WORLD DRUG TRAFFIC AND ITS IMPACT ON U.S. SECURITY HEARINGS SEPTEMBER 13, 15, 1972

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WORLD DRUG TRAFFIC AND ITS IMPACT
ON U.S. SECURITY
HEARINGS
.. SUBCOMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY
ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
UNITED STATES SENATE
NINETY-SECOND CONGRESS
PART 3
THE INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 40 cents
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COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
JAMES O. EASTLAND, Mississippi, Chairman
JO [IN L. McCLELLAN, Arkansas
SAM J. ERVIN, JR., North Carolina
PHILIP A. HART, Michigan
EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts
BIRCH BAYH, Indiana
QUENTIN N. BURDICK, North Dakota
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia
JOAN V. TUNNEY, California
ROMAN L. HRUSKA, Nebraska
HIRAM L. FONG, Hawaii
HUGH SCOTT, Pennsylvania
STROM THURMOND, South Carolina
MARLOW W. COOK, Kentucky
CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, JR., Maryland
EDWARD J. GURNEY, Florida
SUBCOMMITTEE To INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL
SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS
JAMES O. EASTLAND, Mississippi., Chairman
JOHN L. McCLELLAN, Arkansas HUGH SCOTT, Pennsylvania
SAM J. ERVIN, JR., North Carolina STROM. THURMOND, South Carolina
BIRCH BAYH, Indiana MARLOW W. COOK, Kentucky
EDWARD J. GURNEY, Florida
J. G. SOORWINE, Chief Counsel
SAMUEL J. SCOTT, Associate Counsel
WARREN LITTMAN. Associate Counsel
JOHN It. NORPEL, Director of Research
AI.FONSO L. TARABOCHIA, Chief Investigator
RESOLUTION
Resolved, by the Internal Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on
the Judiciary, that the testimony of Neal Sonnett taken in executive session on
September 15, 1972, be released from the injunction of secrecy, be printed, and
Approved : October 17, 1972.
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CONTENTS
Statement of :
General Lewis W. Walt, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), Director, Senate
Internal Security Subcommittee Task Force Investigation on World Page
Drug Situation------------------------------------------------- 81
Eugene T. Rossides, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Enforce-
ment, Tariff and Trade Affairs, and Operations), Department of
the Treasury--------------------------------------------------- 82
George M. Belk, Assistant Director for International Affairs ; accom-
panied by Anthony S. Pohl, Deputy Associate Regional Director,
New York ; Wayne Valentine, Deputy Associate Regional Director,
New York, Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice-------------------------------------------------- 87
Testimony of Neal Sonnett, former U.S. attorney-------------------- 107
(nil
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WORLD DRUG TRAFFIC AND ITS IMPACT ON U.S.
SECURITY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1972
U.S. SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE To INVESTIGATE THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT
AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS
OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,
Washington, D.C.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 10:35 a.m. in room
1202, New Senate Office Building, Senator James O. Eastland (chair-
man), presiding.
Present : Senators Eastland, Thurmond, and Gurney.
Also present : J. G. Sourwine, chief counsel.
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Walt, identify yourself for the record, please,
sir.
STATEMENT OF GEN. LEWIS W. WALT, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RE-
TIRED), DIRECTOR, SENATE INTERNAL SECURITY SUBCOMMIT-
TEE TASK FORCE INVESTIGATION OF WORLD DRUG SITUATION
General WALT. Mr. Chairman, I am Gen. Lewis W. Walt, retired, of
the Marine Corps, and I am heading an investigation for your Sub-
committee on Internal Security on the international drug traffic
problem.
I would like to introduce these two gentlemen with me later on in the
introduction, if I may, sir.
Mr. Chairman, until recently, the big traffickers, the big boys who
were trying to make millions of dollars from drugs, have thought them-
selves pretty secure and pretty immune to the courts of justice in our
country. They thought that all they had to do was maintain security
around themselves and not handle the drugs themselves, and they
would be able to evade justice.
This morning, sir, we have some fine Americans with us, red-blooded
Americans, who have gone out and through dedication and hard work
and many times, at great personal risk and sacrifice they have proved
these big shots of the drug traffic, these international criminals, to be
wrong; and, as the result of that, they have cornered some of the
biggest traffickers, and they have brought them to the courts of justice
here in our country.
I hope that the big traffickers will take warning from your hearings
here this morning, because the fact is they are no longer safe. They no
longer enjoy immunity.
{Sl)
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Now, we have with us here this morning the Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury, Mr. Eugene Rossides, and the Deputy Director of
the BNDD, Mr. George Belk, and I am going to present to you, sir,
some of the cases, the big cases, they have had, to show you how they
have trapped traffickers and have brought them to justice.
It is my pleasure now to introduce to you the Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury, Mr. Eugene Rossides.
STATEMENT OF EUGENE T. ROSSIDES, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY, ENFORCEMENT, TARIFF AND TRADE AFFAIRS,
AND OPERATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Mr. ROSSIDES. General Walt, Mr. Chairman, it is a great pleasure to
be here.
I concur with General Walt's comment that today the big trafficker
does face the risk that in the past year was very small, and we are
very pleased to be here to testify before your committee, Mr. Chair-
man. You requested information concerning international narcotic
seizures, and we will comment on certain major narcotic cases that
have been developed by the U.S. Bureau of Customs.
As you know, I ani scheduled to appear before this committee on
Friday, September 15, at which time testimony will be taken from
Mr. Gross of the State Department, Mr. Ingersoll of the BNDD,
Mr. Ambrose of Justice, and myself, regarding "The Machinery of
Control and Interception" as it relates to narcotic and other drugs.
At that time, I will discuss Treasury's role in the President's Inter-
national Narcotics Control Program, including activities of the
Internal Revenue Service, the Customs Service, Interpol, and inter-
national economic considerations.
I have with me for the record key statistics as of June 30, 1972,
relating to Customs Bureau drug seizures. Exhibit 1 sets forth total
seizures for fiscal years 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972.
You will note that in 1972 the number of seizures of heroin increased
but that fewer pounds were seized. On the other hand, more pounds of
both cocaine, and opium were seized in fiscal year 1972 than was the
case in fiscal year 1971. You will also note enormous increases in the
amounts seized of both hashish and marihuana.
Exhibit 3 sets forth a comparison of arrests between fiscal years 1971
and 1972. You will note there was a slight increase in both arrests
and convictions under U.S. statutes.
These statistics show progress, as will other statistics I plan to
present on September 15. Beyond these statistics, the committee has
requested that I discuss certain specific customs cases.
The Squella-Avewlano case, the Cirillo case, the Jaguar case, and
the Suarez case were joint BNDD/Customs investigations, all of
which led to convictions. I understand the BNDD will testify more
fully on them this morning. Another case this committee requested
information on is the. Auguste Ricord case. This case, in fact, resulted
from a substantial investigation by the Bureau of Customs in which
the BNDD participated. Ricord, as you know, Mr. Chairman, is now
under indictment in the southern district of New York for importing
into the United States large quantities of narcotic.drugs. Since this
case is now in the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment
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on it. I will submit a copy of the indictment for the record. And also
I will comment on how pleased we were with the cooperation we
received from Paraguay in the recent extradiction of Mr. Ricord.
The other case is the William Herman Jackson case. In January
1972, Jackson, a retired Army sergeant, was arrested and subsequently
convicted along with three associates, as a result of the seizure at
Lowry Air Force Base of approximately 20 pounds of heroin by
Customs. The initial information relating to this shipment was devel-
oped by the U.S. Air Force in Bangkok, Thailand. The heroin was
contained in a parcel shipped on a military cargo plane to Lowry Air
Force Base in Colorado, where the parcel was delivered udder Cus-
toms' control.
Since 1967, Jackson had been the head of an operation involved in
narcotics and other racketeering activities centered in Southeast Asia.
Jackson had been known as a major supplier of heroin to the eastern
part of the United States, with sources of supply in the Golden
Triangle area. The modus operandi of this smuggling operation from
Thailand involved the use of couriers who would carry the narcotics
concealed on their bodies. This organization also used military cargo
aircraft, securing the assistance of military personnel both in Thailand
and the United States to assure delivery of parcels containing nar-
cotics to Jackson pickup men. One such parcel containing 20 pounds
of heroin was intercepted at Walter Reed Army Hospital, any a sec-
ond containing 17 pounds of heroin was intercepted in an Army
classified mail pouch at Fort Monmouth, N.J.
The investigation, Mr. Chairman, which resulted in Jackson's arrest
commenced with the formation of a multiagency task force, includ-
'ing agents of the BNDD, in North Carolina, where Jackson had a
permanent residence. After the arrests in 1972, Jackson and his three
associates were charged with conspiracy to smuggle heroin and with
smuggling heroin. Jackson, Gerald Ganious and Andrew Price were
convicted in Federal Court in Denver in May 1972. Jackson received
a sentence totaling 30 years, and Price received two 15-year sentences
to run concurrently. Ganious was convicted on one count and is
awaiting sentencing. The fourth associate Sylvester Searles, an Air
Force sergeant stationed in Thailand, received a sentence of 18 months.
Mr. Chairman, aspects of that case we still have under investigation,
and we feel it would not be helpful if we were to comment any further
on that.
BNDD will present specific information regarding the other cases
on which the committee wanted information. I want to emphasize at
this point the close cooperation between BNDD and Customs on all
cases on which you are receiving testimony today, and, of course, the
cooperation in the Jackson case with the. U.S. Air Force was very good.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Now, do you want your whole statement, including
those tables placed in the record?
Mr. RossznEs. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. So ordered.
(The statement and exhibits follow:)
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PREPARED STATEMENT OF EUGENE T. ROSSIDES, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY (ENFORCEMENT, TARIFF AND TRADE AFFAIRS, AND OPERATIONS)
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to appear before
you today to present information the Committee has requested regarding inter-
national narcotics seizures and certain major narcotics cases that have been
developed by the U.S. Bureau of Customs.
As you know, I am scheduled to appear before this Committee on Friday,
September 15, at which time testimony will be taken from Mr. Gross of the
State Department, Mr. Ingersoll of the BNDD, Mr. Ambrose of Justice, and
myself regarding "The Machinery of Control and Interception" as it relates to
narcotic and other drugs. At that time, I will discuss Treasury's role in the
President's International Narcotics Control Program, including activities of the
Internal Revenue Service, the Customs Service, INTERPOL, and international
economic considerations.
I have with me for the record key statistics as of June 30, 1972, relating to
Customs Bureau drug seizures. Exhibit 1 sets forth total seizures for fiscal years
1.969. 1970, 1971 and 1972.'
Exhibit 2 is a chart which compares drug seizures only for fiscal years 1971
and 1972.' You will note that in fiscal year 1972, the number of seizures of heroin
increased but that fewer pounds were seized. On the other hand, more pounds of
both cocaine and opium were seized in fiscal year 1972 than was the case in fiscal
year 1971. You will also note enormous increases in the amounts seized of both
hashish and marijuana.
Exhibit 3 sets forth a comparison of arrests between fiscal years 1971 and
1.972.8 You will note there was a slight increase in both arrests and convictions
under United States statutes.
These statistics show progress, as will other statistics I plan to present on
September 15. Beyond these statistics, the Committee has requested that I discuss
certain specific Customs cases.
The Squello-Avendano Case, the Cirillo Case, the Jaguar Case, and the Suarez
Case were joint BNDD/Customs investigations, all of which lead to successful
convictions. I understand the BNDD will testify more fully on them this morning.
Another case this Committee requested information on is the Auguste Ricord
case. This case in fact resulted from a substantial investigation by the Bureau
of Customs in which the BNDD participated. Ricord, as you know, Mr. Chair-
man, is now under indictment in the Southern District of New York for import-
ing into the United States large quantities of narcotic drugs. Since this case is
now in the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it. I will submit
a copy of the indictment for the record.`
THE WILLIAM HERMAN JACKSON CASE
The other case is the William Herman Jackson case. In January 1972, Jackson,
a retired Army Sergeant, was arrested and subsequently convicted along with
three associates, as a result of the seizure at Lowry Air Force Base of approxi-
mately 20 pounds of heroin by Customs. The initial information relating to this
shipment was developed by the United States Air Force in Bangkok, Thailand.
The heroin was contained in a parcel shipped on a military cargo plane to Lowry
Air Force Base in Colorado, where the parcel was delivered under Customs'
control.
Since 1967 Jackson had been the head of an operation involved in narcotics
and other racketeering activities centered in Southeast Asia. Jackson had been
known as a major supplier of heroin to the Eastern part of the United States,
with sources of supply in the Golden Triangle area. The modus operandi of this
smuggling operation from Thailand involved the use of couriers who would carry
the narcotics concealed on their bodies. This organization also used military cargo
aircraft, securing the assistance of military personnel both in Thailand and the
United States to assure delivery of parcels containing narcotics to Jackson
pick-up men. One such parcel containing 20 pounds of heroin was intercepted at
Walter Reed Army Hospital and a second containing 17 pounds of heroin was
intercepted in an Army classified mail pouch at Fort Monmouth, N.J.
Exhibit 1 will be found on p. 85.
2 Exhibit 2 will be found on p. 85.
3 Exhibit 3 will be found on p. 86.
The indictment referred to will be found on p. 86.
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The investigation, Mr. Chairman, which resulted in Jackson's arrest com-
menced with the formation of a multi-agency task force, including agents of the
BNDD, in North Carolina, where Jackson had a permanent residence. After the
arrests in January 1972, Jackson and his three associates were charged with con-
spiracy to smuggle heroin and with smuggling heroin. Jackson, Gerald Ganious
and Andrew Price were convicted in Federal Court in Denver in May 1972. Jack-
son received a sentence totalling 30 years and Price received two 15-year sen-
tences to run concurrently. Ganious was convicted on one count and is awaiting
sentencing. The fourth associate, Sylvester Searles, an Air Force Sergeant sta-
tioned in Thailand, received a sentence of 18 months.
BNDD will present specific information regarding the other cases on which
the Committee wanted information. I want to emphasize at this point the close
cooperation between BNDD and Customs on all cases on which you are receiving
testimony today.
EXHIBIT 1
U.S. BUREAU OF CUSTOMS DRUG SEIZURES AS OF JUNE 30, 1972
Fiscal year
1969
totals
Fiscal year
1970
totals
Fiscal year
1971
totals
Fiscal year
1972
to date
Heroin seizures________________________________
H
i
i
240
203.0
503.0
611
0
ero
n (
n pounds)__________________________________
C
i
311.43
45.9
937.1
.
631
1
oca
ne seizures
C
i
(1)
88.0
176.0
.
405
0
oca
ne (in pounds)_________________________________
O
i
(s)
107.9
360.4
.
378
6
p
um seizures-------------------------------------
O
i
i
42
42.0
141.0
.
121
0
p
um (
n pounds)---------------------------------
Oth
33.9
20.6
38.2
.
50
6
er seizures --------------------------------------
Oth
i
2253
290.0
255.0
.
264
0
er (
n pounds)___________________________________
Hashish seizures
2198.9
39.1
47.8
.
240.8
------------------------------------
Hashish (in pounds)________________________________
168
623.9
646.0
3,121.4
1,335.0
3
162.8
2,519.0
9
456
3
Marihuana seizures_________________________________
M
h
2,673
,
4,116.0
,
5
953.0
,
.
7
889
0
ari
uana in pounds)___________________________
57
164
104,303.8
,
176
408.6
,
.
291
887
4
Dangerous rug seizures___________ -------------------------
603
1, 080.0
,
1
553.0
,
.
1
615
0
Dangerous drugs (in 5-grain units)____________________
4,631,925
12, 271, 023.0
,
6, 309, 922.0
16,
,
.
240,449. 0
I Purity of drugs not indicated.
2 Cocaine included in "Other" for fiscal year 1969.
Source: Office of Law Enforcement, Department of the Treasury.
EXHIBIT 2
U.S. BUREAU OF CUSTOMS
Fiscal year-
Percentage increase
1971
----
1972
or decrease (-)
in amount seized
Narcotics:
Heroin:
Pounds
937.11
631.14
-33
Number of seizures
503
611
21
Opium:
Pounds
38.19
50.59
32
Number of seizures____
Cocaine:
Pounds
141
360.42
121
378.58
-14
5
Number of seizures
Other:
Pounds
176
47.82
405
240.80
130
404
Number of seizures__________________________
255
264
4
Hallucinogens:
Hashish:
Pounds --------------------------------------
3, 162.76
9, 456.29
199
Number ofseizures ___________________________
1, 335
2
519
89
Marihuana:
Pounds ----------------------------
117,388.44
,
291,887.40
65
Number of seizures__________________
5,953
7
889
33
Dangerous drugs:2
5-grain units -------------------------------------
6,309,922
,
16,240,449
157
Number of seizures_______________________________
1,553
1,615
4
I Including LSD, amphetamines, and barbiturates.
Source: Office of Law Enforcement, Department of the Treasury.
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86
EXHIBIT 3
BUREAU OF CUSTOMS ARRESTS
[Customs made 7,860 arrests during the year, as compared with 7,810 in 1971. These arrests resulted in 2,336 convictions
arl
h s e
y
e previou
under U.S. statutes compared with 2,275 in t
Fiscal years-
Percentage
increase or
1971
1972
decrease
Arrests (narcotics) ------------------------------------------------ 7,810
7,860
961
2
0.6
Nolle prosequiI -------------------- ---------------------
2475
,
2,336
------------
2.7
Convictions under U.S. statutes--_-_ ------------------------------ , 896
Dismissals and acquittals --------- --________________________________
95
711
392
39
-20.7
7
3
Cases closed ---------------------------------------------------37,9
,
.
r includes declinations and not indicted category not shown in fiscal year 1971.
Source: Office of Law Enforcement, Department of the Treasury.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT
NEW YORK
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
V.
AUGUSTE JosEPH RICORD,
A/K/A ANDRE RICORD,
A/K/A MONSIEUR ANDRE,
CESAR BIANCHI,
JULIO RODRIGUEZ,
JUAN DE DIOS RODRIQUEa BENIITOZ,
A/R:/A ARON MURAVNIK, AND
ENIO ANIBAL VARELA-SEGOVIA,
The Grand Jury -charges:
1. From on or about the 1st day of January, 1970, and continuously there-
after up to and including the 1st day of January, 1971, in the Southern District
of New York, and elsewhere, Auguste Joseph Ricord, a/k/a Andre Ricord,
a/k/a Monsieur Andre, Cesar Bianchi, Julio Rodriguez, Juan de Dios Rodriguez-
Benitoz, a/k/a Aron Muravnik, and Enio Anibal Varela-Segovia, the defendants,
and Felix Becker, Pierre Gahou and Nick Giannatasio, named herein as co-
conspirators but not as defendants, and others to the Grand Jury known and
unknown, unlawfully, wilfully and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated
and agreed together and with each other to violate Sections 173 and 174 of Title
21, United States Code.
2. It was part of said conspiracy that the said defendants and co-conspirators
unlawfully, wilfully and knowingly would import and bring into the United
States large quantities of narcotic drugs, the exact amount and nature thereof
being to the Grand Jury unknown.
3. It was further part of said conspiracy that the said defendants and co-
conspirators, unlawfully, wilfully and knowingly would receive, conceal, pos-
sess, buy, sell and facilitate the transportation, concealment and sale of large
quantities of narcotic drugs, the exact amount and nature thereof being to the
Grand Jury unknown, after the said narcotic drugs had been imported and
brought into the United States contrary to law, knowing that the said narcotic
drugs had been imported and broughtinto the United States contrary to law in
violation of Sections 173 and 174 of Title 21, United States Code,
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In furtherance of the said conspiracy and to effect the objects thereof, the
following overt acts were committed in the Southern District of New York, and
elsewhere :
1. In or about September, 1970, defendants Auguste Joseph Ricord and Enio
Anibal Varela-Segovia and co-conspirators Felix Becker and Pierre Gahou met
in Asuncion, Paraguay.
2. In or about September, 1970, defendants Julio Rodriguez and Juan de Dios
Rodriguez-Benitoz and co-conspirator Felix Becker went to New York City and
registered at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Park Avenue and 50th Street, New
York, New York.
3. In or about September, 1970, co-conspirator Felix Becker left New York,
New York, and flew to Asuncion, Paraguay with approximately $100,000.00.
4. In or about September, 1970, defendant Auguste Joseph Ricord received
approximately $100,000.00 from defendant Enio Anibal Varela-Segovia.
5. In or about October, 1970, defendants Auguste Joseph Ricord and Enio
Anibal Varela-Segovia and co-conspirator Felix Becker met in Asuncion,
Paraguay.
6. On or about October 18, 1970, defendant Cesar Bianchi piloted a Cessna 210
Aircraft containing approximately 94 pounds of heroin hydrochloride to Miami,
Florida where he met with co-conspirator Felix Becker.
7. On or about October 22, 1970, defendant Juan De Dios Rodriguez-Benitoz,
a/k/a Aron Muravnik, and co-conspirator Felix Becker went to New York City and
met co-conspirator Pierre Galiou at the Hilton Hotel, 53rd Street and Avenue of
the Americas, New York, New York.
8. On or about October 27, 1970, defendant Enio Anibal Varela-Segovia flew
from Asuncion, Paraguay to New York, New York where he met with defendants
Cesar Bianchi and Juan De Dios Rodriguez-Benitoz, a/k/a Aron Muravnik, and
co-conspirators Felix Becker and Pierre Gahou.
(Title 21, United States Code, Sections 173 and 174).
WHITNEY NORTH SEYMOUR, Jr.,
U.S. Attorney.
. Foreman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.
Mr. SOURWINF.. General, who are you presenting next?
General WALT. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to introduce to you
Mr. George Belk, the Deputy I)irector of BNDD. He has with him
this morning, sir, the agents who have worked on the cases which he
is going to outline to you.
I will ask Mr. Belk to introduce those agents, if I may sir.
Mir. George Belk.
STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. BELK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR IN-
TERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ACCOMPANIED BY ANTHONY S. POHL,
DEPUTY ASSOCIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR, NEW YORK; WAYNE
VALENTINE, DEPUTY ASSOCIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR, NEW
YORK, BUREAU OF NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Mr. BELKi. Thank you, General Walt.
Mr. Chairman, I want to first express our appreciation for the op-
portunity to appear.
The CHAIR14rAN. Speak a little louder, please, sir.
Mr. BELK. I want to first express our appreciation for the oppor-
tunity to appear before your committee here this morning. General
Walt has given you my name, and for the record, I have been em-
ployed in the Federal service for 24 years in the capacity of a pro-
fessional law enforcement officer. I was first employed as an agent
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in the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1948. Since that time, my en-
tire professional career has been concerned with the investigation of
the illicit drug traffic and the apprehension of those who engage in it.
I have held numerous positions in both field and headquarters capaci-
ties, including that of regional director of the Bureau's New York
office and that of Chief of the Criminal Enforcement Division.
The CHAIRMAN. Speak a little louder, sir. The mike is dead, and I
can barely hear you.
Mr. BELK. In November of 1971, I was appointed by Director Inger-
soll to my present position as Assistant Director for International
Affairs. This involves me in determinations of policy with regard to
the effort of our Bureau in suppressing the foreign sources of illicit
drugs and also in the day-to-day efforts to achieve the Bureau's goals
through both operations and diplomatically, in concert with the De-
partment of State.
As you know, Director Ingersoll will testify before this committee
on Friday and will give you additional details in that aspect.
Today, you have asked to hear something of the details of three
major narcotic investigations in which our Bureau was involved and
which are illustrative of the nature of the international drug traffic.
These are outstanding examples of some of the most complex criminal
investigations which have ever been conducted. I am hopeful that they
will serve to enlighten your committee as to both the magnitude of
the problems we face and the dedication of our effort. Perhaps it will
also help to dispel in the public's mind the often-heard criticisms of
uninformed persons who prefer to see drug law enforcement efforts as
a persecution of helpless addicts.
Today, I have with me two of our outstanding officers who are in-
timately familiar from an operational level with the facts of the cases
in question. Both of these men were organizing forces in the investi-
gations which they will narrate. As invaluable as their efforts were,
they would not have you forget that these investigations could not
have been successfully culminated without the sacrifice and effort of
a
number of other dedicated officers around the world.
On my right is Mr. Anthony S. Pohl, who is Deputy Associate
Regional Director currently stationed in our regional headquarters in
New York City. On the left of General Walt is Mr. Wayne T. Valen-
tine, who is Deputy Associate Regional Director also stationed in New
York City. Mr. Pohl will begin with an account of the investigation of
Luis Orte a, known as the New York Jaguar case.
Thereafter, Mr. Valentine will narrate the details of the case involv-
ing one Manual Suarez, a major international heroin trafficker and
former ranking police official of the Mexican Republic.
And the presentation will be concluded by Mr. Pohl who will dis-
cuss the aspects of the Cirillo case.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Who is next, gentlemen?
Mr. Pour,. Mr. Chairman, for the record, my name is Anthony S.
Pohl. I have been a Federal criminal investigator for over 19 years.
For the past 12 years, I have been with the Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs and its predecessor, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.
During this time I have served as a special agent in New York, Paris,
Marseilles, and Chicago. I have been a group supervisor in New York,
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and I have been in my present position as deputy associate regional
director in New York for 3 years. The investigations which I will
summarize for you today occurred during 1971 and 1972 in New
York.
THE JAGUAR CASE
In the summer of 1971, an individual unexpectedly offered his
services to our regional office in Paris, France, in connection with an
alleged heroin shipment. He was clearly motivated by the prospect
of a reward and revealed that he had been recruited to escort a large
shipment of heroin into the United States. For that purpose, the
traffickers had given to this individual the funds necessary to purchase,
in England, a 1971 Jaguar. The offer of services was accepted and our
Paris office immediately requested the assistance of the French Central
Narcotics Office.
Subsequent investigation in France established that the modus oper-
andi of the traffickers involved in this operation followed very closely
the method utilized by the organization then identified as the Etienne
Mosca gang. This gang had been responsible for numerous carload
shipments of heroin, resulting in prior seizures amounting to a total
of 197 kilograms of heroin. The Spanish Police and our representa-
tives in Spain seized 113 kilograms at Valencia, while the U.S. customs
seized 90 kilograms at Puerto Rico.
Prior to shipping the Jaguar to the United States, the informant
surrendered the car to the traffickers so that they could apparently
conceal the heroin. Finally, after close coordination with the French
Central Narcotics Office and the British Customs Service, the Jaguar
was shipped to New York on Queen Elizabeth II.
In the absence of positive information, we could only speculate as
to the identity of the intended recipient. However, because of the lack
of leads, detailed plans had to be made to keep the Jaguar under
constant surveillance and to have available enough personnel to meet
all emergencies. Therefore, we fielded a force of some 60 special agents
including an important contingent of customs agents.
In addition, observation posts were located and special technical
assistance was secured to dismantle the car.
On September 16, 1971, the Queen Elizabeth II arrived at New
York. After the Jaguar had been routinely cleared by U.S. customs,
it was driven by the informant under close surveillance to a preselected
location where it was eventually dismantled.
All the heroin, 94 kilograms, was removed with the exception of
one-half kilogram which was left as evidence of the crime; The heroin
thus removed was replaced by "dummy packages" which had been
prepared in advance.
To accomplish this operation in a minimum amount of time, special
agents had thoroughly examined similar models of the Jaguar and,
further, were assisted by British Jaguar technicians. However, the car
had been so expertly outfitted that it took seven hours-until 4 a.m.-
to locate all the caches of heroin and rebuild the car. You have before
you photographs of the car and some of the hiding places.
(The photographs referred to follow:)
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Subsequently, the informant, proceeding under close but discreet
surveillance, implemented the instructions he had received from the
traffickers in France. He placed the car in a parking garage near Madi-
son Square Garden in New York City and for two successive evenings
waited to be contacted in the bowling alleys of the Garden. This con-
tact was to be a Frenchman carrying a folded newspaper under his
arm and a key chain in his hand. This key chain was to be identical to
the key chain which the traffickers had given to the informant .and
which he also was to display.
As the action centered around the Madison Square Garden area,
rooms were secured in nearby hotels to afford sleeping facilities for the
special agents and so that the field command staff could remain on
duty without interruption. The tenacity, patience, ingenuity, and dedi-
cation of the special agents and supervisors who worked on this case
has been a constant source of personal pride to me.
On September 17, 1971, contact was finally made with the next link
in the chain. This individual was subsequently identified as Etienne
Gunther, the brother-in-law of Etienne Mosca. During the brief en-
counter, Gunther received from the informant the parking ticket for
the Jaguar and arranged to meet him again within 2 days to return
the car.
After this meeting, Gunther was followed to the Abbey Victoria
Hotel where he met with a subject later identified as Jean Orsini.
Orsini in turn was placed under surveillance and followed to an ad-
dress on Riverside Drive in New York City and then to West New
York in New Jersey. Finally Orsini returned to his hotel. In the eve-
ning, Orsini was visited at the hotel by two Spanish-speaking individ-
uals who were eventually identified as Luis Ortega-Gomez alias El
Pavo (The Buzzard) and George Warren-Perez.
For the past 8 years, Ortega had been considered to be a major viola-
tor residing in New Jersey. He reportedly travelled frequently to Spain
to organize large shipments of heroin. Warren was essentially known
as an assistant of Ortega.
It was not until 1:15 a.m., September 19, 1971, that Ortega, Warren,
and Orsini took possession of the Jaguar at the parking garage near
Madison Square Garden. As it was obvious, from the surveillance con-
ducted, that the principals of this operation were together, it was de-
cided to effect the arrests. Ortega and Orsini were apprehended in the
Jaguar while Warren was driving a back-up car owned by Ortega.
At the time of his arrest, we found two pieces of paper in Orsini's
possession. On one of these papers was the diagram of the Jaguar, the
number of heroin packages (184) and the location of caches as well as
instructions for the dismantling of the car. When comparing the dia-
gram with the work we had done, we were pleased to note that we had
not missed any hiding places. I have here photocopies of the diagram
and instructions with a translation. In the hotel rooms of Gunther and
Orsini, we found identical key chains which were seized as evidence.
(The photocopies referred to above are reproduced as follows:)
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Language: French.
Subject : Three slips of notes found on ORSINI.
(s. Z.
(Note 1)
Thomas will return the ticket of the car which will be in the garage-he will
give him also the address of the garage, the description of the car, the keys of the
car and shall arrange future meetings--
Jaguar car 3,8 liters Color sand yellow-Registry English
(Note 2)
THOMAS will be sitting in the lobby in front of the tobacco shop of the hotel.
Rendezvous in the evening from 6 PM to 6:30 P11I at Madison Square Garden,
the Bowling Room, near Bowling Alley No. 14; address : 7th Avenue (Entrance
from 7th Avenue)-
Key chain in hand and open newspaper.
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Mr. THOMAS-
Man aged 30 to 35 years. Black hair, balding on forehead. Eyeglasses. Accent :
Parisian. Height : about 5'7". FRENCHMAN. He will hold in his hand the same
key chain and will read a newspaper.
Meeting place-in the lobby of the Hotel Abbey Victoria. 7th Avenue and 51st
St. (7th Ave. and 51st St.) Every day from September 16th on. Hours : from 12
to 12:30.
Distribute as follows :
(Note No. 3)
Nos. 1 and 2 (Lift out the searchlights)
Nos. 3 and 4 in the car doors (for that crank up windows)
Nos. 5 and 6 (rear doors)
Nos. 7 and 8 (underneath frame, remove trimming and operate from outside).
Nos. 9 and 10 the driver's floor board, of the front passenger and the two rear
passengers (lift the traps on the board).
Mr. Pour.. It does not appear necessary here to enter into the details
of the precautions taken by these seasoned traffickers, not only in the
United States but also in France.. It is undoubtedly to the credit of
narcotic enforcement in both countries that the traffickers did not
detect the surveillance of which they were the targets.
Ortega and Orsini were held on $1 million bail, while the bail for
Gunther was set at $500,000 and for Warren at $25,000. On March 2,
1972, the defendants were tried ; and on April 14, 1972, they received
the following sentences : Ortega, 25 years, $35,000 fine; Orsini, 25 years,
$35,000 fine; Warren, 7 years, $7,000 fine. Gunther, who fully coop-
erated with the Government, pled guilty on December 14, 1971, and
received a 5-year sentence and $15,000 fine on April 20, 1972.
Again, as the result of the execution of French International Letters
Rogatory, the French Central Narcotic Office was able to arrest or
indict Etienne Mosca and eight other major French traffickers.
This investigation is, however, not closed, and new leads which have
recently been uncovered in joint Customs/BNDD debriefing of de-
fendants are presently being pursued in a common and singularly ef-
fective effort.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. VALENTINE. Mr. Chairman, General Walt, colleagues, my name
is Wayne T. Valentine. I have been employed in the Federal civil
service for 15 years. I have been a professional law enforcement officer
during this entire period with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous
Drugs and its predecessor, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. During
this time, I have served as a special agent in Chicago ; as the special
agent in charge of our Hartford office; special agent in charge of our
San Antonio office, San Antonio, Tex.; and I have served approxi-
mately 1 year in my present position as Deputy Associate Regional.
Director in New York. The investigation which I intend to describe
to you today is one which occurred during my service in San Antonio,
Tex.
TILE SUAREZ CASE
The political career of Manuel Suarez Domingues began in 1939 in
Mexico City when lie assisted in an unsuccessful campaign for the
governorship of the State of Vera Cruz. Later, he achieved increasing
success as a political aide and, according to his statements, assisted in
the campaigns of State Governors and in the election of two Mexican
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Presidents who have since retired. He was also a successful business-
man but achieved higher position through political appointments as
Chief of the Federal Judicial Police for the Republic of Mexico in
December of 1958.
He resigned from this position in 1962 but continued to hold impor-
tant posts thereafter and was always well known in Mexican police
and political circles. This was of great value tohim in his secret career
as an international heroin trafficker. He could always count on being
specially chaffeured through the usual customs inspection of arriving
international flights.
During 1966, Suarez began to make a number of pleasure trips to
Las Vegas with his mistress and traveling companion, Yolanda Yanez.
On one such trip alone, lie reported losing $120,000 at the Las Vegas
gambling tables. Later, Suarez admitted that he had probably lost
over a million dollars during this period of time, and this was undoubt-
edly a factor driving him into the narcotics traffic. Late in 1967, Suarez
was approached by one of his business associates, Raymundo Pena, and,
in the course of conversation, Pena mentioned his interest in narcotics
and the fact that he had customers who would pay $10,000 a kilogram
for it. Almost immediately Suarez contacted his European partner in
smuggling to explore the possibility of purchasing narcotics.
1Yithin the month he was informed that a contact had been made;
and he then traveled with his girl friend, Yolanda, to Antwerp where
he was introduced to one Rachmiel Widawski. Widawski maintained a
business in Antwerp and also a residence in East Berlin. He insisted
that the narcotics be delivered at his East Berlin residence, and through
official connections he was able to arrange travel for Suarez to and
from East Berlin free of customs searches or the necessity of a
passport.
Over a period of months, the scope of Suarez's European purchases
increased. Other connections for heroin, independent of Widawski-
wore also developed, but in every case the wholesale price of approxi-
mately $5,000 per kilogram remained constant and the heroin was
always uniformly packed by the same methods with the same packag-
ing materials in half kilogram packages of hermetically sealed plastic.
On all of these occasions, Suarez returned to Mexico on international
flights and because of his reputation was able to pass unmolested
through customs inspection.
In time, friction between him and Pena, his only connection for the
sale of heroin, began to increase as Pena offered less and less per kilo-
gram. The sale price was finally reduced to $7,500 per kilogram, and
in two of these transactions Pena claimed that a number of the pack-
ages were found not to be heroin and refused to pay for them at all.
This led to growing arguments and distrust and finally to an effort
by Suarez to find other customers.
In December of 1969, on the basis of a hunch, Suarez approached
Alfredo Montemayor, the owner of a nightclub in San Antonio, Tex.
Montemayor readily admitted that he was involved in the narcotics
traffic and had several good customers who in the future could handle
large amounts of heroin at a price of $10,000 per kilogram.
It was approximately at this time that the BNDD office in San
Antonio, which I then headed, first learned that a suspect by the name
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98
of Mazatini was willing to sell substantial quantities of heroin to an
undercover agent. Subsequently, on April 15, 1970, a kilogram of
pure. European heroin was purchased from this suspect by our BNDD
undercover agent. This agent, representing himself as a narcotics
trafficker, stated that he could handle additional quantities of heroin
in the near future.
After approximately 3 weeks of continued negotiations, arrange-
ments for the purchase of 1.5 kilograms were made. During this time,
Mazatini introduced the agent to Montemayor, his source of supply,
and a $200,000 "flash roll" was used to convince both of them of the
agent's ability to make the purchase. Montemayor then left to rende-
vous with Suarez who was staying at the St. Anthony Hotel with
his mistress Yolanda and 40 kilograms of heroin recently brought in
from Europe.
Agents conducting surveillance were able to follow Montemayor
to the hotel in question, and even observed him enter the room where
Suarez was staying. Suarez then left with the heroin in the company
of Montemayor to rendevous with the undercover agent to complete
the sale. It was at this time on May 7 that he was arrested. He un-
successfully attempted suicide in a Government vehicle after he had
been taken into custody by using an undiscovered knife to slash his
throat. That same day within little over an hour a search warrant was
obtained and the remaining 25 kilograms of heroin were seized in
Suarez's room, and his companion Yolanda was arrested.
He later made a full statement of all of the points of narcotic ac-
tivity since January of 1968 and expressed his desire to clear his girl
friend Yolanda whom he claimed had no knowledge of this activity.
In the course of that time the evidence showed Suarez had smuggled
576 pounds of heroin and 11 pounds of morphine into Mexico. We are
certain that all of this ended up in the United States.
On November 3, 1970, Manuel Suarez was convicted of conspiracy
in the Federal court in San Antonio, Tex. Thereafter, on August 3,
1971, he succeeded in committing suicide by slashing his wrists with
a razor blade while in prison in El. Paso, Tex.
As a result of the wealth of intelligence supplied by Suarez prior
to his death, a special BNDD/Customs Task Force was initiated for
the purpose of pursuing these investigations in Europe, Mexico, and
the United States. The force consisted of six BNDD agents and three
Customs agents who operated together for nearly a year. This re-
sulted eventually in the indictment of Pena, Emmanuel Gross (Suarez's
European partner), Widawski (one of the European sources), and
Gonzales, the head of a professional smuggling group which brought
Suarez's heroin into the United States for him. In spite of the unex-
pected death of Suarez, the investigations of these and a number of
other important traffickers which have been identified are continuing.
His death deprived. authorities of valuable testimony which would
have helped convict. these suspects, but several of the countries in-
volved are nevertheless continuing their effort.
Mr. SOURWINE. Before you leave this one, can you tell us how much
heroin was smuggled into the country altogether by Manuel Suarez?
Mr. VALENTINE. There were 576 pounds of heroin and 11 pounds
of morphine.
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Mr. SouRWINE. Now, he made nine trips to East Berlin; is that
correct?
Mr. VALENTINE. No, sir. Roughly, six or seven trips.
Mr. SoURwINE. Only six or seven? Was he able to pass into and out
of East Berlin each time without getting his passport stamped?
Mr. VALENTINE. Yes, sir; once by car and the rest by the airlines.
Mr. Soul WINE. Does that necessarily imply some kind of assistance
from persons in East Berlin?
Mr. VALENTINE. Not necessarily. However, on one occasion while
they were waiting in line to pass the immigration authorities in East
Berlin, Gross pointed out Simon Goldenburg, who is the person who
was Widawski's source of supply. Gross stated that Goldenburg met
a number of people in that contained area and brought them ahead
of the line and through the area without any further search or stamp-
ing of the passport.
Mr. SOURWINE. Now, who was Goldenburg ?
Mr. VALENTINE. We believe he was the source of supply of Widaw-
ski in this investigation. He is the person who resides in East Berlin,
and we think he is a fugitive from justice in West Berlin.
Mr. SOURWINE. Is he a former double agent?
Mr. VALENTINE. I do not know.
Mr. SouRwINE. You have no knowledge?
Mr. VALENTINE. Not on Goldenburg.
Mr. SOURWINE. Well, now, could Suarez get into and out of East
Berlin a number of times, whether it was seven or six or nine, without
any passport control if he did not have any assistance from the East
German secret police?
Mr. VALENTINE. I do not know.
Mr. SOURWINE. It would appear he would have to have such assist-
ance in order to escape passport control, would it not?
Mr. BELK. He may have had assistance from some element in that
group which had been connected.
Mr.. SOURWINE. Understood. I did not mean to imply that by an
official act he was being aided by the. secret police of East Germany.
He had to have some help there in order to escape their passport
control?
Mr. BELIi. Yes, he did.
Mr. SOURWINE. I have no more questions, Mr. Chairman, on that
point.
The CHAIRMAN. OK. Who is the next witness?
Mr. BELK. Mr. Pohl will continue with the Cirillo case.
Mr. PoHL. In October 1970, the BNDD District Office in Marseilles,
France, had recruited an informant who was in close contact with the
notorious Joseph Orsini, a major heroin supplier. The informant had
agreed to travel to the United States, to secure new customers for
Orsini's young "nephews."
Elaborate plans were made by the New York regional office for the
undercover introduction of a BNDD special agent to Orsini's rep-
resentatives in New York City. At the end of December 1970, the plan
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succeeded, the "nephews" met with the BNDD special agent, and
negotiations were conducted for the monthly delivery in New York of
100 kilograms of heroin.
Mr. SoURwINE. If you will permit an interruption : You used the
word "nephews," and they were not actually filial connections, were
they?
Mr. POHL. They claimed to be, but we do not have any proof that
they really were.
Mr. SOIIRWINE. All right.
Mr. POIIL. The two French heroin suppliers who traveled on false
passports were identified through photographs and movies taken at
the time of the meeting as being Joseph Signoli and Alexandre Salles.
The evidence gathered was presented to a Federal grand jury in the
southern district of New York and sealed indictments were returned
against Signoli, Salles, and Orsini.
Simultaneously, the French National Police initiated in Novem-
ber 1970, an investigation on information that Joseph Signoli and
Alexandre Salles had taken over the operations of a previous group
which supplied heroin to New York purchasers.
Details of the case were reviewed at the meeting of the Franco-
American Committee on Drug Control in Paris, France, in February
1971. Both Director Ingersoll and the Director of the French Crim-
inal Police decided that a major and thoroughly coordinated inter-
national effort was necessary to break up this heroin trafficking
organization.
From that point on, new information was steadily being collected.
However, the time for open enforcement action had not yet been
reached. Indeed, the organization's heroin controller had not been
identified, hence, it was impossible to effect a seizure or uncover the
carefully protected U.S. customer.
In July 1971, the French Central Narcotic Office in Paris informed
us that one Richard Berlin had been the heroin controller for the or-
ganization in the past. and that he was expected to proceed to the United
States in the near future. However, this planned trip did not come
about until the end of September 1971, at which time the French
Central Narcotic Office advised us that Berlin, traveling with a false
passport, was to arrive in the United States to control the delivery
of six cars loaded with heroin.
Mr. SOURWINE. Was that a false French passport?
Mr. POHL. That was a false French passport.
This information was immediately passed on to the Customs Agency
Service, and the necessary border alerts were placed into effect. Ber-
din, alias Kemmoum, attempted to throw us off his track by traveling
from Paris to Brussels and Montreal; but it was precisely in Montreal
that he was first spotted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police work-
ing closely with our district office in that city. From Montreal, the
trafficker proceeded to New York where he was placed tinder surveil-
lance by a joint Custonis/BNDD field force.
The CHAIRMAN. That was six automobiles?
Mr. Poxr.. Six, yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Automobiles.
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Mr. POIIL. Six Vegas.
The CHAIRMAN. Proceed.
Mr. POHL. Finally, on September 26, 1971, Berdin was arrested
by U.S. Customs and agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Government
and was subsequently jointly debriefed by Customs and BNDD. Pur-
suant to a French International Letter Rogatory, Berdin's admissions
were officially recorded on a statement format admissible in French
courts. At that time it was learned that one of Berdin's close friends,
Roger Preiss, was to come to the United States and act as a controller
for the distribution of 106 kilograms of heroin.
The CHAIRMAN. How much is a kilogram?
Mr. POHL. Two point two pounds.
The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead.
Mr. POHL. The French Central Narcotic Office placed that individual
under surveillance. They also placed under surveillance one Andre
Labay, who had been identified as the mastermind of some of the
heroin smuggling operations conducted by Berdin.
Labay was arrested by the French National Police after he had re-
ceived the 106 kilograms of heroin from the so-called Picpus Gang.
The principals of the organization, Andre Lajoux and Antoine Gri-
soni, were also arrested as were other members of the gang.
However, Preiss was allowed to proceed to New York unaware of
the seizure and of the arrests. On October 7, 1971, we arrested him in a
bar of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where he was waiting to be con-
tacted by Labay for the delivery of the heroin.
At the time of his arrest, Preiss, who had traveled with a false pass-
port, had in his possession a wrinkled piece of paper with seemingly
insignificant numbers. He was immediately questioned in French and
eventually admitted his role as a heroin controller. He further ad-
mitted that the figures on the slip of paper were the coded telephone
numbers of the American customer of Joseph Signoli and others.
Once Preiss had uncoded the numbers, the special agents working on
the case immediately recognized them as the telephone numbers of
Marie Schiotis, the mistress of the infamous Louis -Cirillo.
This 49-year-old resident of the Bronx and of Miami was well docu-
mented in our files. His underworld career stretches across more than
two decades during which he is believed to have engaged in a wide
range of criminal activities.
The wrinkled piece. of paper represented, therefore, a major clue. It
enabled us to finally identify the U.S. customer who, for years, had
been the trusted recipient of the heroin exported by Joseph Orsini.
To fully exploit this clue, it was decided to create a special tactical
unit. Working in close coordination with the Office of the U.S. At-
torney, Southern District of New York, this unit gathered the evi-
dence necessary to incriminate Cirillo and other members of the
organization in the United States, Canada, and France.
Cirillo was arrested at the end of October 1971. More French In-
ternational Letters Rogatory were executed on Preiss and on Berdin
who was made available by the Customs Agency Service. Toward the
.end 'of January 1972, the French Central Narcotic Office, acting on the
basis of the evidence we had supplied, arrested about 15 major viola-
tors in France.
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102
Additional arrests followed, and, due to very recent developments,
we expect that more arrests will take place in the United States,
Canada, and France.
The evidence gathered against Cirillo was impressive. When Girillo
was arrested, we seized from his person a. $1,500 gold watch which
Signoli had offered to his customer probably as a promotional gift.
Special scientific methods were applied. For instance, to prove that
a car having contained heroin had been dismantled in a private garage
in New Jersey, the floor of the garage was vacuumed by it BNDD
chemist who, in a complicated analysis, found traces of heroin in the
dust.
Hundreds of records were scrutinized, such as apartment rental.
agreements. Thus, the tactical unit, assisted by our Miami regional
office, was able to locate the apartment which Cirillo had rented in
Miami under an assumed name to conduct. his heroin negotiations in
privacy.
The evidence collected and the information available establishes that
during a 17-month period, from May 1970, to October 1971, Cirillo
and his criminal associates were responsible for the importation and
distribution of approximately 2,900 pounds of Heroin for which he
paid a price of $10,500 per kilogram.
We were also keeping an anxious eye on Cirillo's constant attempts
to make bail. From the original $1 million, the bail was eventually
reduced to $250,000. The Internal Revenue Service, which was fully
cooperating, stood by to levy a lien against Cirillo should he produce
the bail money.
It took Cirillo until March 21, 1972, to produce the bail. Not that
he did not have the money the subsequent discovery of $1,078,000 in
the backyard of his house in the Bronx speaks for Itself.
Mr. SourtwiNn. As far as facts go, the figures you gave its about
his operations over it period of 17 months appear to involve about
$60 million worth of heroin; is that not correct?
Mr. Poim. I think so, yes, sir.
Cirillo's problem was to justify the possession of $250,000. Indeed,
how could he, an alleged bagel baker by trade, with it weekly salary
of $200 justify the possession of $250,000? Eventually, a front. mein
was produced and the Internal Revenue Service was helpless.
The 'CIIAInMAN. What do you mean 'by a "front man? Mr. PonnL. A friend, or an alleged friend, of Mr. Cirillo, appeared,
and out of the kindness of his heart put up part of the money.
The GRAIRMAN. He claimed he put the money up.
Mr. P0IIL. Yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead.
Mr. POIIr. When he made bail on March 21 1972, Cirillo became a
major burden to the Bureau. Director IngersoiPs explicit instructions
were to break up the organization. This meant insuring that Cirillo
would be available for trial. A 24-hour around-the-clock o en sur-
veillance was instituted to prevent the accused from fleeing the juris-
diction of the U.S. District Court.
Simultaneously, an intensive investigation was initiated on the basis
of a lead furnished by the New York office of the FBI. Cirillo had
conspired to have Preiss killed and to escape from the United States.
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Finally, on April 10, 1972, after some 21 days of continuous surveil-
lance, conducted with the assistance of the New York State Police
and the Now York City Police Department, Cirillo was arrested again,
this time for conspiracy to obstruct justice and held in lieu of $1 mil-
lion bond.
On April 25, 1972, Cirillo was prosecuted by Mr. Whitne North
Seymour, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. In
a precedent-setting move, the French judicial authorities agreed to
produce in a U.S. Federal court on U.S. territory the evidence seized
in France, namely, the 106 kilograms of heroin which Preiss was to
deliver to Cirillo. The defendant was found guilty by a jury and
sentenced on May 25, 1972, to 25 years on each of these two counts of
the indictment. When imposing the sentence, Judge Edward Weinfield
stated :
There cannot be the slightest doubt that the defendant is one of the largest
distributors of narcotics in the United States with close connections with for-
eign suppliers.
His illicit activities have grown from year to year, and his transactions have
run into millions of dollars.
His criminal conduct has brought untold misery to thousands upon thousands
of men, women, and children and, as was suggested, indeed, deaths in a number
of cases.
Cirillo is presently incarcerated in the Federal penitentiary at
Leavenworth, Kans.
Mr. BELK. Mr. Chairman, that concludes our formal presentation,
and we are available to answer any questions that the committee may
have.
The CHAIRMAN. Strom?
Senator THURMOND. Mr. Chairman, I do not have a special question.
I would just like to commend these witnesses for the fine jobs they
have done, and I think they are rendering a great service to our coun-
try.
Mr. BELK. Thank you very much, sir.
Senator GURNEY. Not any at. this time, Mr. Chairman, because I
came in late.
Mr. SOURWINE. May I ask one question, Mr. Chairman ?
The CHAIRbIAN. Yes.
Mr. SoURwINE. Mention has been made of forged or remade pass-
ports. Are these commonly used, in your experience, by these traf-
fickers in narcotics?
Mr. PouIL. Are what?
Mr. SOURwINE. Forged or remade passports.
Mr. PomII,. They are very commonly used, and they Present an ex-
tremely serious problem in our investigation. The mans name means
absolutely nothing.
Mr. SOURWINE. The committee was informed with respect to a re-
cent Canadian case in which all 12 defendants had either remade
French passports or remade Belgian passports. Are you familiar with
this case? I will not ask you to identify it.
Mr. P0IIL. No, I am not familiar with it, sir.
Mr. SOURwINE. Did you ever find any of these traffickers using
false or forged or remade [ Tnited States passports?
Mr. P0JIL. I have no recollection of any such case.
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104
General WALT. Mr. Chairman, may I again emphasize that a kilo
of heroin on the streets of New York has it price of $390,000.
The CHAIRMAN. Three hundred and ninety?
General WALT. Three hundred and ninety, yes, sir.
Also a kilo makes up 50,000 heroin injections. In other words, what
this international criminal has brought into our country would make
up some ,50 million injections of heroin. How many young people's
lives are going to be destroyed or crippled as the result of 50 million
injections?
I also want to point out to you that this worldwide criminal got
25 years in prison and he will be eligible for parole-he will probably
be out on the streets again in 12, at least 15 years.
Thank you, sir.
Senator GURNEY. Mr. Chairman?
The CHAIRMAN. Well, he will be eligible for parole after he serves
slightly more than a third of his sentence, will he not?
General WALT. Yes, sir, that is my understanding.
Mr. BELK. That is the requirement, yes, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Senator Gurney.
Senator GURNEY. First of all, Mr. Chairman, I am sorry that I
was detained and was not able to be here for the testimony, but, as I
have gathered, these are examples of how heroin is smuggled into
the country ; is that right?
General WALT. That is correct, and of what it great job some of the
men in these bureaus, the BNDD and Customs, are doing in breaking
up the traffic.
As I stated earlier, sir, before you came in, the big traffickers used
to think they were safe if they had personal security and if they
stayed away from the buyer and if they never touched the goods-
they felt pretty secure. But the people that are working on this for
our country have destroyed the confidence the traffickers had before;
and they should, as I say, learn from these hearings that they are no
longer immune, that they are no longer safe, and if they want to con-
tinue in this death-dealing trade, they are going to have to pay the
consequences.
Senator GURNEY. Well, that actually touches upon a question I was
going to ask, and the question is: How are we fairing on breaking
up this international smuggling of heroin into the country?
Do we have any statistics as to what they were last year or the
year before or what it is this year, or, so far is there any indication
that we are getting on top of it?
Mr. BELK. Senator, the Director will be testifying before this coin-
mittee on Friday.
Senator GURNEY. I see.
Mr. BELK. At which time he will give the committee a much broader
overview. At that time, statistics on achievement will be submitted for
the committee's use, and my purpose here today was to explain, on
the basis of these cases, the complexities of the international drug
traffic, and, furthermore, to demonstrate to this committee that without
the cooperation of police agencies of other parts of the world I doubt
very seriously that any of this would have been accomplished. Cer-
tainly, the assistance rendered by the French Central Narcotic Office,
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by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in addition to our own services
and Customs and local authorities-well, it would have been exceed-
ingly difficult, if not impossible, to have done this.
Senator GURNEY. I do not know whether you are prepared to testify
on this or whether the Director will do it, but how are we making out
with the Latin-American governments, Paraguay, for example, which
has been of some trouble down there and it took us a long time to get
the release of one of the heroin people down there?,
Do you have any information about this?
Mr. BELK. Yes. There is, as you know-I believe Mr. Rossides testi-
fied this morning about the extradition of Ricord after some 17 months
of intensified efforts. But we must put this somewhat in perspective.
We have a treaty with Paraguay. The treaty names everything except
narcotics. Now, the courts down there ultimately adjudicated on the
fact that the intent of the treaty would apply. However, Mr. Ricord
was afforded all of the judicial processes that are available in that
country, and Mr. Ricord has vast assets available to him, and he is
able to hire expert lawyers, and so on, and this is what occasioned
the long delay in this matter. But ultimately the United States and the
Paraguay Governments pervaded in the matter and Ricord is now
in New York City awaiting trial.
In terms of their overall cooperation, they have indicated recently
their interest in actually establishing a central narcotics bureau along
the lines of our own. They have asked for assistance and advice, and,
in fact, next month we are inviting to the United States, for discussions
of the orientation program, the man that will head up this new orga-
nization in Paraguay.
Senator GURNEY. Just as a matter of curiosity-perhaps this has
been touched upon, but is that first case the one the movie was based
upon, The French Connection?
Mr. BELK. This case?
Senator GURNEY. The Jaguar case.
Mr. BELK. No; that was based on a case that was concluded in New
York City, I believe, in 1964.
Senator GURNEY. But similar?
Mr. BELK. Similar; very similar in every respect.
Senator GURNEY. I do not have any other questions.
The CHAIRMAN. The next witness.
Mr. SOURWINE. We understood that three Customs agents, Mr. Wil-
liam M. Kline, Mr. Douglas A. McCombs, and Mr. Howard H. Wright
were available to provide additional details with respect to particular
cases. Are they here, or has the material they were expected to supply
already been covered?
Mr. BELK. I believe Mr. Rossides testified this morning on the partic-
ulars of that case.
Mr. SOURwINE. Well, those agents are not now here?,
Mr. BELK. They were here. I think they have left.
Mr. SoURwINE. We have no additional witnesses this morning, Mr.
Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. We will recess.
(Whereupon, at 11:35 a.ni.. a recess was taken until 10:30 a.m.,
Thursday, September 14,1972. )
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WORLD DRUG TRAFFIC AND ITS IMPACT ON U.S.
SECURITY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1972
U.S. SENATE,
SUBCoM iIrrEE To INVESTIGATE THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT
AND OTHER INTERNAL SECURITY LAWS
OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,
WasAington, D.C.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 2:30 p.m., in room 2300,
New Senate Office Building, Senator Edward J. Gurney presiding.
Also present: J. G. Sourwine, chief counsel; and Alfonso L. Tara-
bochia, chief investigator.
Senator GURNEY. Would you stand and raise your right hand. Do
you swear the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. SONNETT. I swear.
TESTIMONY OF NEAL SONNETT, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S.
ATTORNEY, MIAMI, FLA.
Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Sonnett has been summoned by'
the committee, as the Chair knows, because of our interest in a particu-
lar case involving the illegal importation of narcotics in the United
States. I have just one or two preliminary questions.
Would you identify yourself by name, Mr. Somiett, and give your
address, please?
Mr. SoNNEmr. Yes. My name is Neal Sonnett, and I reside at 1060
Brickell Avenue in Miami, Fla.
Mr. SOURWINE. And are you presently employed?
Mr. SONNETT. I am an attorney at law. Until May 12, of 1971, I was
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and
Chief of the Criminal Division of that Office.
Mr. SOURWINE. In your capacity in that Office, did you have any-
thing to do with the case of Oscar Squella-Avendano, who smuggled
narcotics into the United States?
Mr. SONNETT. Yes. I was originally trial prosecutor on that case, and
at the time it went to trial, was one of two assistant U.S. attorneys who
handled the prosecution. I was in charge of that prosecution.
Mr. SOURWINE. Mr. Chairman, we have had testimony yesterday
about this case by a representative of the Customs Service. Mr. Squ-
ella-Avendano is a Chilean, according to the testimony already in the
record, who flies his own aircraft., who flew into the United States,
bringing in a substantial amount of cocaine, approximately 203
(107)
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pounds, and who was identified by virtue of very good work by the
Customs people, and was indicted, tried, and convicted. What I want
to ask Mr. Sonnett about is a collateral matter, not concerned with
Squella's conviction, but concerned with alleged efforts, of which the
committee has been apprised, to secure his release.
Are you aware, sir, of any efforts that were made to secure the re-
lease of Oscar Squella-Avendano?
Mr. SONNETT. Yes, I am. By way of background, let me first say that
from the time of the arrest of Oscar Squella- Avendano and others on
July 27, of 1970, it had been made clear to the Government that Mr.
Squella was a, high-ranking member of a coalition that then was in-
volved in the campaign for the presidency of Chile, supporting now-
President Allende.
The case was pending a considerable amount of time, due to the orig-
inal suppression of the evidence by the trial court judge, and the Gov-
ernment's successful of that appeal suppression and there were several
issues that came to light that indicated that Mr. Squella was, in fact,
very close to President Allende. For example, he at one time, while
out on bond, had requested permission to return to Chile. As prosecu-
tor on the case, I wouldn't allow him to return to Chile unless the Chi-
lean Government would guarantee his return, since we had no extra-
dition treaty with that country. Permission was given by President
Allende for such a guarantee in writing to be delivered to the U.S.
Government.
During the period of the appeal, no contact was made between de-
fense counsel representing Mr. Squella and the Government. However,
on August 25, 1971, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the
trial court's decision suppressing the evidence, and the case was then
set for trial. Prior to the time it was set for trial, I was approached by
one Donald Bierman, who is attorney for the defendant, Squella
Mr. SOURWINE. At this time, he was attorney for Squella?
Mr. SONNErr. He was attorney at that time, yes, sir. He was not the
original counsel of record, but had represented Mr. Squella for most of
the proceedings.
Mr. SOURWINE. Is he a Miami attorney?
Mr. SONNETT. He is a Miami attorney, and he is also a, former
assistant U.S. attorney from Florida.
Mr. SoURWINE. That is B -I-E-R-M-A=N ?
Mr. SONNETT. Yes, that is correct.
Mr. SomRwINE. Very good.
Mr. SONNETT. Mr. Bierman suggested to us that because of President
Allende's closeness to Fidel Castro, that in. return for the Government
dropping the charges against Oscar Squella and allowing him to
return to Chile a free man, that there might be an arrangement made
to return aircraft hijackers who were then residing in Cuba.
Mr. SOURwINE. Any particular hijackers?
Mr. SONNETT. At the time of the first approach, no particular
hijackers were mentioned. And I offhandedly dismissed the request,
since we considered Oscar Squella to be a major narcotics figure, and
since the amount of cocaine involved was the largest cocaine shipment
ever seized. We had no further discussions about that until shortly
before the trial date, a month or 6 weeks before the trial date, when
Mr. Bierman approached me and said that at that time they would be
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109
interested in negotiating for a swap of Oscar Squella, in return for
three hijackers who had hijacked- a plane to Cuba after killing a
New Mexico State trooper.
Mr. SOURWINE. Was that three members of the RNA, the so-called
Republic of New Africa?
Mr. SONNET. Yes, it was.
Mr. SouxwrNE. They had sought asylum in Cuba?
Mr. SONNETT. That is correct.
Mr. SouRwiNE. Had they been given asylum in Cuba?
Mr. SONNETT. At the time, to the best of my knowledge, they are
residing in Cuba, and had been given asylum.
Mr. SouxwrNE. At that, time, you are talking about November of
1971?
Mr. SONNETT. It was approximately November; yes. Either late
November or early December.
Mr. SOURWINE. All right. Go ahead.
Senator GURNEY. What do the initials R.N.A. stand for?
Mr. SONNETT. It is a militant-the initials are the Republic of New
Africa. It is a militant group.
Mr. SOURWINE. It is a group of blacks, Senator, who take the view
that there should be segregation, that the Negroes should live by
themselves, and that they should take or be given most of the territory
of three States of the United States, and make it a separate Negro
republic.
Senator GURNEY. I remember. Go on. That is all right.
Mr. SONNETT. The three hijackers involved, of course, had been
very much in the news because of f1w killing of the State trooper in
New Mexico, and at that point, since a specific offer had been made,
I felt it my responsibility to communicate that to the U.S. Department
of Justice. And I did, in fact, communicate that offer to both the head
of the General Crime Section of the Department of Justice, and the
head of the Narcotics Section.
Mr. SouxwrNE. Now, the head of the General Crime Division was
Mr. Carl Belcher?
Mr. SONNETT. That is right.
Mr. SOURWINE. And the head of the Narcotics Section was Mr.
William Ryan?
Mr. SoNNETT. That is correct, sir.
Mr. SouRwINE. Did you consider that Mr. Bierman, in making this
offer, had been guilty of any violation of law or ethics?
Mr. SONNETT. No, I did not at that time, and I still do not believe
that he had.
Mr. SouxwrNE. You think he had a right to make that kind of an
offer if it would help his client?
Mr. SONNETT. Well, he was communicating an offer that he said had
been cleared in the highest levels of the Government of Chile, and he
was simply communicating a message from his client and from the
Government of Chile.
Mr. SOURWINE. Now, wait a minute. He is communicating an offer
with regard to three RNA members who were hijackers of an aircraft
who were in Cuba?
Mr. SONNETT. That is correct.
Mr. SouRwiNE. But he was making the offer on behalf of Chile?
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110
Mr. SONNETT. Mr. Bierman's statements to me, while never totally
specific, were that the arrangement could be made because of the close-
ness of the Chilean Government with the Cuban Government.
Mr. SOURWINE. They are both Communist governments, are they
not?
Mr. SoNNETT. I believe them both to be. Communist governments.
Mr. SOURWINE. They both announced that they were, and we need
not fight over that. It is a matter of record, so that this was a case of
two Latin American Communist governments which were working
in cooperation to attempt to secure the release of this Chilean?
Mr. SONNETT. That is correct. Now, it was made clear to me at the
time the offer was communicated that there could be no publicized
swap, that the procedure, if the Government of the United States
agreed, was that the three hijackers would be returned to the United
States, and 30 days thereafter, or thereabout, the Government would
simply quietly drop the indictment against Oscar Squella, and allow
him to return home to Chile.
Senator GURNEY. Did Bierman say who had contacted him?
Mr. SONNETT. No, lie never specifically told me of any person that
he had talked with. The understanding that I had, based on bits and
pieces of conversations that we had on several occasions, was that rela-
tives, or members of the Squella family had been in touch with either
President Allende or somebody very close to President Allende, and
that they had been able to get Allende's cooperation in securing neces-
sary negotiations. No specific names were ever mentioned, Senator.
Mr. SOLTRWINE. Were you in touch wick anyone representing either
the Cuban Government or the Chilean Government who supported this
offer by Bierman?
Mr.,SONNETT. No, I never was.
Mr. SouiwTNE. All right. But you believed that Bierman's offer was
bona fide?
Mr. SONNETT. Well, Mr. Bierman told me his offer was bona fide.
Mr. SOURWINE. You had enough confidence in it to report it to
Washington?
Mr. SONNET?r. Yes, I did.
Mr. SOURWINE. IV-hat was the result?
Mr. SONNETT. Well, the Department of Justice was not anxious to
proceed with the offer and, in fact, originally communicated to me
their desire not to carry it any further, which I communicated to Bier-
man, and we began to prepare for trial.
Mr. SouRwINE. Did they not. send a man to Miami to go into the
situation?
Mr. SONNE7T. That was not until several weeks later. My under-
standing is that Donald Bierman, after I had told him that the Govern-
ment would not be interested, personally called Henry Peterson, who
at that time was Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal.
Division.
Mr. SouRwiNE. And it was after that that Philip Wilens was sent
down ?
i1M1r. SONNETT. I think the spelling in the memorandum is wrong. I
believe he spells it W-i-l-e-n-s. Wilens. I believe that is it.
Mr. SotrawINE. W-i-1-e-n-s ? Philip Wilens?
Mr. SONNETT. That is correct.
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Mr. SOURWINE. Philip with one L?
Mr. SONNETT. Yes. Now, he was sent down following Mr. Bier-
man's telephone conversation with Henry Peterson, and 'he conferred
with me and reviewed the file, with a view toward determining what
kind of a case we had against Squella. It was the consensus of opinion
of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida that
while Squella was guilty, that the case was going to be a rough case
to prove, and that we had a chance of not convicting Mr. Squella as
well as convicting him. On balance, and after reviewing the entire file,
Mr. Wilens was of the opinion that the case against Mr. Squella was
good enough so that we ought not to worry about whether or not we
could convict him, and ought to make the decision on whether or not
the offer itself should be followed through at all, and the decision was
made not to proceed with the offer so we prepared for trial. We began
trial on January 24, 1972. After a 3-day trial, the jury came in with
a verdict of guilty as to all counts on Mr. Squella.
Mr. SouRwINE. You were successful, and he was sentenced to 25
years, was he not?
Mr. SONNETT. He was sentenced to 15 years under the old statutes.
The minimum mandatory sentence under the old narcotics law that
was superseded in 1970, so he is serving now 15 years on a minimum
mandatory basis.
Mr. SOURwINE. Is his case on appeal?
Mr. SONNETT. His case is on appeal.
Mr. SouRWINE. On what technicality?
Mr. SONNETT. Well, there are several issues regarding the sufficiency
of the evidence, and regarding the propriety: of a deposition which
was introduced by the Government, a deposition taken of another
indicted defendant who was in Chile and was not able 'to be extra-
dited. Originally the defendant's lawyer, his first lawyer and I, went
to Santiago, Chile, to take this deposition, and this is one of the legal
points on appeal. I am personally satisfied that there was no error
committed in the case.
Mr. SoURwINE. I meant to ask this. As trial counsel, do you have any
fears that there might be a reversal on the basis of the appeal?,
Mr. SONNET r. I do not. I might add one thing. I have mentioned in
my testimony several reasons for us to believe, based on contact with
Squella and This lawyer, that Squella was, in fact, close to President
Allende.
In filing the defendant's brief with the fifth circuit court of ap-
peals, a certificate was filed pursuant to the fifth circuit local rule
13, which requires the listing of all parties that have an interest in the
case so that the judges might recuse themselves, where called for; and
the certificate filed by Donald Bierman as attorney of record for Oscar
Squella-Avendano read that the undersigned counsel for Oscar jSquel-
la-Avendano certifies that the following listed parties have an interest
in the outcome of these cases. These representations are made in order
that judges of this court may evaluate possible disqualification or re-
fusal pursuant to local rule 13-A. Members of his family and his two
sons and wife are listed, and the last person listed an this certificate is :
"Salvador Allende, President of the Republic of Chile, close personal
friend of the defendant, interested in the outcome so defendant may
again serve the Government of Chile as a member of the coalition gov-
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ernment representing the independent non-Marxist, non-Communist
Party."
Mr. SOURWINE. In other words, as a cabinet officer in the Government
of the Republic of Chile?
Mr. SoNNETr. Yes, sir. Our information was, and it has been con-
firmed by Squella himself, that Squella would have held a, cabinet level
rank had he not been arrested and convicted. His arrest on July 27,
1970, was just about a month or perhaps 6 weeks prior to Allende's
election.
Senator GURNEY. I)id you say that the. case was not -tried at first,
and there was appeal, and it was sent back for trial?
Mr. SONNETT. No, sir. It was set for trial originally on December 2,
1970, and a hearing on a pretrial motion to suppress was held prior to
the beginning of the trial, at which time the trial judge sitting on the
case suppressed all of the evidence, the 202 pounds of cocaine that had
been seized. I obviously could not proceed to trial without that evi-
dence, and I appealed the judge's ruling, as the Government has the
right to do in motions to suppress in narcotics cases. I was successful in
that appeal. The fifth circuit reversed the trial judge, and sent the case
back down, and it was then set for trial on January 24 of 1972.
Senator GURNEY. Who was the trial judge?
Mr. SONNETr. Chief Judge Fulton was the trial judge in that case.
Mr. SOURwINE. Mr. Chairman, in this connection, the committee has
the entire transcript of the trial itself and the opinions. I would re-
spectfully suggest, I: think this is of sufficient importance for the en-
tering of it, and it is a case which basically because of its implication
of the interests of two Latin American Communist governments in the
narcotics trade is of sufficient importance that we should cover it
thoroughly. I would respectfully suggest that the Chair might wish to
order into the appendix of this record an abbreviation of the trial tran-
script, which could be prepared by my office, which would show the
essential elements involved and the full text of the opinions, both on
the initial exclusion case, and on the second appeal when it is avail-
able. I believe they would add to the record, and it is suggested to me
that perhaps the Chair might wish to have the indictment put in the
record also as a part of the appendix.
Senator GURNEY. How long is it?
Mr. SOURWINE. The indictment is about-
Mr. SONNETr. It is about six pages.
Mr. SOURWINE. It appears to be 10 to 12 pages, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. TARasocnitA. No ; it is only five pages.
Mr. SOURWINE. Five pages, sir.
Senator GURNEY. We will include that, then. And your other request
was what?
Mr. SOURwINE. That we put in the decision and the opinion of the
court in the appeal that, is presently pending, that is due to be handed
down very soon, and we can get it and put it in the record.
Senator GURNEY. All right. We can include that.
Mr. SOURWINE. Then we will have the whole of the procedures and,
of course, I did suggest also, I did include also, this suggestion that
my staff expurgate the trial record itself so as to leave the high spots
of the trial record there in an understandable form so that someone can
read it and understand it, and know what was involved in the trial.
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Senator GURNEY. All right. Let me have that when you finish it.
Mr. SOURWINE. Very good, sir. Subject to the approval of the Chair,
then, it is to be inserted in the record.*
Senator GURNEY. That is right.
Mr. SoURwINE. Very good.
Senator GURNEY. Not until I take a look at your synopsis.
Mr. SoURwiNE. I understand. It is not to go in until it has been
approved.
Also, possibly you might want to include the presentencing state-
ment of Squella.
Senator GURNEY. If you think it will add.
Mr. TARABOCIJIA. In the presentencing statement, Squella himself
states that lie was a very close friend of Allende, and that he would
have been a part of the Government of that country.
Senator GURNEY. All right. We will include that, then.
Mr. SONNErr. Sir, if I might make one suggestion, Senator?
Senator GURNEY. Yes.
Mr. SONNE'rr. While the transcript of the trial is a lengthy one, you
may want to include the testimony of Oscar Squella-Avendano, who
took the stand, and who does on direct examination testify as to his
complete history in the Chilean Government and his involvement with
President Allende.
Mr. SOURWINE. I had that in mind, and it was a good suggestion.
Senator GURNEY. Have you anything else?
Mr. SOURWINE. I have nothing further, Mr. Chairman, and I have
no more questions of this witness.
Senator GURNEY. All right.
Mr. SoURwiNE. I might suggest that although Mr. Sonnett was
summoned and so had no choice, and probably had no objection, we
do owe him a vote of thanks for coming up here and being very co-
operative with the committee.
Senator GURNEY. Well, I certainly agree with that.
Mr. SONNETr. Thank you.
Senator GURNEY. It is helpful. The subcommittee will now recess,
subject to the call of the Chair.
Mr. SoURwINE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
(Whereupon, at 2:55 p.m., the. hearing was recessed subject to the
call of the Chair.)
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APPENDIX
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
U.S.A. V. OSCAR SQUELLA-AVENDANO, APPELLANT
Summary and status
This case is on appeal from the United States District Court, Southern District
of Florida. The probability is that oral argument will be heard sometime in No-
vember, 1972; similarly, the case is to be decided (in all probability) sometime in
early Spring.
Following a jury trial, Oscar Squella Avendano was convicted on five counts
charging violations of federal narcotics law by unlawfully possessing and import-
ing 202 pounds of (pure) cocaine. After cutting, the "stuff" was probably worth
a quarter-million dollars (conservative estimate). Squella was sentenced March
23, 1972 to imprisonment for fifteen years on count One and concurrent ten-year
terms on Counts 2 to 5.
Facts
Agents of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs maintained in July,
1970 a continuous surveillance of certain individuals ; information was that they
were preparing to receive a large shipment of cocaine from Chile. Those under
suspicion met at various sites in the Coral Gables area. One Quintanilla was within
immediate focus. Another suspect, accompanied by a co-defendant, July 27, 1970
entered an automobile and proceeded toward Miami International Airport.
Squella was the owner and operator of an aircraft which flew to Miami from Chile.
The contraband in question was discovered in such a manner as to plainly indi-
cate that it had been packaged in Chile and transported in his plane.'
Squella, (now the appellant), approached the automobile being used by the
suspects and entered it. He drove the vehicle into the cargo area of the Airport
and then drove it into the vicinity of his airplane. The appellant entered the
plane ... ultimately exited the plane and backed up the auto in question to the
cargo hatch. One large box and three smaller ones were transferred from plane to
automobile by Squella, with the aid of the plane's mechanic.
Agents followed, or checked on, movements of the appellant and two other
suspects until the arrival of the vehicle. a Ford, at the door of the apartment
of one of the three. The agents entered the apartment after receiving no response
to a knock on the door; (they heard running in the apartment).
The cocaine was found on the living room floor, in the very boxes which the
agents had observed at the airport at the plane of Squella. A deposition was
taken in Chile of one of the co-defendants, DeMaria. He had fled the jurisdiction ;
there is no extradition process or agreement with the United States on this
score. One of the issues on appeal is the objection to the Government's use of
that deposition, i.e., whether the rnovants (the defendants) in a given case have
the right to withhold a deposition, to enjoy a prerogative of determining whether
the testimony of the out-of-country witness is favorable or unfavorable, and then
to act upon that determination.
Another issue which Squella attempted to present was the fact that he had left
the jurisdiction of the United States under hail, that he returned from his
country, Chile, to the U.S.A. rather than flee. The appellee, the Government, is
contending that this issue is frivolous. Succinctly, the position of the prosecutor
is that Squella's position at high levels of the government of Chile is impaired
if not lost, as one convicted of the crime in question. (See Section, infra,
"SQUELLA'S POSITION AT HIGH LEVEL.. . ." Page ( ).) Only by clearing
himself of the charges and conviction would Squella's usefulness be restored.
Therefore, the question of innocence is extrinsic of the actions of the defendant
in leaving and returning to this jurisdiction.
1 Brief of U.S. Attorney, page 3, United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
(115)
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Investigation of the case began July 10, 1970, based upon it report from an
informant! One of the aspects of suspicion involving Oscar Squella was the fact
that he drove his car back to the parking lot at the airport where he had parked
in the same space, where he had originally obtained several boxes. And he then
walked away from the car.' On argument before the District Court, contention
was made that Squella had a possessory interest in the packages (containing
white powder or cocaine). The Special Agent, William D. Hudson, Jr., Bureau
of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, testified that these were the same boxes
that he observed Mr. Squella takingfrom the airplane.'
The indictment against Squella follows :
(No. 71-1143)
In the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT,
OSCAR SQUELLA-AVENDANO, MARCO OSORIO, ETC., ANDRES R. RODRIQUEZ, CARLOS
ROJAS, RODOLFO QUINTANILLA, AND RAUL DEMARIA, JORGE VAZQUEZ, DEFEND-
ANTS-APPELLES
1. That beginning on or about July 10, 1970, the exact date being unknown,
and continuing until on or about July 27, 1970, at Miami, Dade County, in the
Southern District of Florida and elsewhere, the defendants, Marco Osorio, aka
Jose Fernandez, Andres R. Rodriquez. Jorge Vazquez, Carlos Rojas, Rodolfo
Quintanilla, Oscar Squella-Avendano, and Raul DeMaria together with Ada
Villaneuva and Jorge Puga, named in this indictment as co-conspirators, but not
as defendants, and various other persons presently unknown to the Grand Jury,
did wilfully and knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each
other to violate Title 21, United States Code, Sections 173 and 174.
2. It was a part of said conspiracy that the defendants would fraudulently
and knowingly import and bring large amounts of narcotic drugs to wit : cocaine,
into the United States contrary to law.
3. It was further a part of the conspiracy that the defendants would wilfully
and knowingly receive, conceal, buy, and sell and facilitate the transportation,
concealment, and sale of narcotic drugs, to wit: cocaine, after said narcotic drugs
had been imported into the United States contrary to law.
4. It was further a part of the conspiracy that the defendants would conceal
the existence of the conspiracy and would take steps designed to prevent the
disclosure of their activities.
That the defendants and their co-conspirators heretofore named did commit
in furtherance of said conspiracy and to effect the objects thereof the following
overt acts.
1. On or about July 17, 1970, at approximately 5 :00 p.m. the defendant Andres R.
Rodriguez had a meeting at Key Biscayne, Dade County, Florida, with de-
fendant Rodolfo Quintanilla and two other persons.
2. On or about July 17, 1970, Ada Villaneuva and defendant Andres R. Rod-
riguez met at the Bilbao Restaurant, 5910 S.W 8th Street, Miami, Florida.
3. On or about July 18, 1970, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the defendant
Andres R. Rodriguez had ameeting at the South Beach area of Miami Beach,
2 Appendix, Pages 11 and 13; on Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth
Circuit.
3 ID., Page 48.
4 ID., Page 91.
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Dade County, Florida, with the defendant Rodolfo Quintanilla and two other
persons.
4. On or about July 21, 1970, Ada Villaneuva and Jorge Puga met at the Flagler
Kennel Club, 450 N.W. 37th Avenue, Miami, Florida.
5. On or about July 27, 1970, at about 2 :30 p.m. the defendant Andres R. Rod-
riguez had a meeting at Matheson's Hammock, Coral Gables, Dade County,
Florida, with defendants Rodolfo Quintanilla, Jorge Vazquez, and Marco Osorio.
6. On or about July 26, 1970, defendant Rodolfo Quintanilla rented a white 1970
Ford Galaxie at Dade County, Florida.
7. On or about July 27, 1970, at about 8 :00 a.m. defendant Rodolfo Quintanilla
driving the said 1970 Ford with defendant Marco Osorio as a passenger proceeded
to Miami Springs, Dade County, Florida, followed by defendant Carlos Rojas
driving a 1968 Dodge.
8. On or about July 27. 1970, at about 12:30 p.m., defendant Oscar Squella-
Avendano in the vicinity of Aero Facilities, Miami International Airport, to-
gether with another individual removed several containers from a C-46 Aircraft
and placed said containers into the trunk of the said 1970 Ford.
9. On or about July 27, 1970, at about 2:20 p.m., defendants Rodolfo Quin-
tanilla and Carlos Rojas arrived in the aforesaid 1968 Dodge at a parking lot in
Miami Springs, Florida, where the aforesaid 1970 Ford was parked.
10. On or about July 27, 1970, at approximately 3 :20 p.m., defendant Rodolfo
Quintanilla removed some containers from the trunk of the aforesaid 1970 Ford
and carried said containers into Apartment 5, Santillane Avenue, Coral Gables,
Florida.
All in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 173 and 174.
That on or about July 27, 1970, in the Southern District of Florida, the de-
fendants, Marco Osorio, aka Jose Fernandez, Andres R. Rodriguez, Jorge Vaz-
quez, Carlos Rojas, Rodolfo Quintanilla, Oscar Squella-Avendano, and Raul
DeMaria did fraudulently and knowingly import and bring into the United States
a narcotic drug, that is approximately 200 pounds of cocaine, contrary to law ;
in violation of Title 21, United States Code, ? 174.
That on or about July 27, 1970, in the Southern District of Florida, the de-
fendants, Marco Osorio, aka Jose Fernandez, Andres R. Rodriquez, Jorge Vaz-
quez, Carlos Rojas, Rodolfo Quintanilla, Oscar Squella-Avendano, and Raul
DeMaria did fraudulently, knowingly and wilfully receive, conceal and facilitate
the transportation and concealment of a narcotic drug, namely, approximately
200 pounds of cocaine, which narcotic drug the defendants then knew had been
imported into the United States contrary to law ; all in violation of Title 21,
United States Code, ? 174.
On or about July 27, 1970, in the Southern District of Florida, the defendants,
Marco Osorio aka Jose Fernandez, Andres R. Rodriguez, Jorge Vazquez, Carlos
Rojas, Rodolfo Quintanilla, Oscar Squella-Avendano, and Raul DeMaria did sell,
barter, exchange, and give away a narcotic drug, that is, approximately, 200
pounds of cocaine, not in pursuance of a written order of a person to whom such
narcotic drug was sold, bartered, exchanged, or given away on a form issued in
blank for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate ; in viola-
tion of Title 26, United States Code, Section 4705(a) and Section 7237.
COUNT V
On or about July 27, 1970, in the Southern District of Florida, the defendants,
Marco Osorio aka Jose Fernandez, Andres R. Rodriguez, Jorge Vazquez, Carlos
Rojas, Rodolfo Quintanilla, Oscar Squella-Avendano, and Raul DeMaria did
purchase, sell, dispense, and distribute a narcotic drug, that is, approximately
200 pounds of cocaine not in the original stamped package and not from the origi-
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nal stamped package ; in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 4704
(A) and 7237.
A true bill.
Foreman.
ROBERT W. RUST,
U.S. Attorney,
By NEAL It. SONNETT,
Neal R. Sonnett,
Assistant U.S. Attorney.
* * * * * *
REVERSAL OF DECISION OF LOWER COURT GRANTING MOTION TO SUPPRESS USE OF 200
POUNDS OF COCAINE SEIZED AS EVIDENCE
Date of the decision of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth
Circuit,' was August 25, 1971; Date of order of the lower court granting the
motion was December 1, 1970. The case proceeded to jury trial in 1972, resulting
in convictions.
During the two-year litigation, the United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit,
rules on an appeal from an Order of the District Court, Southern District of
Florida, that it was error to suppress use of 200 pounds of cocaine seized as evi-
dence. (The Government had the right to appeal under 18 U.S.C. 1404.)
The case discloses the fact that the Government acted on an informant's report
that certain individuals intended to smuggle a large shipment of Chilean cocaine
into Miami, Florida.
The case highlights the fact that an automobile under surveillance in this
matter was parked beside a C-46 aircraft: said to belong to Squella, where cartons
were unloaded from the airplane and into the car in question. Then, the deefnd-
ant Squella-Avendano drove the car back to an airport parking lot and parked
it precisely in the same spot it had been parked by a co-defendant.
The case before the Appellate Court turned upon the principle that arrests may
be made without warrant "for violations of any law of the United States relating
to narcotic drugs * * * upon reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be
arrested has committed or is committing such violation."
SQUELLA'S POSITION AT HIGH LEVEL OF CHILEAN GOVERNMENT SUGGESTED RETURN
OF DEFENDANT TO U.S.A. TO "CLEAR" HIMSELF . . . TO RETAIN PRESTIGE
Among the several contentions advanced by Squella, attempt was made to raise
a question of doubt as to his guilt because (1) he had not fled the jurisdiction,
after release on bond and (2) if he were guilty, lie could have raised the money
(for) bail, as to which lie sought reduction.
Neither of the contentions was tenable in the opinion of the Court and the
Prosecutor but in the ambit of the first, Squella himself gave answer as to why
lie returned from Chile. Transcript of testimony March 23, 1972 in the United
States District Court, Southern District of Florida, reflects in the words of
Squella himself that his value to his Government was predicated upon his high,
surely non-criminal standing.
Quoting from the transcript of the hearing in the lower court relative to im-
position of sentence : (Pages 2 through 6 et seq.)
(Chief Judge Charles B. Fulton, presiding)-
"* * * You are here today for the imposition of sentence and, before the Court
imposes a sentence, the Court will be pleased to hear from you or your lawyer
or both with respect to anything that you care to say on the subject of mitiga-
tion, explanation or otherwise. * * *"
THE DEFENDANT (Squella: Following request: to read his plea and after re-
peating his assertion of innocence)-
"The law says that I have to be sentenced and the law is cruel. The law have
no feelings. * * *
"Justice is blind. But what class of criminal do---I am? What have I done all
my life? What is my background that I am facing at the end of my life, or
very close to the end, to go to jail?
"Let me tell something about myself. * * * Since I was a boy, at fourteen
years old-I entered a military academy, similar to West Point, at Santiago,
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Chile, my country, because I wanted to serve my country as an officer in the
Chilean Air Force. After six years I became officer with excellent qualification
and two special honor (sic)-the best friend and the medal to bravery.
"I became a pilot at nineteen years old and start my career in the Chilean
Air Force. I was sent many times to this country. * * *
"When we came back to Chile, we start the Airborne School in my country,
and I became a member of the First Presidential Squadron, who take care of
the transportation of the President of Chile when lie has to flight.
* * * "When I left the Chilean Air Force, I was very poor, because in my
country the military career is an honorable branch of public service and you
never make money being in the service. Then I had to work very hard, on avia-
tion-that was the only thing that I knew well. I started with my own company,
but I have to face very strong political opposition, because I enter myself in
the political field, because I believe that the politic is the best way to help people.
"We started with a new political group, supporting the actual President, in a
non-_Marxieat position, so we had problems for this reason, too, because we were
not Communist, but the candidate strongly support our organization, just be-
cause this-because being a democratic man, he wanted a well-balanced group of
forces in his Government.
"We lost the first election in 195K We lost again in 1966. All this time I had a
strong position from the Government to deal my business, but we win, at last, in
1970. I supposed to be a very outstanding man in Allende's Government and all
my people were very happy because our group will be the most important group
of independent and nationalist force in Allende's Government. (Present regime.)
"And then happen this horrible thing. I was involved in the worst and ugliest
crime that a man can be charged with. This was a tremendous impact in Chile
because the election has not been made, and this affair was exploded largely by
the opposition. My name was everywhere associated with drugs. So was the
candidate's name. * * *"
From the trial-court transcript, Page 194, Mr. Donald J. Bierman, appearing
on behalf of the defendant, Squella-Avendano, declared, " * * There is a matter
of the pending motion for introduction of the testimony of Mr. Squella's avail-
ability and failure to flee while out on bond."
The CouRT. "Well, let's discuss that for a second and resolve it. We have taken
a look at the gases that you have cited. They really don't stand strongly for the
points that you are urging. * `?` * What is it you want?"
Mr. BiFRMAN. "What I want is the ability to introduce the circumstances of
his failure to flee. And the one case, the one recent case (citing a case) said a
charge is not appropriate, but it is evidence in a circumstantial case which a jury
may consider * * *."
(Continuing at Page 195)-"The question of knowledge, as the Court will
charge the jury, is one that can only be found from circumstantial evidence, so
we have a circumstantial evidence case.
"On this point, I would submit that the fact that Mr. Squella is out, and albeit
a $50,000 bond, we have had testimony that this cocaine is worth two million
dollars, so fifty thousand, while it is a lot of money, and I would like to make it
every year, it is not a lot of money contrasted to what has been called in opening
argument the 'kingpin' in a large cocaine operation. * * * "
(Continuing at Page 197)-The COURT. * * * "This is a case where the de-
fendant carne to court and was placed under a bond. It was perhaps not a surety
bond but it was the cash equivalent, and the securities that were put up by
his friends, who are people here. And in order to get into this sort of thing and
sort of create a trial-within-a-trial, all of those salient facts would necessarily
go to the jury if any of it went to the jury, and I (continuing at page 198) think
it would obscure the real issue in the case and would tend to confuse the jury. I
don't think it's proper.
" * * * I don't, from the evidence that I have heard, view this as a circum-
stantial evidence case in the classical circumstantial evidence case concept. The
testimony that I have heard is that the defendant was at the scene and it was
he who was unloading, along with another fellow, some boxes, putting them in
the back of a Ford automobile, and that this Ford automobile was later seen
at this house, and that boxes were seen inside the house and all that sort of
thing.
"So the classical circumstantial evidence case is not this case, as I view
it. * * *"
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(Continuing at Page 199) -The COURT. "And that is one element of the offense
for sure. But notwithstanding all of this, I think it would be improper for me
to permit counsel for the defense to go so for afield as to bring before the jury
all of the salient facts attendant upon this defendant being placed on bond. e w w "
For the plaintiff, U.S.A., Mr. SONNETT (continuing at Page 199)--
"Well it puts the (page 200) Government in a prejudicial position, Your
Honor. For example we cannot bring out the fact that our intelligence informa-
tion in Santiago reveals that Mr. Squella had to stay here, because he was use-
less to the Allende Government.
"We would have to then ask to bring out the fact that we refused to let Mr.
Squella go home until we had a letter from the Chilean Embassy guaranteeing
his return if he failed to come back. It just. it gets into that trial-within-a-
trial.."
The court denied the motion (to introduce testimony to prove that Mr. Squella
did not flee the jurisdiction).
At the hearing on motion for reduction of bond February 23d, 1972, the fol-
lowing cross-examination of Mr. Squella by the Government attorney (pages 20
to 23 of the transcript) is revelatory of the need of the defendant to clear himself
if he were to be of further service to his President (Allende) and his Govern-
ment (Chile)-
"Q. Were you to have a job with the government of Chile after this case was
terminated?
"A. After this case?
"Q. Yes.
"A. No, I happen to have a job ever since I get out of the Chilean Air Force
in 1966.
"Q. Didn't you testify at a bond reduction hearing or something that there
was a possibility that you would work for President Allende?
"A. No, but I told I was working in the campaign for Allende, and if Allende
will win, probably I will have some kind of job.
"Q. Like Minister of Transportation?
"A. No, I never say that.
"Q. Some government position?
"A. Yes, probably.
"Q. Now, would the fact that you are convicted of a crime make a difference
as to whether or not you would get this job?
"A. Completely.
"Q. So, in other words, if you were acquitted of the charges here, then you
could go back to Chile and you would have been in a good. position at that
time?
"A. Not any more since I was accused of that crime. This was a tremendous
thing in Chile.
"Q. But if they had found you not guilty, then that would have
"A. If I would be guilty, nothing to shame because the people are already
involved ; Chile is very dirty-and then you are already in the newspapers.
You can never get it.
"Q. But the point is now that you have been found guilty-you don't have
a possibility of getting a high, government position?
"A. No. I am not even working politically any more.
"Q. Did you say that you had a lease on the apartment until January of
1973?
"A. Until January, 1973.
"Q. Has that been paid for through January of. 1973?
"A. No ; I pay only twice a month-two months in advance and one month-
"Q. You have really only paid through February?
"A. Three months, yes."
Mr. KEEFE. "I have nothing further, your Honor."
The COURT. "Mr. Keefe and Mr. Squella, has the Chilean Government made
some move in the direction of securing the release of Mr. Squella through our
State Department? Do you know anything about that?"
Mr. KEEFE. "I don't know anything about that, sir."
The COURT. "Do you know anything about that?"
Mr. BIERMAN. "I have some knowledge of certain negotiations that have
gone on."
The COURT. "Did you reveal those negotiations to my law clerk at one time,
or to somebody in my Chambers?"
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Mr. BIERMAN. "I was inquired of as to whether I had heard a radio an-
nouncement. I said that I had not heard it, but that I had heard of it and I
was very disturbed by it."
The COURT. "Are you familiar with the fact that the Chilean Government
did, in fact, contact our State Department in an attempt to secure the release
of this defendant?"
Mr. BIERMAN. "That is not so, your Honor."
HEARING ON MOTION FOR PERMISSION TO LEAVE JURISDICTION OF COURT, HELD
5/1971, P. 10 COMMENTS OF DEFENSE COUNSEL
"If he desired to flee and go to Chile, the same country that we are talking
about, the same country where-it has been admitted to everyone and it has
been admitted to this Court ab initio that he is a person of influence in Chile,
and he could have been on a Chilean Air Force plane because he was an in-
structor in the Chilean Air Force Academy. and he has been asked by Chilean
pilots, 'Do you want to come with me right now? Get in this plane.' And he
has refused, and just in view, the epitome of what has been viewed as a Span-
ish gentleman, a stereotype, perhaps, but characteristics which I believe the
Court is aware of-he is a man of honor who would not go.
"He is a man who has had all of the opportunities which Mrs. Lyons
describes for this, not the time that he was staying at Mr. Friedman's house,
but since January 19th when this Court modified the Bond-he has had these
opportunities to go and, admittedly, there is no reason to reward someone for
following the orders of the Court. * * *"
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INDEX
(NOTE.-The Senate Internal Security Subcommittee attaches no significance
to the mere fact of the appearance of the name of an individual or organization
in this index.)
Abbey Victoria Hotel______________ ------ 93, 96
Aero -- A -------------------------- Page
Facilities, Miami International Airport--------------------------- 117 llende, President Salvador____________________________ 108,110-113,120,121
Allende's government______________________________________ 119
Ambrose, Myles, Assistant Attorney General_____________________ __ 82, 84
Antwerp ------------------------------------------------------------ 97 Assistant Attorney General__________________________________________ 110
Assistant U.S. attorney --------_ ________-_- 107
---------------------------
Asuncion, Paraguay_______________ -------------------------------------------------- 86, 87
B
Bangkok, Thailand------------------ - --------------------------- 83, 84
Becker, Felix-------------------------------------------------------- 86, 87
Belcher, Carl________________________ ____
Belk, George M., Deputy Director, BNDD_____________ 82 87,88,99, 103-105
Berdin, Richard, alias Kemmoum------------------------------------ 100, 101
Bianchi, Cesar--------------------------------------------------- -- 86, 87
Bierman, Donald-------------------------------------------- 108-111,119,121
Bilboa Restaurant____________________________ -______-_ 116
---------------
BNDD/Customs task force___________________________________________ 98
British Customs Service----------------------------------------------- 89 British Jaguar technicians_______________
Bronx --------------------------------------------------------------- 101
Brussels ------------------------------------------------------------ 100
Bureau of Customs Arrests (table)------------------------------------ 86
Bureau of Customs Drug Seizures as of June 30, 1972 (table) ------------ 85
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD)------------------ 82-85.
C 87, 88, 96-98, 100-102, 104, 115, 116
Canada------------------------------------------------------------ 101, 102
Castro, Fidel--------------- ------ ---- -------------------------- 108
Chicago--------------------------------------------------------------- 88,96
Chile ------------------------------------------------------ 108-112,115,121
Government ------------------------------------------- 108-113,118,120
Chilean Air Force-------------------------------------------------- 119, 120
Chilean Air Force Academy____________________________________________ 121
Chilean Embassy------------------------------- ------------------ 120
Oirillo case------------------------------------------------------ 82, 84, 88, 99
Cirillo, Louis------------------------------------------------------- 101-103
Communist - - - - 110, 119
Coral Gables, Fla --------------------------------------------------- 115,117
Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office_______________________________ 107
Criminal Enforcement Division______________________________________ 87
Cuba ---------------------------------------------------------------- 109
Government ----------------------------------------------------- 110
Customs ___----__--_____-__ -_ 104, 105
-------------------------------------
Customs Agency Service____________________________________________ 100, 101
Customs/BNDD ----------------------------------------------------- 96, 100
Customs Service------------------------------------------------------ 82, 84
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D
Page
Dade County, Fla--------------------------------------------------- 1
16,117
DeMaria, Raul------------------------------------------------------ 1
15, 116
Denver, Colo---------------------------------------------------------
83, 85
Department of Justice -------------------------------------------------
87
Criminal Division --------------------------------------------------
110
Department of State--------------------------------------------------
87
E
East Berlin---------------------------------------------------------
97, 99
Eastland, Senator James 0-------------------.------------------------
81-105
El Paso, Tex -----------------------------------------------------------
98
England ------------------------------------------------------------
88
Europe ----------------- ---------------------------------------------
98
F
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) --------------------------------
- 102
Federal Bureau of Narcotics---------------------------------------- 87, 88, 96
Federal Judicial Police, Republic of Mexico----------------------------- 97
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals------------------------------------------ 108
Flagler Kennel Club-------------------------------------------------- 117
Florida, State of--------------------------------------------------- 108
Fort Monmouth, N.J-------------------------------------------------- 83,84
France ------------------------------------------------ 89, 93, 96, 101, 102
Franco-American Committee on Drug Control in Paris, France-------- 100
French Central Narcotic Office----------------------- 88, 89, 96, 100, 101, 104
French criminal police------------------------------------------------- 100
French International Letters Rogatory--------------------------------- 96,101
French national police---------------------------------------------- 100, 101
Friedman, Mr---------------------------------------------------------- 121
Fulton, Charles B., chief judge---------------------------------------- 112, 118
G
Gahou, Pierre --------------------------------------------------------
86. 87
Ganious, Gerald------------------------------------------------------
83, 85
Giannatasio, Nick-----------------------------------------------------
86
Golden Triangle-------------------------------------------------------
83,84
Goldenburg, Simon----------------------------------------------------
99
Gonzales -----------------------------------------------------------
98
Grisoni, Antoine------------------------------------------------------
101
Gross, Emmanuel-----------------------------------------------------
98,99
Gross, Nelson----------------------------------------------------------
82,84
Gunther, Etienne------------------------------------------------------
93,96
Gurney, Senator Edward J--------------------------------------------
81-113
II
Hilton Hotel----------------------------------------------------- 87
Hudson, William D-------------------------------------------------- 116
I
Ingersoll, John, Director, BNDD------------------------ 82, 84, 87, 88, 100, 102
Interpol ------------------------------------------------------------ 82,84
Internal Revenue Service----------------------------------------- 82,84,102
Jackson, William Herman-------------------------------------- --- 83,84,85
Jaguar case--------------------------------------------------- 82,84,88, 105
Justice Department----------------------------------------------- 82,84,87
K
Keefe, Mr------------------------------------------------------------ 120
Key Biscayne,Fla ------------------------------------------------------- 116
Kline, William M----------------------------------------------------- 105
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Page
Labay -------------------------------------------------------------- 101
Lajoux, Andre------------------------------------------------------- 101 97
Las Vegas-------------------------------------------------------------
Latin American Governments----------------------------------------- 105
Latin American Communist Governments____________________________ 110,112
112
Leavenworth, Kans--------------------------------------------------
Lowry Air Force Base, Colo------------------------------------------- 83,84
Lyons, Mrs------------------------------------------------------------ 121
M
"Machinery of Control and Interception, The" (hearing) ----------------- 82,84
Madison Square Garden-------------------------------------------- 88,99
Marseilles, -France --------------------------------------------------
Matheson's Hammock-------------.------------------------------------ 117
Mazatini------------------------------------------------------------ 98
McCombs, Douglas A-------------------------------------------------- 105
Mexico -------------------------------------------------- 98
Mexico City---------------------------------------------------------
Mexican Republic---------------------------------------------------- 1888
Miami Beach------------------------------------------------------
Miami, Fla-------------------------------- 87, 101, 102, 107, 108, 110, 115-118
Miami International Airport----------------------------------------- 1115
15
Miami Springs, Fla--------------------------------------------------
Montemayor, Alfredo------------------------------------------------- 97,98
Montreal ----------------------------------------------------------- 100
Mosca, Etienne------------ ----------------------- 89, 93, 96
N
New Jersey---------------------------------------------------------- 102
New Mexico State trooper-------------------------------------------- 109
New Mexico, State of------------------------------------------------- 109
New York City Police Department----------- ------------------------ 103
New York, N.Y----------------------------- 86-89, 93, 96, 99, 100, 102, 104, 100
New York State police------------------------------------------------ 103
North Carolina------------------------------------------------------ 83,85
0
Orsini,Jean ---------------------------------------------------93,95,96
Orsini, Joseph-------------------------------------------------- 99, 100, 101
Ortega-Gomez, Luis, alias El Pavo (The Buzzard) -------------------- 88, 93, 96
Osorio, Marco, also known as Jose Fernandez________________________ 116, 117
P
Paraguay ----------------------------------------------------------- 105
88,100
Paria --------------------------------------------------------------
Pena, Raymundo------------------------------------------------------ 97,98
Peterson, Henry--------------------------------------------------- 110,111
Picpus Gang----------------------------------------------- ---- 101
Pohl, Anthony S------------------------------------------- 87-89,99,102,103
Preiss, Roger------------------------------------------------------ 101-103
President's international narcotics control program--------------------- 82, 84
Price, Andrew------------------------------------------------------- 83,85
Puerto Rico---------------------------------------------------------- 88
Puga, Jorge---------------------------------------------------------- 117
Q 89
Queen Elizabeth II (ship) -------------------------------------------16,189
Quintanilla, Rodolfo____________________________________________
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IV
R Page
109
Republic of New Africa (RNA) ___________------------------------------ 109
Ricord, Auguste Joseph, also known as Andre Ricord, also known as
Monsieur Andre --------------------------------------------- 82-84, 86, 105
Rodriquez, Andres R-------------------------------------------------- 116
Rodriguez, Julio ------------------------------------------------------ 86
Rodriguez-Benito, Juan de Dios, also known as Aron Muravnik---------- 86, 87
Rojas, Carlos _________________ __ 116, 117
Rossides, Eugene T., Assistant Secretary of the Treasury--___ ------------ 82-84, 105
Royal Canadian Mounted Police -------------------------------------- 100, 105
Rust, Robert W------------------------------------------------------ 118
Ryan, William ------------------------------------------------------- 109
S
Salles, Alexandre ----------------------------------------------------- 100
San Antonio, Tex----------------------------------------------------- 96-98
Santiago, Chile ------------------------------------------------ 111, 118, 120
Schiotis, Marie ------------------------------------------------------- 101
Searles, Sylvester --------------------------------------------------- 83
Seymour, Whitney North, Jr------------------------------------------- 87
Signoli. Joseph ---------------------------------------------------- 100-102
Sonnett, Neal ----------------------------------------------- 107-1.13, 118, 120
Sourwine, J. G------------------------------------------------------- 81-113
South Beach --------------------------------------------------------- 116
Southeast Asia ------------------------------------------------- -- 83, 84
Southern District of Florida------------------------------------- 107, 111, 117
Southern District of New York ------------------------------- 82, 84, 101, 103
Spain -------------------------------------------------------------- 93
Squella-Avendano case ----------------------------------------------- 82, 84
Squella-Avendano, Oscar ------------------------------------ 107-113, 115-120
St. Anthony Hotel --------------------------------------------------- 98
State Department ----------------------------------------------- 82, 84, 121
Suarez case ------------------------------------------------------ 82, 84,96
Suarez, Manuel Domingues------------------------------------------ 88, 96-98
Tarabochia, Alfonso L--------------------------------------------- 107-113
Thailand -------------------------------------------------------- 83, 84, 85
Thomas ---------------------------------------------------- ----- 95,96
Thurmond, Senator Strom-------------------------------------------- 81-105
Treasury Department -------------------------------------------- 82, 85, 86
U
United States ------------------ 82-84, 89, 96, 98, 99, 101, 102, 105, 109, 115-118
Air Force -------------------------------------------------------- 83, 84
Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida---------------------- 111
Bureau of Customs----------------------------------------- 82, 83, 84, 89,
Code ----------------------------------------------------- 86, 87, 116-118
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit______________________ 115, 116, 118,
Customs Service ------------------------------------------------ 107,108
Department of Justice -------------------------------------------- 109,110
General Crime Section ----------------------------------------- 109
Narcotics Section --------------------------------------------- 109
District Court----------- 102
District Court, Southern District of Florida---------------------- 115, 118
District Court, Southern District of New York____________________ 86
Government ------ ---------------------------------------- 101, 108, 110
United States of America v. Auguste Joseph Ricord, also known as Andre
Ricord, also known as Monsieur Andre, Cesar Bianchi, Julio Rodriquez,
Juan de Dios, Rodriquez-Benitoz, also known as Aron Muravnik, and
Enio Anibal Varela-Segovia (indictment) ---------------------------- -86
United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Oscar Squella-Avendano,
Marco Osorio, etc., Andres R. Rodriquez, Carlos Rojas, Rodolfo Quin-
tanilla, and Raul DcMari.a, Jorge Vazquez, Defendants-Appelles (in-
dictment) ------------------------------------------------ 116
U.S.A. v. Oscar Squella-Avendano--------------------------------------- 115
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V Page
Valencia, Spain------------------------------------------------------
88
Valentine, Wayne T--------------------------------------- 87, 88, 96, 98,
99
Varela-Segovia, Enio Anibal------------------------------------------
86
Vazquez, Jorge----------------------------------------------------- 116,117
Vera Cruz, State of--------------------------------------------------- 96
Villaneuva, Ada---------------------------------------------------- 116, 117
W
Waldorf Astoria Hotel---------------------------------------------- 86,101
Walt, Gen. Lewis W------------------------------------------------- 81-105
Walter Reed Army Hospital------------------------------------------ 83, 84
Warren-Perez, George------------------------------------------------
93,96
Weinfield, Judge Edward---------------------------------------------
103
West Berlin---------------------------------------------------------
99
West New York, N.J--------------------------------------------------
93
West Point----------------------------------------------------------
118
Widawski, Rachmiel--------------------------------------------------
97-99
Wilens, Philip----------------------------------------------------- 110, 111
William Herman Jackson case---------------------------------------- 83,84
Wright, Howard H-------------------------------------------------- 105
Yanez, Yolanda------------------------------------------------------ 97,98
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