| In Honduras Drug Trial
Photos Of JOH Partying and UN Trained
Commissioner Talking Death
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 9 –The Honduras
narco-trafficking trial of US
v. Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez
began on the morning of March
9. Inner City Press was
there.
Geovanny
Fuentes was sitting at the
defense table, with two U.S.
Marshals citing six feet
behind him. The prosecutors
were the table in front,
closest to the judge.
U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge P.
Kevin Castel said the open
argument would take 20
minutes. Inner City Press live
tweeted the first opening
argument here.
And then the first witness,
DEA Agent Brian Fairbanks, to
the end of the day, here:
... The first
witness is not a high profile
cooperator, but DEA Agent
Fairbanks who arrested
Geovanny Fuentes
Among the
exhibits coming in, DEA agent
is identifying and describing
photo of Geovanny's brother
with a pile of cash. And now
"bundles of US currency."
AUSA: Agent
Fairbanks, is this from the
iCloud account? What is it?
Fairbanks: A firearm with an
extended magazine. It appears
to be a in bar --
Judge Castel:
When you say that you can't
tell, are you guessing?
Fairbanks: I'm using the
leather seat and console
AUSA: And is
there any kind of insignia on
the magazine? Fairbanks: Yes.
It says United States Navy.
Here are two AR-15 style
rifles and a gun case. Judge
Castel calls the lunch
break. Update, an hour
and 20 minutes later: it's
said "there's a problem with
the lunches" (for the jurors,
from the Court cafeteria -
apparently another jury came
first).
Jury is
back from long / delayed
lunch. AUSA: Agent Fairbanks,
what is this photo? Fairbanks:
US currency, bundled in
someone's lap. From the iCloud
account.
AUSA: And what is
this photo: DEA Agent
Fairbanks: It appears to be
Juan Orlando Hernandez and two
of Geovanny's son... Mr.
Fuentes Ramirez' sons, I mean.
I'm sorry.
AUSA: And this
Instagram photo? Fairbanks:
It's the defendants son on a
boat. This one is Mr. Fuentes,
surrounded by his three son
and a man whose face is
covered by an emoji.
AUSA: And this
Instagram photo? Fairbanks:
One of Mr. Fuentes son has a
ballcap on, with decorative
insignia, with what looks like
POLICIA on the front of the
cap.
AUSA: And this
Instagram photo? Fairbanks:
Greenery and a sign, Chaloma.
It's a place. AUSA: Is that
near San Pedro Sula?
Fairbanks: I'm not sure.
AUSA: And
this photo? Fairbanks: It
says, "Sales are looking so
bad." It's a photo of US
corruption, in 100s and 20s.
AUSA: And this photo?
Fairbanks: More cash. Defense:
Subject to the same objection.
Judge Castel: Proceed.
AUSA: And this
photo? Cash and what does it
say?
Fairbanks: It
says, Sunday Fun-day, happy
Fun-day, Pay-day. AUSA: And
this one? Fairbanks: It's a
gold handgun. Golden color.
AUSA: What has been pasted on
the photo? Fairbanks: "Love at
first sight."
AUSA: What
does it say on the gun?
Fairbanks: Compatible with
M-4. AUSA: And this photo?
Fairbanks: Geovanny Gutierres,
his son. AUSA: Are you
familiar with his cultural
reference? Fairbanks: It's
from the movie Scarface.
Fairbanks:
It says, All I have in this
world is my balls and my word
and I don't break them for no
one. AUSA: And this photo?
Fairbanks: It's a firing
range. There are spend rounds
and an ammo box.
They play a video
with music. AUSA: What's shown
in that video? Fairbanks: An
AR-15 rifle, it moves around
as he drives. AUSA: And this
Instagram? Fairbanks: Man in a
car with a pistol, and an
AR-15 rifle in the leg well.
Pasted on, three frog or toad
emojis.
Defense lawyer: I
object. They are offering a
translation but none is
needed. There are now words to
translate. Judge Castel: I
agree. AUSA: What does frog
emoji mean? Fairbanks: It
means, Snitch.
AUSA: Who is
that? Fairbanks: Ramon
Martinez Hernandez and one of
Geovanny Fuentes' son. It was
in defendant's phone. And I've
seen two of his LinkedIn
profiles. Inner City Press
@innercitypress · 1h AUSA: And
this photo? Fairbanks: It's
him in a UN course, United
Nations, for police observers.
[As with the UN
inviting JOH on March 6 to an
"anti-crime" event, 1 of the
narcos shown in this trial was
TRAINED BY THE UN - and yet UN
won't answer Inner City Press
]
AUSA: What does
Geovanny F text? Fairbanks: He
asks, Do you still have that
code to do the erasing? Send
it. So I can check my
phone. it says, **002**
to untap the calls. Then an
emoji of laughing so hard,
there are tears.
AUSA: What
did Comisionado Martinez refer
to? Fairbanks: How people in
Cortez were killed. [Note:
Comisionado Martinez was
UN-trained.]
After a sidebar,
Judge Castel returns with a
joke: Ladies and gentlemen,
those lunch menus are not
evidence. Then: There
are three participants in a
conversation. One of them, you
are not to take for the truth
of what he said. AUSA: Now to
the voice notes
AUSA: What
does Mr Zunica say? Fairbanks:
This is getting ugly, brother.
The other says, Yes, the sh*t
is getting ugly. We should go
drinking tomorrow. AUSA: Next
page. After Comanche,
defendant says, "They have
wanted to f*ck me up like 50
times, Comanche."
AUSA: And
next? Fairbanks: July 11,
2019, a male person dead in a
violent manner, firearm. It's
about finding four people that
were dead, by shooting. The
perpetrators were dressed in
anti-gang uniforms. It
mentions officer Jason
Quintanilla & driver Alex
Herrera
AUSA: No
further questions, your Honor.
Judge Castel: Suit up,
Garrett, if you will. [Law
clerk to clean down the
microphone and lawyer's booth.
]
cross examination
begins. Defense lawyer: Are
you aware, sir, that one can
have a gun legally in Florida?
Fairbanks: Yes. Defense
lawyer: And his son, I'll call
him Geo, did you look to see
if he owned them legally?
Fairbanks: No,
sir. Defense: Christian, the
defendant's brother, he's a
politians, right? Fairbanks:
He's running for some office.
Defense: And you have a
picture of him with the
president? Fairbanks:
President Juan Orlando, yes.
It was at Juan Orlando's
birthday party.
Defense:
The president posted this
photo, didn't he? Fairbanks: I
don't know. I didn't find that
photo there, not the one on
his phone. Defense: Since son
Geo is married to the daughter
of Javier Rivera, right, and
they have kids? Fairbanks:
That, I don't know.
Defense: You said
one of the photos was from a
shooting range.
Fairbanks: Looks like one.
Defense: And gun ranges are
legal in the US, right?
Fairbanks: I'm not sure if in
all parts.
Defense: Do
you know the exchange rate
between lempiras and the US
Dollar? DEA Agent Fairbanks:
No, that I don't know.
Defense: The money in
Christian Fuentes' hands, it
was red, right? And we don't
have red money in the USA,
right? Fairbanks: That we
don't.
Defense:
Your Honor I have a bit more,
but I'd like to break. Judge
Castel: OK, we'll break.
Ladies and gentlemen, do not
talk about the case or do your
own research. Please stay
healthy. We hope to have a
report on the juror who is not
with us.
Judge Castel
tells the prosecutors not to
talk to Agent Fairbanks about
his direct or cross
examination. The day is over.
The US Marshals are waiting to
take Geovanny Fuentes back to
jail.
The case is US v. Diaz, 15-cr-379
(Castel).
***
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