Dec 8 2011

DEA and Dirty Money; Mexico and the USA

DEA and Dirty Money

Todd Robinson, deputy assistant secretary of the International Narcotics Affairs and Law Enforcement United States government, acknowledged that his country does use agents to infiltrated the Mexican financial system to investigate the flow of washing money to Mexico.

Interviewed on the premises of the National Institute of Penal Sciences (INACIPE), where the U.S. official came to review the implementation of educational resources as part of the Merida Initiative, said that Mexico and the United States will continue working to combat criminal organizations.

When asked about whether U.S. agents have been laundering money in Mexico and if they are covert operations or part of a strategy, the officer replied that “it will use all the tools able to fight organized crime and narcotics trafficking.”

The theme of the infiltration of agents of that country in the Mexican financial system to investigate money laundering flows caused great controversy after The New York Times reported that President Barack Obama has not only implemented strategies of infiltration into the flow of weapons such as the Fast and Furious operation, but also agents of the Federal Drug Enforcement (DEA, for its acronym in English) money launderers Mexican cartels to identify members of these criminal groups. Interviewed after a tour of the INACIPE, Robinson reiterated that the governments of both countries are working on coordinated actions to combat organized crime and drug cartels.

“We have many programs and many ways of collaborating with the Mexican government are partners in this fight against organized crime and narcotics trafficking, and we will continue the collaboration. They are good partners and we will continue with this, “he said. On Sunday, the influential newspaper in the U.S. revealed that the DEA is working with Mexico’s drug cartels to launder money from drug sales in U.S. territory.

The New York Times revealed that the DEA helps Mexico to located and identify unknown amounts or millions of dollars. “undercover U.S. drug agents have washed or smuggled millions of dollars from drug sales, as part of Washington’s growing role in the fight against cartels in Mexico,” presumably on the grounds to detect and identify the strategies used by drug traffickers to launder money, says the report signed by Ginger Thompson, whose base are statements of agents and former agents of the DEA who remain anonymous.

In addition the report highlights that the DEA agents “have handled shipments of thousands of dollars to the border crossing “and even deposit the money in accounts that they designate the same drug or other authorities created by the Obama administration.

Do we need the DEA to Teach Money laundering Tactics? (pikapvs.wordpress.com)
Fight on money laundering coordinated with Mexico: US (northernbarbarians.wordpress.com)
REPORT: U.S. Agents Are Laundering Money For Mexican Drug Cartels (businessinsider.com)
DEA Launders Money for Mexico Drug Cartels (newser.com)
DEA laundering money for drug cartels? (hotair.com)

Nov 9 2011

Bolivia says no! to US Drug Agents in their country!

Diplomatic relations OK! DEA No!

Evo Morales, the Bolivian president, has said that US drug agents are not welcome back in his country despite the newly announced normalization of diplomatic relations with Washington.

Morales told reporters in Bogota on Tuesday during a regional summit in the Colombian capital that it was a question of “dignity and sovereignty”.

As a coca growers’ union leader before his 2005 election, Morales said he was “personally a victim” because US agents controlled Bolivia‘s military and police.

Bolivia’s anti-narcotics police, working closely with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), often clashed with coca growers and Morales has said they once beat him unconscious.

“They repressed us in Bolivia. That has ended,” Morales said.

“For the first time since Bolivia was founded, the United States will now respect Bolivia’s rules and laws,” he added, under the agreement restoring full diplomatic ties that Bolivia and Washington signed on Monday.

The deal comes three years after the Andean nation’s leftist government expelled the US ambassador and DEA for allegedly inciting the opposition.

Normalising relations

The pact calls for the restoration of ambassadors as soon as possible and close co-operation in counter narcotics, trade and development, said a US official familiar with the agreement.

Morales said that he still considered the ambassador he expelled in September 2008, Philip Goldberg, to have been “a conspirator”. Less than two months later, he ejected the DEA.

Washington denies the Bolivian government’s allegations that Goldberg schemed with lowlands agribusiness people to unseat Morales, an Aymara Indian raised in the country’s poor highlands.

Bolivian Pres.: U.S. Drug Agents Not Welcome (foxnews.com)

Oct 21 2011

drug cartels’ robust drug networks operating in Peru!

cocaine in PeruImage via Wikipedia

The drug cartels‘ robust drug networks operating in Peru, “he said today at a hearing in U.S. Congress intelligence chief U.S. drug agency, the DEA, Rodney Benson.

“Mexican traffickers have forged a role in the drug trade in Peru, and are increasingly involved in coordinating large shipments of drugs,” said Benson, to testify before a Senate committee.

The drug trafficking organizations in Colombia are also involved in money laundering activities, he said.

Peru has surpassed Colombia in cocaine production, which the DEA attributed to the demand in emerging markets in Europe, Asia and Australia, where prices are more competitive, said Benson.

He added that eradication has been complicated by the presence of Sendero Luminoso, considered a terrorist by the United States in key areas of culture, particularly in the Upper Huallaga Valley and Valle del Río Apurimac and Ene (VRAE).

Also participated in the hearing the secretary of state for narcotics control, Willliam Brownfield, Assistant of State for Western Hemisphere, Kevin Whitaker, and assistant defense against narcotics, William Wechsler.

Responding to questions from Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, Brownfield said in the audience the importance of addressing the drug problem as a “package” that includes interceptions, supply and demand, rehabilitation and treatment.

You should also consider the eradication of coca leaf, the seizure of precursor chemicals and the location of laboratories, combating money laundering and the arrest of drug traffickers.

He added that efforts under Plan Colombia have achieved results, Peru has sent messages “mixed”, Bolivia has rejected cooperation with Venezuela, and efforts are not working.

He noted that Honduras has indicated that it lacks the resources to confront the drug cartels and the need to strengthen efforts throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

Feinstein said that the problem of drug production in the Andean region is fueling the violence in other nations.

“Despite the impressive progress in security in Colombia, the country produces more than 90 percent of the cocaine seized in the U.S.,” he said.

The hearing also addressed more opportunities for U.S. cooperation with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela, as well as the increasing use of submarines and speedboats to transport cocaine to the U.S. market.

Oct 1 2011

Drugs raid at a suburban Philadelphia plant run by Boeing!

Boeing Plant Raided 37 arrested for Drugs

United States federal agents have arrested 37 people in a drugs raid at a suburban Philadelphia plant run by Boeing that makes military aircraft.

Boeing was alerted to the alleged drugs ring by members of staff. Managers then called in the FBI, whose agents worked undercover at the plant. It is alleged that those arrested were dealing and buying prescription drugs.

Following a four-year investigation, the US Attorney, Zane David Memeger said 23 people were charged with selling the prescription painkiller Oxycontin and other illegal drugs and 14 were charged with attempted possession of various drugs.

All but one of those charged is a current or former Boeing employee. Another person was expected to be arrested.

“This investigation and prosecution focused not only on the sellers, but also on the users because of the critical role that these employees play in manufacturing military aircraft,” said Memeger.

Boeing employs more than 6,000 people at the Ridley Park plant, where the V-22 Osprey vertical take-off aircraft and H-47 Chinook helicopters are produced.

The Osprey and Chinook are standard US military aircraft used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boeing spokesman Damien Mills said the company cooperated with the investigation and made sure the employees under suspicion were in no position to compromise the safety or quality of the aircraft.

Organised raid

FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration agents launched the raid early on Thursday morning at the plant.

The raid found varied amounts of the power painkiller Oxycontin as well as fentanyl, which is sold in lozenge form as Actiq.

It also found the painkiller buprenorphine, which is sold as Suboxone, and the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, sold as Xanax, said FBI

Boeing issued a statement saying it “commends the US Attorney’s Office and other federal law enforcement agencies for their rigorous and thorough investigation, throughout which we took appropriate steps to ensure safety of our employees and the absolute integrity and quality of the products we produce for our customers”.

If convicted, those charged with distribution face possible sentences of 10 to 260 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.