U.S. AGENCIES DISCUSS BORDER CAR THEFT CASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404520047-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: March 27, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404520047-7
U.S. Agencies
Discuss Border-
Cal- l heft Case
B) JON STANDEFER
S;:r 'miler, The So* D" o U*;a*
SAN DIEGO UtII0i1 (CA)
27 MARCH 1982
bility of a negotiated plea arrange-
ment wherein Nassar would admit at
least some of the charges without
having to stand trial in the United
States.
Kennedy's office yesterday re-
ed all i
i
i
err
nqu
r
es to the Justice De-
partment. A spokesman there gave
was continuing to urge that Nassar
not be prosecuted,
The U.S. attorney's office here
gathered evidence of Nassar's in-
volvement in the car theft ring dur-
ing the 10-month investigation by the
FBI and California Highway Patrol.
Fourteen members of the gang
were arrested here last July, includ {,
ing three DFS agents. All have beery
convicted. Another 14 persons were
indicted but are ira Mexico and thus
out of reach of U.S. authorities.
The FI3I estimates that the. ring
was responsible for the thefts of G00
cars in Southern California, worth arl
estimated $8.4 million.
CIA and Justice Department offi-
ciaTs met yesterday in Washington to
decide whether to allow the L.S. atn
torney's office here to proses' a the.
former head of Mexico's fee-; I se=.
curity police, accui^ing to sources in
the capital.
U.S. Attorney William Kennedy,
has been trying for four rtbs to,
get approval to Indict Miguel Nassar.
Harp, 52, for his. Involvement in a
massive car theft ring broken up by.
the FBI here,
Nassar until last month headed the
Direccion Federal de Seguridad,
{DFS}, Mexico's' top coun-
terespionage and anti-terrorist po-
lice agency,
The Justice Department has
blocked an indictment because the
CIA considered Nassar an indispensi-
ble source of intelligence informa-
tion in Mexico and Central America.
Washington sources said the meet-
.ing included discussion of the possi-
only a terse "no comment" when
asked about the meeting.
It was learned earlier in the week
that the CIA's position regarding
Nassar was that, once Nassar re-
signed as DFS head, the CIA had no
further interest in blocking prosecu-
tion.
However, it was also learned that
the FBI legal attache in Mexico City
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404520047-7