3 Mexicans Are Convicted In Money-Laundering Case
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A Federal jury delivered a split verdict today in one of the biggest efforts to crack international drug money laundering, convicting three Mexican bankers and businessmen of conspiring to conceal millions of dollars in profits for traffickers. The jury acquitted three others. The verdict in Federal District Court here came after nearly two months of testimony and videotape and audiotape evidence in a case that strained relations between the United States and Mexico and that saw struggles between Federal prosecutors here and officials in Washington. In addition, the Government was forced to disclose early in the case that its chief witness, an undercover informer named Fred Mendoza, might have been considerably more involved in drug trafficking than at least most of the Government officials involved in the case had known. Also, Mr. Mendoza stood to be paid as much as $10 million by the Government for his cooperation. The United States Attorney in Los Angeles, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the chief prosecutor in the case, Duane Lyons, declined to comment on the verdicts, citing a pending forfeiture phase of the case. More : query.nytimes.com |