Borderland Beat
"He didn't participate in executions or anything like that...."
El Pitufo (The Smurf) is the code name for the protected witness whose testimony was used in order to arrest of the former governor of Tamaulipas, Tomas Yarrington.
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The Smurf said he doesn't regret being part of organized crime, because he did not kill anyone, just trafficked drugs and money."... I did not participate in executions or in anything like that, If you do understand me, my (part) was logistics, money," he said. The Smurf sought Milenio in order to comment and complains much of what appears in the media does not correspond to reality, because they have tried to relate the information in various investigations as in the generales or Greg Sanchez whose investigations were led by the Attorney General of the Republic.
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However, he doesn't forget that years ago he introduced into to the country as much as "24 tons of cocaine" from Panama. This operation went through ports of either Veracruz or Altamira in Tamaulipas, or by road from Tabasco. He explained that he worked three years for drug trafficker Gilberto Garcia Mena, El June, and five others for Osiel Cardenas Guillen and the late Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, El Lazca.
"The governor in charge after him?"
-Right
Asked what the PGR offered for joining the witness protection program, he replied: "Nothing, nothing more than just security."
Well imagine, I belonged to the people of Lazcano, Tomas was closer with Osiel's people, it was then when we became closer because it was when they detained Osiel and Lazcano's people (Los Zetas) began to be in charge of everything, That is when it grew from just being a group, (one of the many ones that had Osiel had) into an even bigger group than the whole cartel.
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During the interview with First News, Valenzuela Pernas also said that the former
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"On some computers there is only useless information, but in others there is a lot of information, much more than we expected, because it is the finance office where the financial files located included many financial interactions with partners he had since before he became treasury secretary," he revealed .
"He didn't participate in executions or anything like that...."
El Pitufo (The Smurf) is the code name for the protected witness whose testimony was used in order to arrest of the former governor of Tamaulipas, Tomas Yarrington.
Today he claims to have an honest job and lives with the protection granted by the Mexican government.
However, he doesn't forget that years ago he introduced into to the country as much as "24 tons of cocaine" from Panama. This operation went through ports of either Veracruz or Altamira in Tamaulipas, or by road from Tabasco. He explained that he worked three years for drug trafficker Gilberto Garcia Mena, El June, and five others for Osiel Cardenas Guillen and the late Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, El Lazca. In 2008, federal authorities found him in the Barrientos jail in Tlalnepantla, State of Mexico, and he decided to become a protected witness for the following reason:"It was very ugly war between the Gulf and its armed wing Los Zetas against Sinaloa cartel), (at the time) I was in charge of operating in the State of Mexico" when Los Zetas made a deal with the Beltran Leyva cartel.
And the other reason: because the current leader of Los Zetas, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, El Z-40, ordered to kill him.
"Z-40, began to bring (cocaine) on his own and since I was in charge of Panama, then you realize and notice he was beginning to cause problems, so that lazcano wouldn't be notified"
- Miguel wanted to kill you?-
Oh yes and I'd imagine up today he still wants to kill me
When asked why he testified against Tomas Yarrington, The Smurf replied that he knows many facts.
"... He (Yarrington) started working with Osiel; when Osiel was arrested, Yarrington continued working with with Jorge Eduardo Costilla, el Coss and Tony Tormenta , but in fact he who most helped the cartel was not Tomas, it was ( the former governor who followed Yarrington) Eugenio Hernández," he said
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| Eugenio Hernadez former Gov. of Tamps after Yarrington |
-Right
In what way?
-Eugenio Hernández gave us the entire state, let us do whatever we wanted, we appointed the secretaries of security for them, everything we did.
He said that Rogelio Diaz Cuellar, El Rojo, operator of the Gulf Cartel, invited him to join the criminal group, after the capture of El June in 2001
- How many years did you work with El Rojo?-
They got me, he invited me, we worked in the same area, under orders of Alberto Gonzalez Chalate.
Asked what the PGR offered for joining the witness protection program, he replied: "Nothing, nothing more than just security."
- Do you have security (body guards)? How long will you have them?
-Well, right now, but with the changes, who knows, because they don't inform or say anything, but you see many things come out, who knows what will happen?
-Really tell me you regretted being part of the organization?
-Actually, no.
-You don't regret your involvement?
-No, why would I tell you a lie, that is, yes, it is wrong, I understand, but no I don't.
- Do you miss that world?-
No, I don't. You don't have to run around in all directions all the time.
...He was questioned if he really met Tomas Yarrington, or if what he testified against the former governor came from a third party but insisted he does know Yarrington since 2004
.- How did you meet him?
-When Eugene (Hernandez) took his place
- With whom Tomas interviewed ?
There were Jorge Eduardo Costilla. El Coss, Lazcano, Z-3 El Paisa, El Cachetes, Tormenta..
- Who else?-Ali, La Conga.
- And how were you treated?
The Tabasco attorney general, Fernando Valenzuela Pernas, reported that former Tabasco Governor Granier Melo must appear before court May 30 at 11:00 hours. Valenzuela said the ex-governor will be presented as a suspect.
treasury secretary Jose Saiz Pineda is cited for June 5 and the former Undersecretary of Expenditures, Miguel Angel Conteras is to appear on June 7. The three will testify about the 88.5 million pesos seized last Wednesday and on defrauding millions from the state of Tabasco.
Federal and state authorities reported that the accountant office of former Secretary of Treasury of Tabasco, Jose Saiz Pineda, they found documents revealing financial dealings of former official to divert resources from the treasury and "launder" it in real estate companies.
"The search lasted three days because of all the information that was found and it had to be photographed but the important thing is the information we now have not the handling of money by Saiz and other government official but there's much more information about many more people involved.
Among the information seized in the search were financial ledgers and digital files. They were reviewed from Wednesday until Friday, by experts from the Attorney General of the State (PGJE), similarly supported by the Attorney General's Office (PGR), and finally by specialists from the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Treasury
Attorney Carlos Castillo Romero of PGJ, after analyzing the seizure of 83 million 560 thousand pesos announced, at this point the investigation it is obvious this is the crime of "money laundering",
Documents found recently in the office of the accountant Jose Saiz Pineda and analyzed by financial experts from the government show the amounts of money washed through their him and his partne's' real estate companies and among his partners, Martin Medina Sonda
Last Wednesday, for the PGJE, Fernando Valenzuela, warned that because of the number of accounting records, the building had been secured. On Friday the last diligence expert removed files with a final shipment placed in a pickup truck.
The building with three floors, is located on 1123 Andres Sanchez Magallanes Street, and is owned by Juan Jose Saiz Sarza, father of former secretary who was a livestock owner and veterinarian by profession, the building was identified as a specialized clinic for cats, which was where originally, Juan Francisco Saiz worked, brother of controversial former official.
According to the investigation,they'd been in that building since 2007, Jose Saiz Pineda had an advisory business with whom the authorities place his main partner and "money launderer," Martin Medina Director General of Hereditas Consultores Patrimoniales.
Gabriela Molina, wife of Medina Sonda, and who last week was in Merida, Yucatan, demanded authorities to finalize the arrest of her ex-husband so she can have her daughters back. She confirmed the business relationship between Saiz and Medina in an interview with Reforma in late February.
"From 2001 to 2007 we were living on Las Torres Street in Tierra Colorada, where we had no living room, only two plastic chairs and a table. Medinaof Profesionales en Consultoría Fiscal, which is in Sanchez Magallanes. He was always the right arm ofSaiz Pineda, and when Saiz got to the Treasury Department. It was the beginning his economic boom," saidthe senora February 28.
Chronology
May 21
At dawn PGJE personnel searched a house in Lomitas Nacajuca and seized 88 million 560 thousand 134 pesos.
May 22
At 14:00 they searched the office of Saiz Pineda on Sanchez Magallanes and found documents and accounting .
May 22
At 5:00 am Fernando Valenzuela Pernas discloses the secured cash was linked to Saiz Pineda.
May 23
Journalists are led and start taking pictures of the secured property.
May 24
Experts from PGJE and officials from public ministero visited the office of Saiz Pineda and take documents that showed "money laundering".
May 25
PGJE secured money was deposited Banjercito.