A former police chief in a New Mexico border town collected more than
$2,000 a month from the Juarez Cartel in exchange for protection and
help with smuggling drugs and guns, a former town official testified
Wednesday. Blas "Woody" Gutierrez, the former Columbus village trustee, told a
federal court that former Police Chief Angelo Vega also received $1,500
each time he allowed cartel members to use village vehicles, including
police cruisers, for the syndicate's various operations, the Albuquerque
Journal reported (
http://bit.ly/1929zPJ ). Vega is the key prosecution witness in the case against Burnett, the
husband of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paula Burnett, who has not been
charged with any crime. Vega testified Wednesday that he didn't remember exactly how much he
was paid or how long he worked for the cartel. But he admitted running
background checks and license plates at the request of cartel members
and buying military gear at law enforcement supply stores for members of
the Juarez Cartel and its enforcement arm, La Linea. Gutierrez said Vega told him that he had a friend whose wife worked
in the U.S. Attorney's Office and that the friend told Vega their
telephones were tapped. Gutierrez said he was not sure Vega was telling the truth until the
two men met in Columbus and Vega destroyed his new phone in front of
Gutierrez. "He did it to show he wasn't messing around," Gutierrez said. Gutierrez also testified that Vega claimed his friend could make the case go away for $20,000...
more
No comments:
Post a Comment