Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 6, 1990, Winnipeg, Manitoba 10 Winnipeg free january witnesses to Tell of Noriega link to cocaine Cartel by Scott Shepard Cox news service Washington Federal prosecutors have assembled a barrage of witnesses prepared to testify that Manuel Antonio Noriega and colom Bias Medellin cocaine Cartel maintained a lucrative business partner ship for nearly a chief among the witnesses Are Floyd Carlton a convicted drug and Jose formerly panamas general Consul in new York and once a senior member of panamas intelligence theres no doubt that Cartons testimony will be Jack the chief investigator during the Senate foreign relations committees investigation of drug trafficking in latin said yes Diplomat in Blandon will be equally As Blum because he Doest have the problem that Carlton Hes a Diplomat in not a convicted drug smug Carlton and Blandon both testified before the Federal grand jury in Miami that indicted Noriega on drug trafficking charges in february they provided congressional committees with much of the same another possible witness is Ramon Milian a Miami accountant who claims to have laundered Chillions of dollars for the Cartel until his arrest in but a Justice department official said yesterday that a courtroom appearance by Rodriguez could pose special problems he May not be called to in testimony before congressional has made unsubstantiated claims that in addition to the Cartel and his clients have included the Central intelligence a allegedly served As Noriegas chief link with the he is currently serving a nine year prison sentence in a plea bargain on drug related Carlton has told government investigators that Noriega first agreed in 1982 to provide Protection for Cartel cocaine shipments through Panama to the United according to Noriega laughed at the cartels initial offer of per they eventually settled on per but Noriega later increased it to based on Cartons the government has alleged that Noriega closed the Deal with Pablo Esco bar the cartels god a now a fugitive in Colombia drug according to the Escobar met Noriega earlier in 1982 when the panamanian provided the Cartel Security for negotiations for the release of a Cartel relative who had been abducted by colombian in sworn testimony to government has alleged that Noriega and the Cartel leaders formalized their relationship in 1979 Noriega would provide the Cartel with a Safe Haven for launder ing their drug profits in he would receive per cent of All the Money regardless of when it the Norieg Cartel relationship was a cozy arrangement until 1984 when the panamanian military raided a Cartel cocaine Laboratory in Panama without Noriegas according to the Cartel leaders had paid Noriega million to allow the Plant to be set Blandon has and the raid caused them to suspect a Dou turning Point fearing for his Noriega persuaded cuban Leader Fidel Castro to intervene on his behalf with the according to and under terms mediated by Cas Noriega paid Back the Mil a major turning Point for the Norieg Cartel Alliance occurred at a meeting in in april according to statements made by at that Cartel representatives informed Noriega that one of his Hugo was planning to provide authorities with evidence of Noriegas involve ment in drug not Long after that Spadafora body was found in a postal he had been tortured and drug traffickers hold 20 hostage Bogota a drug traffickers in Medellin have abducted at least 20 including Mem Bers of Colombia richest Famias part of their terrorist War against the police said most of the victims were kid napped in the last two months in the Centre of the coun try cocaine said a police spokesman in the reached by Tel declined to identify him a statement sent by the Medel Lin Cartel said traffickers have ordered the leaders of working class neighbourhoods to take Mem Bers of the traditional oligarchy half of the Ransom paid by family members for the release of the hostages will be used to pay for the War against the govern ment of president Virgilio said the published yesterday in local the Cartel said it will use the other half of the Money to pay for the construction of housing for the the communique did not mention the amount of ran som demanded by the Cartel offered no explanation As to Why it would need Money at a time when its reputed Pablo has a per Sonal Fortune estimated at the equivalent of almost billion government officials have suggested that Escobar cocaine smuggling business has been Hurt by the governments War on but it appeared the wave of kidnappings was the Medellin cartels latest attempt to press the government into abandoning its War on Barco launched the offensive in August after traffickers killed senator Luis Carlos a candidate for authorities have confiscated hundreds of properties allegedly belonging to the extradited 11 drug suspects to the United states and killed one Leader of the me Dellin Gonzalo Rodriguez in a traffickers have responded with a wave of bombings and assassinations that has left 261 people dead and More than a spokeswoman for the investigative unit of the National police said that evidence indicates that Escobar ordered the 20 kid napping of the son of Barcos closest a group of men forced Al Varo Diego Montoya into a car As he was leaving his Bogota of suspect opts for judge up South american Man charged with conspiring to break two colombian drug smugglers out of a Fredericton jail last fall has changed his method of under Security less tight than it was at previous Tito Sanchez Ruiz made a Brief court appearance yesterday to switch to trial by judge alone instead of judge and the slightly built wearing a new pair of wire rimmed glasses in place of his old plastic was accompanied by two plainclothes ramp two other dressed in Battle fatigues and carrying sub machine patrolled the Halls outside the court unlike earlier court appear this one had no police snipers stationed on with assistance from a Span is speaking Ruiz re entered his plea of no culpable not his trial was set for March a month later than originally sex defence lawyer Danny waiters said he needed the extra month to obtain evidence and witnesses from quiz Home country and to obtain a four other South americans who also arrested last september on the same charge pleaded guilty last month and were each sentenced to 10 years in there never was a but ramp at the sentencing de scribed a Complex plot to have an assault team break the prisoners free and a transportation team smuggle them out of Ruiz was arrested in Edmund on along with four other men bearing venezuelan police found an array of tools and survival gear in their a fifth Man was arrested in Saint John the following a army doctor examines a rather reluctant youngster on a Street Corner in Panama City thursday dictators loyalists still at Large Panama City a the commander of invasion forces said yesterday that about 200 hardcore supporters of deposed dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega remain at Large and capable of disrupting our first priority is to capture their Leader Carl Stiner told reporters at Howard air Force he accompanied Colin chairman of the joint chiefs of who was returning to Washington after a on Day panamas new civilian government purged the top ranks of Noriegas disbanded defence stripping the general of his rank and firing him As chief of the military a Cabinet decree also fired 39 other including those who were Noriegas chiefs of staff when the United states invaded on another decree promoted defence forces offi cers named to posts in the new Public Security the officers had taken part in a March coup attempt against critical Libre and Al Panama two newspapers seized by the military in reappeared yesterday with editorials defending the the chamber of opposed to Noriega during his also reopened after being closed for a year and nearly destroyed in the invasion president Guillermo Endara said at the reopen ing that Panama must fight for Freedom every Day despite Noriegas having surrendered wednesday night to authorities and gone to face drug trafficking charges in Powell said the number of troops in Panama would be reduced to close to the Prein Vasion level of Over the next few the Pentagon said yesterday about com Bat troops were sent Home this leaving about military personnel because of Addi damage from looting following the invasion is estimated at More than there is no estimate of damage from bombing and combat in the invasion and the sanctions against Norie in president Bush said yesterday he is not seeking a Deal on a reduced charge for Noriega and promised to Bend Over backwards to avoid saying anything that would interfere with the trial of the deposed panamanian our Case is our resolve is firm and our Legal representations Are Bush told a televised news conference after discussing Norie Gas prosecution on drug trafficking charges with attorney general Dick Bush also announced he is sending Vic Epresi Dent Dan Quayle on a Fence ending tour of latin America within the next several Days to explain the military action and Muster support for the new panamanian conceding the 20 invasion of Panama upset allies in Central and South the president said i am because i am Well aware of How our friends South of our Border look at the use of american Force any he i think its something that Bush said he has no immediate plans to visit an administration who declined to be said a presidential visit is under consideration and that Panama might also be included on Quayle the president called revitalizing panamas Economy a major priority to help it recover from the military invasion and economic Sanc even As he Savoured Noriegas Bush said he would be Ever mindful of the Legal process from now suggesting he would refrain from his previous descriptions of Noriega As a thug and Sauna Heaters Sauna Matic Wall Hung Corner units f re e drives All units come with rocks 4 controls Best Deal Centre 550 Century 7866957 Down 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