U.S. to Seek Extradition of Drug Capo “El Chapo”

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán is behind bars in a Mexican prison days after he was apprehended in a predawn raid.  How long he will remain in his native homeland is unknown as U.S. prosecutors and politicians have expressed their desire to see the Sinaloa drug cartel leader extradited north of the border.

“We plan to seek his extradition,” said Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for the US attorney's office in Brooklyn.

“This guy, he ran a global enterprise, so he’s big. He’s as big as Pablo Escobar,” Nardoza said to TIME magazine. “He may wind up being charged in Mexico first. We don’t know what the time line is and how exactly this is going to proceed … He’s facing a lot of time in prison based on the charges we’ve brought against him.”

Prosecutors in New York may have to compete with their counterparts in Chicago where investigators in 2013 named Guzmán as “Public Enemy No. 1.”

“I think we have the strongest case,” Jack Riley, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration n Chicago, said on Saturday. “I fully intend for us to have him tried here.”

In addition, Rep. Mike McCaul also advocated for the extradition of Guzmán, which he claims as necessary due to corruption in Mexico and Guzmán’s successful prison escape in 2001.

“This is the largest, biggest drug lord we’ve ever seen in the world,” the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said yesterday.  “I would ask that the Mexicans consider extraditing him to the United States, where he would be put into a super-max prison under tight security, where he cannot escape”.

An obstacle to a possible extradition of Guzmán is that he faces indictments from at least seven U.S. federal district courts on charges related to his leadership of the violent Sinaloa cartel. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder highlighted how “(we) were able to work effectively with Mexico through the cooperative relationship that U.S. law-enforcement agencies have with their Mexican counterparts.”  Yet it’s unknown if Holder would press for extradition to San Diego, Texas, Brooklyn or other areas where “El Chapo” could stand trial.

In addition, Mexican law enforcement officials might be reluctant to extradite Guzmán since he faces charges in Mexico.  Thus far, the Mexican government has yet to respond to any request for extradition though Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Eduardo Medina Mora mentioned, “it is important that (Guzmán) first face the charges against him in Mexico’s courts.”

Daily Headlines: August 13, 2013

* Mexico: Foreign investors and members of the political opposition are apparently doubtful over major energy reforms that were proposed yesterday by President Enrique Peña Nieto.

* Guatemala: Three of the judges who convicted ex-dictator Efrain Rios Montt on charges of genocide will reportedly receive protection from an “intense campaign to discredit and stigmatize them”.

* Colombia: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gave his strong support for peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, and referred to Colombia as one of the world’s “very few success stories.”

* U.S.: Some of the Latino inmates who make up about 35% of the federal prison population could benefit from plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to alleviate severe overcrowding of U.S. correctional facilities.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- Reuters; ABC News; The Latin Americanist; Fox News Latino

Daily Headlines: February 19, 2013

* Cuba: A group of seven U.S. congressmen arrived in Cuba yesterday in order to lobby on behalf of imprisoned contractor Alan Gross who has been behind bars for about three years.

* Caribbean: Representatives of the Caribbean Community trading bloc urged U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to push for greater arms control.
 
* U.S.: The Tea Party Express is reportedly planning a Latino outreach campaign aimed at improving the political group’s image within the Hispanic community.

* Bolivia: Spain’s foreign minister warned that diplomatic relations with Bolivia could be hurt after President Evo Morales announced the nationalization of the Andean country’s airports operator.

Video Source – YouTube via user JewishNewsOne

Online Sources- Reuters, The Guardian, Miami Herald, Fox News Latino

Daily Headlines: September 21, 2012

* Brazil: Petrobras CEO Maria das Gracas Foster said that the company’s attorneys are trying to overturn an injunction against oil drilling contractor Transocean.
 
* Peru: At least person died after police clashed with protesters who claimed that a gold mine owned by Canadian company Barrick is polluting the local water supply.
 
* Mexico: The U.S. Department of Justice inspector general blasted the ATF for its role in the controversial Operation Fast and Furious but exonerated Attorney General Eric Holder.
 
* U.S.: A pair of national Latino organizations denounced the apparent “constant pattern of exclusion of Latinos” from receiving the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.

Video Source – YouTube via Associated Press (Video from November 2011).

Online Sources- Reuters, CBS News, Huffington Post, Politico

Daily Headlines: June 21, 2012

Before getting to today’s headlines, I would like to take a moment to apologize for the unjustifiable lack of posts on Wednesday. Posting will be very light today as it has been for the past few weeks. Yet hopefully I’ll catch up over the weekend on several stories from this week including Julian Assange’s request for asylum in Ecuador, the upcoming Mexican presidential election and the latest from the Copa Libertadores.

Here now the news:


* Uruguay: The Minister of Defense announced a crime-fighting proposal that would legalize the selling of marijuana to users registered with the government.

* Mexico: A House committee voted along party lines to recommend that Attorney General Eric Holder should be held in contempt regarding the investigation into Operation Fast and Furious.

* Brazil: A state prosecutor wants the government to award $83 million in “moral and material damages” to the indigenous Guyraroka community.

* Haiti: Researchers linked a second strain of cholera to 2010-2011 epidemics that killed an estimated 7500 people in Haiti.

Video Source – YouTube via TV Publica Argentina

Online Sources- Washington Post, New York Times, BBC News, Los Angeles Times

Daily Headlines: December 9, 2011

* Cuba: A senior Cuban Catholic Church official said that Pope Benedict XVI will visit the island in early 2012.

* Mexico: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was grilled by some members of the House Judiciary Committee over “Operation Fast and Furious”, a gun trafficking sting that led to weapons being obtained by Mexican drug gangs.

* Brazil: The government proposed a $2.2 billion initiative aimed at putting a stop to the country’s “crack epidemic.”

* Dominican Republic: Protesters demonstrated in Santo Domingo against government polices that allegedly discriminate against residents of Haitian descent.

Image Source – Flickr user mickou (The Cathedral of Havana). (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources – BBC News, ABC News, Reuters

Daily Headlines: October 13, 2011

* Latin America: The U.S. Congress yesterday passed several free trade agreements including pacts with Colombia and Panama.

* Chile: On the one-year anniversary of the rescue of thirty-three trapped Chilean miners Edison Peña is still in rehab and some of his cohorts haven’t fared much better.

* Haiti: President Michel Martelly met separately with former leaders Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier in order to reportedly seek a reconciliation.

* U.S.: The House of Representatives Oversight Committee ordered Attorney General Eric Holder to hand over documents related to the failed “Operation Fast and Furious.”

Image – Via Flickr user roger4336 (Shops and businesses located in the Colon, Panama free trade zone).
Online Sources- Reuters, Deutsche Welle, MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, USA TODAY

Daily Headlines: October 10, 2011

* U.S.: Could smoking help explain the health phenomena known as the “Hispanic paradox”?

* Latin America: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in Colombia as he continued his Latin America tour seeking support for his government's bid to win a place at the U.N.

* Mexico: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder may soon receive a Congressional subpoena to testify over a failed gun surveillance program know as “Operation Fast and Furious”.

* Argentina: Despite taking an early lead and putting up a good fight Argentina was eliminated from the Rugby World Cup after losing to host team and heavy favorites New Zealand.

* Paraguay: Preliminary results indicated that most voters backed a constitutional amendment that would permit Paraguayans residing abroad the right to vote in general elections.

* South America: Qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil began last week and included an easy win for Uruguay over Bolivia and a surprising victory for Peru at home against Paraguay.

Video Source – Via YouTube user unnaturalcausesdoc (“Two researchers present findings related to the "Latino paradox," the fact that new Latino immigrants, despite having on average lower incomes and highly stressful lives, suffer lower rates of chronic and mental illness than the average native-born American.”)

Online Sources – The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, MSNBC, CNN, Soccer by Ives, The Guardian, Scientific American

World Watch: 589 and counting

* China: The official death toll of a 6.9-magnitude earthquake is at 589 while rescuers keep struggling to find any remaining survivors. (Check this out if you wish to help Chinese relief efforts).

* U.S.: Attorney General Eric Holder has not eliminated the chance that accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed could be tried in New York.

* Britain: A local department store apologized and withdrew sales of padded bikinis made for girls.

* Italy: The country’s Supreme Court rejected gay marriage by calling requests for such arrangements “not admissible” and “unfounded.”

Image – New York Times (“The rubble near a destroyed building after an earthquake at Jiegu Town in Yushu county, a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in western Qinghai Province of northwest China on Wednesday.”)
Online Sources- BusinessWeek, ABC News, Huffington Post, BBC News, CNN

Weekend World Watch: Trial and error?

* U.S.: Controversy has erupted after Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the criminal trial of accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be held in New York City.

* China: At least forty people have died and thousands were left homeless in areas of China including the capital of Beijing as a result of heavy snowfall.

* Ethiopia: “Ethnic-Somali rebels” have reportedly killed a "significant number" of Ethiopian troops and taken over several towns.

* Iraq: British officials are looking into allegations of over 30 new cases of prisoner abuse in Iraq since 2003 including rape and torture.

Image – Guardian UK (“The rubble of the World Trade Center smolders after the 9/11 terrorist attack.”)
Online Sources- The Telegraph, Reuters, BBC News, Los Angeles Times

Immigration agents to get expanded powers

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will receive expanded powers to make drug arrests.

Holder announced the changes to the Senate and the actions are particularly targeted towards Mexico. Furthermore, the move was also done to quell a “long-running turf dispute with the Drug Enforcement Administration:”

In the past, when ICE agents wanted to work on their own drug investigations, they had to seek the permission of the DEA and make sure that the ICE agents involved had Title 21 authority. ICE maintained this scenario hampered their ability to work cases, especially on the border where ICE has such a large presence. DEA fought back, claiming that ICE agents did not have the expertise to handle narcotics investigations.

A real world example would be when ICE agents raid a safe house full of illegal immigrants and discover that it’s really a drug operation. Under the current regulations, the ICE agents would not be allowed to make any drug-related arrests unless the DEA was called to the scene.

With such an escalation of crimes near the U.S.-Mexico border, the plan will also try to contain any spillover of violence into the U.S.

Holder is expected to formally announce the move at a news conference on Thursday.

Image-Voice of America
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, AP, Washington Post

Holder overturns order on immigrants and attorneys

The Justice Department today reversed a decision made under the Bush administration barring potential deportees from seeking legal counsel.

The decision by Attorney General Eric Holder resumes what had been a long standing practice of providing attorney privileges to immigrants for deportation proceedings. That order had been implemented then-Attorney General Michael Mukasey less than two weeks before President Barack Obama took office and was decried by Latino rights and pro-immigrant groups.

Holder told the Justice Department to begin working on a new rule and blasted Mukasey’s order:

"The integrity of immigration proceedings depends in part on the ability to assert claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, and the Department of Justice's rule-making in this area will be fair, it will be transparent, and it will be guided by our commitment to the rule of law," Holder said.

In January, Mukasey issued an order in Matter of Compean overturning Board of Immigration Appeals precedent and procedures governing assistance of counsel in removal proceedings. The order limited the ability of aliens to claim ineffective counsel in immigration proceedings, and did so without public input that a notice-and-comment rule-making procedure would have provided, Holder said.

The issue of legal representation of prospective deportees will be examined by the Supreme Court later this year in the case of Padilla v. Kentucky.

Image- Deutsche Welle
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, UPI, Wall Street Journal, AP

Daily Headlines: February 27, 2009

* Mexico: Days after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a major crackdown of Mexican drug gangs Sen. Joseph Lieberman said that the Senate will hold hearings over rising violence in Mexico.

* Colombia: Will U.S. military operations become headquartered in Colombia after they leave the base at Manta, Ecuador this August?

* Guatemala: One week after apologizing to Cuba for the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom apologized to victims of his country’s cruel 36-year civil war.

* Haiti: Kristian Dyer of ESPN.com takes a great look at the legacy of Joe Gaetjens- the Haitian immigrant who scored the game-winning goal for the U.S. in one of the World Cup’s greatest upsets.

Image- Al Jazeera English
Online Sources- BBC News, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, AFP, ABC Online, ESPN

News Briefs: Cuba

* U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During his visit, Holder will be briefed on several detainees and will talk to officials over how best to close the controversial jail.

* Speaking of Gitmo detainees, former prisoner Binyam Mohamed was freed and arrived in Britain earlier today. Mohamed had been arrested in 2002 for conspiring to detonate a dirty bomb though charges were dropped last month.

* One of the top Congressional Republicans urged a “revaluation” of U.S.-Cuba affairs. “We must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests", wrote Sen. Richard Lugar in a letter attached to a report urging an end to travel restrictions to Cuba and a renewal of bilateral counternarcotics efforts.

* Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux defected and is in Miami according to his U.S.-based promoter. The boxer fell into disfavor with the Cuban government after he disappeared for eleven days in 2007 during the Pan American Games in Brazil.

Image- AFP (“A man rests on a street corner in Havana.”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, AFP, AP, IHT, earthtimes, The Latin Americanist, BBC News, USA TODAY

Senate confirms Eric Holder

On Monday night the Senate confirmed Eric Holder as the next U.S. Attorney General. The career federal prosecutor, judge and Washington lawyer thus becomes the country’s first African-American Attorney General.

Holder’s links to certain Latin American-related affairs was a point of controversy after he was picked by Barack Obama last December. In confirmation hearings last month, Holder was grilled over his role at the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Clinton era including the 1999 pardons to sixteen convicted Puerto Rican nationalists. Holder’s views during the hearings against torture and waterboarding were later criticized by ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

In addition, several lawmakers questioned Holder’s role at the DOJ during the Elian Gonzales saga and his work for negotiating a plea deal over Chiquita Bands’ hiring of Colombian paramilitaries.

Despite doubts by some Congressman, Holder won bipartisan support and backing from law enforcement groups:

Even though 21 GOP senators voted against him, Holder’s nomination was never in danger. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of Holder’s biggest critics, announced last week he was backing the nomination, and that sealed the deal...

Holder also had widespread support from outside advocacy groups, including law enforcement associations. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh and other prominent Bush DOJ officials backed him as well, undermining any potential GOP opposition to his nomination.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, politico.com, ABC News, Vivirlatino, CNN

Alberto Gonzales defiant in NPR interview

Ex-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed that he will not be prosecuted for allowing the use of torture under the Bush White House.

In an interview given yesterday to NPR, Gonzales declared that he and others at the Department of Justice would be exempt from possible criminal prosecution. “I don't see a criminal prosecution for me, nor for anyone that I'm aware of, because again . . . people acted in good faith” said the former top cop.

Gonzales also lashed out at Eric Holder- President Barack Obama's pick for Attorney General- after Holder mentioned that waterboarding is torture. Said the ex-A.G.:

“I don’t know what Mr. Holder did or didn’t know in making that statement…And I think that one needs to be careful in making a blanket pronouncement like that, if you don’t have all the information, because of the effect it may have, again, on the morale and the dedication of intelligence officials and lawyers throughout the administration.”

Gonzales' term in office from 2005 to 2007 was wrought with controversy; he had overseen an illegal warrantless surveillance program and had been accused of abusing his power in the firing of eight federal attorneys. Yet in the interview Gonzales denied culpability and tended to finger-point at others for his own faults.

Image- MSNBC
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, NPR, washingtonpost.com, CNET News, New York Times, UPI, Huffington Post

Attorney Gen. pick defends FALN pardons

Attorney General nominee Eric Holder defended pardons granted in 1999 by former president Bill Clinton to sixteen convicted Puerto Rican nationalists.

During nomination hearings earlier today, Holder deemed the imprisoned nationalists as “bad people” but said that the decision to grant clemency "was reasonable." Holder added that the clemency was fair since the convicted men didn’t carry out the violent acts that they were accused of. (The F.B.I. would likely disagree with such a perspective).

Holder was “the No. 2 official at the Justice Department” at the time of the controversial pardons which included clemency to fugitive businessman Marc Rich.

The convicted men were members of the members of the FALN and Los Macheteros and were accused of violent acts like the fatal 1975 bombing of New York’s Fraunces Tavern.

Holder also spoke out on the possibility that the military prison at Guantanamo Bay could close:

While he said the Obama administration will move to shut down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Holder said it could take a significant amount of time to do so. He also said that some terrorists in the future could be prosecuted under some form of military commissions if the commissions are revamped to provide better protections for the accused, and that others would be prosecuted in U.S. federal courts.

Many detainees could be transferred to other countries, Holder added, but the Obama administration is still struggling with what to do with the most dangerous terrorist suspects who cannot be tried in civilian courts.

Despite the controversy over Holder’s controversial role at the Justice Department, no Republican legislator has yet to publicly oppose his nomination.

Image- AP (“In this Dec. 1, 2008, file photo, Attorney General-designate Eric Holder speaks during a news conference with President-elect Barack Obama, right, in Chicago.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AP, CNN, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor

Report: Grand jury probes Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson’s nomination to be the next Commerce Secretary will likely face scrutiny during congressional hearings in February. But surprisingly it could be more than just the Wen Ho Lee affair.

A grand jury in Albuquerque is looking into the New Mexico governor’s dealings with a California firm that received several lucratrive contracts. That in itself is not illegal, yet eyebrows have been raised since the head of CDR Financial Products contributed heavily to Richardson’s political activities. One of these “activities” allegedly includes a Latino registration campaign.

According to the AP:

A person familiar with the proceedings told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the panel is looking into possible "pay-to-play" dealings between CDR Financial Products and someone in a position to push the contract through with the state of New Mexico. The person asked not to be named because the proceedings are secret…

Richardson served as chairman of the Boston convention, and the committee, Si Se Puede! Boston 2004 Inc., helped pay convention expenses for Richardson's staff and supporters. The contribution was reported by the committee as coming from Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin and Co., a former name for CDR.

Richardson may not be the only Obama nominee likely to face criticism by Congress; prospective Attorney General Eric Holder may be grilled over his role in the Elian Gonzalez case.

Image- UPI
Sources- The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, New York Times, AsianWeek, Bloomberg, Guanabee

Eric Holder’s controversial LatAm links

Eric Holder could be chosen by Barack Obama to serve as the next Attorney General, yet his Latin American ties could obstruct his congressional approval.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, the former senior official in the Justice Department in the Clinton administration is expected to be grilled over Clinton’s presidential pardon of 16 convicted Puerto Rican nationalists. Holder acted as a “Clinton administration point man” in the aftermath of the controversial pardoning which some critics viewed as political posturing for his wife's Senatorial bid.

Furthermore, there are questions over Holder’s work for Chiquita Brands. The company was accused of hiring paramilitaries in Colombia to serve as “private security”. Holder negotiated the 2007 plea deal that forced Chiquita to pay a $25 million fine yet absolved execs from having to serve any jail time. (Chiquita still faces a class action lawsuit brought up by the families of paramilitary victims).

Holder’s possible nomination as top cop is hypocritical of Obama, according to CounterPunch’s Mario Murillo:

The disappointment in Obama's pick for AG should stem from the President-elect's strong words during the campaign in defense of human rights, particularly for those of workers in Colombia. On several occasions, including in the last presidential debate held at Hofstra University just three weeks before the election, the Democratic Candidate said he opposed the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement precisely on the grounds of the human rights violations carried out consistently against trade unionists in Colombia, and the ongoing impunity that has followed in most of those crimes.

Image- New York Times
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, CounterPunch, CNN