16-year run before his arrest in Mexico in 2002.

His group, also known as the Tijuana cartel, funneled tons of drugs into California, terrorized rivals, bribed Mexican law enforcement officials and financed luxurious lifestyles that became symbolic of Mexican organized crime.

According to the plea deal with federal prosecutors in San Diego, Arellano Felix admitted making hundreds of millions in profits, exchanging weapons for drugs from a rebel group in Colombia and training teams to assassinate competitors and witnesses.

Extradited from Mexico in April, he now faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, according to the agreement. Under terms of the extradition agreement with Mexico Arellano Felix was not subject to the death penalty, but many expected him to receive a life sentence.

His organization introduced paramilitary tactics, including .50-caliber machine guns and armored cars with oil and smoke dispensers to evade arrest.
The cartel regularly used chemicals to dispose of enemies, dissolving bodies in vats of acid.

As part of the plea agreement, four of the five original charges were dismissed. Arellano Felix pleaded guilty to only two counts: racketeering and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. He also agreed to forfeit $100 million, according to the agreement.

The U.S. attorney for San Diego, Laura Duffy, called the case historic.

“Arellano-Felix led the most violent criminal organization in this part of the world for two decades. Today’s guilty plea marks the end of his reign of murder, mayhem and corruption, and his historic admission of guilt sends a clear message to the Mexican cartel leaders operating today: The United States will spare no effort to investigate, extradite, and prosecute you for your criminal activities.”

Illinois governor gets 14 years for corruption

tlc — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:30:53 +0000

The Americas Post - Blagojevich keeps up with Illinois governor tradition by going to jail.

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of attempting to barter President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat for campaign cash or personal favors, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Blagojevich led the fifth-most populous American state from January 2003 to January 2009, one month after his arrest for what Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald called “a political corruption crime spree.”

Blagojevich, 54, was found guilty of 17 charges in June. Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge James Zagel for a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison, arguing it would set an example in a state where four of the nine most recent governors have been convicted for crimes committed before, during or after they held office.

The twice-elected Democrat received the longest sentence among the four Illinois governors sent to prison in the last four decades. He is the second in a row to go to jail; his Republican predecessor, George Ryan, is now serving 6 1/2 years. The other two did three years or less.

Blagojevich made a last plea for mercy, telling the judge he’d made “terrible mistakes” and admitted for the first time that he broke the law.

“I caused it all, I’m not blaming anybody,” Blagojevich said. “I was the governor and I should have known better and I am just so incredibly sorry.”

It didn’t help.

“Whatever good things you did for people as governor, and you did some, I am more concerned with the occasions when you wanted to use your powers … to do things that were only good for yourself,” Zagel said.

“The governor was not marched along this criminal path by his staff,” the judge concluded. “He marched them.”

Mexican PRI party leader quits before election

tlc — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:01:28 +0000

The Americas Post - Herman Cain isn't the only guy dropping out of an election. Photo Credit: Notimex

Caught up in a corruption scandal, the leader of Mexico’s leading opposition party resigned on Friday, just seven months before national elections in which his candidate is favored by a wide margin.

Humberto Moreira, who became president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) president in March of this year, was under pressure to resign for contracting irregularities during his administration as governor in the northern state of Coahuila. He is accused of falsifying documents relating to that state’s public debt, which shot up 344% during his watch.

“Today I’m here to tell you that I resign as president of the party’s National Executive Committee”, Moreira announced to a group of PRI officials. ”I will not permit a media war to damage my party”… ”I also do so because I have confidence in one man who is the hope of Mexico: Enrique Peña Nieto”, he said.

Before the scandal erupted, Moreira, 45, was a key figure in the push to restore the PRI to the power it held for 71 years, until 2000. The next election is scheduled for July 1, 2012. PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto is currently polling in the lead with a 25% lead over the second contender.

Moreira will be temporarily replaced by PRI general secretary Cristina Diaz, but Senator Pedro Coldwell is expected to be his successor according to party officials.

Chavez bringing home the gold

tlc — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:59:54 +0000

The Americas Post - Gold bullion always seems to get a warm welcome. Photo Credit: AVN

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s administration began repatriating that nation’s gold reserves from European banks on Friday, with the first shipment arriving on a flight from Paris.

The shipment was protected by troops in a caravan of at least five armored vehicles directly to the Central Bank in Caracas.

Government supporters cheered and waved flags as the caravan passed, while soldiers held their rifles ready. The procession included two light tanks.

Back in August Chavez announced that his government would retrieve more than 211 tons of gold held in U.S. and European banks.

“It’s coming to the place it never should have left. … The vaults of the Central Bank of Venezuela, not the bank of London or the bank of the United States,” Chavez said. ”It’s our gold.”

The leftist president has said his decision to repatriate the gold reserves is aimed at helping to protect the oil-producing country from economic troubles in the United States and Europe.

Chavez’s opponents have called the plan costly and ill-advised, pointing out that the gold belongs to Venezuela no matter where it is held.

Extradition approved for Guatemalan ex-president

tlc — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:45:39 +0000

The Americas Post - Another former president heads off to jail. Photo Credit: Prensa Libre

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom announced Tuesday approval of a U.S. extradition order for former president Alfonso Portillo, who faces money laundering charges for the alleged embezzlement of $1.5 million in foreign donations.

Colom said Guatemalan courts have already approved Portillo’s extradition and that he will respect those rulings.

“The president should not get mixed up in the decisions of judges and justices,” Colom said. The nation’s supreme court approved the extradition request in August.

Portillo is charged in a New York federal court with money laundering and embezzling $1.5 million donated by Taiwan to buy schoolbooks for Guatemalan children. He allegedly deposited the money in Miami and transferred it to a Paris account in the name of his ex-wife and daughter.

After leaving office in 2004, Portillo fled to Mexico where he was granted a work visa to serve as financial adviser for a construction materials company.

He was extradited from Mexico to Guatemala in 2008 to face the embezzlement charges at home and remained free until his arrest on Jan. 26, 2010. Portillo was captured at a beach preparing to flee Guatemala by sea.

Colom did not specify a date for the extradition. The remaining administrative processes could take several months.

Brazilians rally against corruption

tlc — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:39:52 +0000

The Americas Post - Brazilians want to sweep out corruption

Thousands of Brazilians waving flags, signs and brooms have marched in numerous cities of that nation this week in a wave of protests against corruption.

The marches were coordinated by the Brazilian Movement Against Corruption, a new group formed via social media in response to various recent cases of politicians implicated in abuse of public funds or influence peddling. Organizers said that demonstrations took place in at least 18 cities and that more are planned.

In the nation’s capital Brasilia, demonstrators marched to the hall of Congress, where they swept the sidewalks with brooms carried as an anti-corruption symbol. The marches have been peaceful with the exception of Sao Paulo, where a small group wearing masks attacked other demonstrators and the press. Police detained one suspect for damaging doors at a bank and restaurant.

Widespread suspensions in FIFA bribery scandal

tlc — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:22:07 +0000

The Americas Post- Guzman suspended for 30 days by FIFA

The president of the Dominican Soccer Association, Osiris Guzman, has been suspended for 30 days by the FIFA Ethics Commission, in relation to a potential bribery case.

On August 11, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) initiated proceedings against 16 managers of the Caribbean Soccer Union who were suspected of taking US$40,000 in bribes in return for their support of Mohamed Bin Hammam’s bid to become president of that organization.

During his suspension, Guzman is prohibited from all soccer related activities, whether administrative or athletic.

In the same case FIFA has suspended Frank Pickering (British Virgin Islands) for 18 months, Horace Burrell (Jamaica) for six months, and Ian Hypolite (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) for 30 days.

Additionally, fines of 300 Swiss francs were imposed upon directors Aubrey Liburd (British Virgin Islands) and Hillaren Frederick (U.S. Virgin Islands). Anthony Johnson (St. Kitts & Nevis) received a public rebuke from FIFA.

David Hinds (Barbados), Mark Bob Forde (Barbados), Richard Groden (Trinidad & Tobago), Yves Jean-Bart (Haiti) y Horace Reid (Jamaica), received warnings as well.

Eight police arrested in murder of Brazilian judge

tlc — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:44:17 +0000

Acioli's murder provoked protests in Brazil

Brazilian Justice officials have announced the arrest of eight military police officers, including a lieutenant colonel, on suspicion of involvement in the recent assassination of a Rio de Janeiro judge known for her tough stance against organized crime.

Judge Patricia Acioli was ambushed and gunned down by hooded men upon arriving at her home the evening of August 11. At least 21 shots were fired into the car driven by the 47 year old mother of three.

A spokesman for the Justice Tribunal of Rio de Janeiro said that Sao Goncalo battalion commander Claudio Luis Oliveira, who was suspected of masterminding the attack, and seven men under his command have now been jailed.

The seven, from the battalion’s tactical action group, were suspected of faking a death to cover up their murder of an 18 year old in a Salgueiro ghetto north of Rio on June 3rd. Judge Acioli had been investigating that case, and was presumably killed to prevent her from sending them to prison. In fact, the magistrate had already signed those arrest orders just a few hours before being killed.

Three other military police officers also suspected in her death were already jailed on September 12th. Among the list of suspects Acioli had been investigating were both active and retired military police officers, including 91 suspected of murder.

Over 100 Mexican cops arrested along US border

tlc — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:55:30 +0000

There's a new sheriff in town

Soldiers from the Mexican Army and Marines yesterday detained 110 police officers from three towns in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, for presumed affiliations with organized crime.

Arrested officers from the municipalities of Apodaca, Pesqueria and Mina were taken to the local headquarters for the federal Agency for State Investigations. According to an official source who requested anonymity, those detained will be investigated for alleged ties to criminal networks. The suspects will be “tested” to see which of them will be allowed to continue in their posts.

Last September 113 officers from the town of Santa Catarina were detained by the military for investigation; 53 of them remain in captivity one year later. Mexican federal forces have carried out similar operations in other states, resulting in the complete dismantling of some police departments.

Mexican president Felipe Calderon has stressed professionalization of police forces as one of the fundamental pillars of his strategy against organized crime. Among other goals, his administration seeks to form new state police units with higher standards to replace smaller municipal forces. According to official data, Mexico currently has approximate 2,000 police forces, of which over half (1,060) have 20 officers or less.

UNODC director meets with Mexican president

tlc — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:05:18 +0000

Yury Fedotov has a right to look concerned these days

Addressing the press after meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderón this week, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Director Yury Fedotov stressed the impact that organized crime has on that region as well as other parts of the world.

“These criminals are responsible for the death and misery of people across the globe through their increasingly diversified illicit operations,” said Mr. Fedotov “We have to remember however that such violent crimes form part of a much bigger, worldwide picture in which we face a complex and shifting threat; we have to remember that while the crimes are often violently local, our solutions must be global.”

His two day visit followed UNODC discussions with the Mexican Government as the two aim for a strategic alliance against organized crime in Central America. The meetings with President Calderón and other senior Mexican leaders covered topics from human trafficking and migrant smuggling to illicit drugs and corruption.

Reflecting on those most affected by organized crime, Mr. Fedotov expressed solidarity with the people of Mexico: ”On too many occasions, it is the citizens who have become victims while attempting to pursue a peaceful existence.” Referring to last month’s massacre at a Monterrey casino, the Director pledged continued support to Mexico, whose location between South and North America makes it ground zero for transit of illicit drugs as well as people.

Before traveling on to South America, the Director praised Mexico’s fight against organized crime and warned the international community against viewing this as a localized problem. Calling for greater cooperation on both regional and global levels, Mr. Fedotov said “tackling organized crime and the criminals behind these networks without international collaboration is futile. If this is done without considering the wider region, we simply run the risk of having criminal networks relocate to a new country.”