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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 11 – The Honduras narco-trafficking trial of US v. Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez began on the morning of March 9.  Inner City Press was there.

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.

 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 has been asked about docuemnts still sealed in the record, and not yet provided. On the afternoon of March 10, more of the first cooperating witness: Leonel Rivera. Inner City Press live tweeted the morning here and the afternoon here.

 On the morning of March 11, Leonel Rivera testified that los Cachiros bribed JOH, and that the defendant told him he had twice paid JOH is cash. Inner City Press live tweeted it here:

cooperator Leonel Rivera still testifying. He has cited Commissioner Martinez, a UN-trained drug helper, photo of his UN pin below. No answer from UN. Inner City Press will live tweet, thread below Leonel Rivera cites, twice, "a corrupt police official, Avila Mesa." Geovanny Fuentes' lawyers have no objection.

AUSA: What did "Metro" say about the meeting? Leo Rivera: That Avila Mesa had brought the guns, and with the defendant, detained the men's car. AUSA: Mr. Rivera, what can you say about the defendant bringing cocaine base to Honduras on boats? Leo Rivera: I saw one of his boats in the Dep't of Cortez. AUSA: Who was there?

Leo Rivera: Me, the defendant, Metro, & my brother Javier. And a woman Metro brought.

AUSA: Why were you at the marina? Leo Rivera: I had a boat there I used to go fishing on. AUSA: Why were the other men there? Defense: Objection! Judge Castel: I'll sustain that.

AUSA: What did the men say to you? Leo Rivera: That they were going fishing.

 AUSA: Did you discuss maritime cocaine transactions with the defendant? Leo Rivera: Yes. He was importing cocaine from Colombia. He wanted me to lend him one million dollars. AUSA: And did you lend the money? Leo Rivera: No I did not.

AUSA: Metro was the owner of a night club in Chaloma. Did he have other businesses? Leo Rivera: Yes. Narco-trafficking and he was the owner of Atletico Chaloma, also involving the defendant. AUSA: Soccer?

Judge Castel: This witness is not an expert witness. Ask another question. AUSA: Was the transfer of the soccer club before or after you learned that the police officer had been murdered? Leo Rivera:  Fue despues, senor.

 Leo Rivero: Vacero was a hit man, mataba personas para sueldo, senor. AUSA: Did you pay Vacero to kill people? Leo Rivera: Si senor. AUSA: How did you meet with Vacero about Pluto? Leo Rivera: Hector Emilio set up the meeting. He was a narco trafficker in Honduras

 Leo Rivera: There was also Rojo, an associate of Hector Emilio. AUSA: Did you conduct drug trafficking with Rojo? Leo Rivera: Si senor. AUSA: What did Vacero tell you about Pluto?

Leo Rivera: That the defendant looked for Vacero, to get him to kill Pluto

[This is it]

AUSA: Who is this?

Leo Rivera: Juan Orlando Hernandez, the president.

AUSA: Did the Cachiros bribe Juan Orlando Hernandez with drug money?

Leonel Rivera: Yes. [Si, senior] With $250,000.

AUSA: How was it delivered?

Leo Rivera: In cash. To his sister. USA: What was the bribe for?

Leo Rivera: So that we would not be arrested or extradited. AUSA: Do you recognize this person?

Leo Rivera: Tony Hernandez, the president's brother. AUSA: Gov't offers Exhibit 113. Defense: No objection.

AUSA: What did you give Tony Hernandez?  Leo Rivera: I gave him $50,000 in cash. In Tegucigalpa. In a restaurant named Denny's.

 AUSA: Did the Cachiros bribe Mr. Zelaya? Leo Rivera: Yes. To help a cousin of mine.  AUSA: Exh 502, do you recognize this person? Leo Rivera: It is Ricardo Alvarez, vice president of Honduras. AUSA: Did the Cachiros pay drug money to Mr. Alvarez? Leo Rivera: Yes.

AUSA: Before you began speaking with the DEA, was there any action against you from the US? Leo Rivera: Yes. OFAC mentioned me and my brother.

 AUSA: So what did you decide to do? Leo Rivera: I decided to turn myself in to the US DEA. I was charged to narco trafficking conspiracy. AUSA: Is the murder of Metro listed in the appendix to your deal? Leo Rivera: Yes. AUSA: You described your plea as a cooperation agreement? Leo Rivera: Yes. I have to tell the truth.

AUSA: Did you see the defendant in prison? Leo Rivera: Yes. Twice. It was not supposed to happen. But it did. AUSA: Have you been moved to a different jail since? Leo Rivera: Yes. AUSA: The first time, how did you see the defendant? Leo Rivera: I went to shower

 AUSA: Did you expect to see him there? Leo Rivera: No. He started crying. Then he kept talking. He was bad-mouthing Juan Orlando Hernandez, for being in custody [preso]

AUSA: What did the defendant say about meetings he had before his arrest? Leo Rivera: He said he met with Commissioner Martinez and un militar sent by Juan Orlando Hernandez to meet with the defendant. AUSA: What did the defendant say about these meeting?

 Leo Rivera: He said Juan Orlando Hernandez was offering $13 million for the businesses that he owned, for money laundering.

AUSA: What else? Leo Rivera: The defendant said he met Juan Orlando Hernandez 2 times. In a house in Chaloma Cortez, a house of Senor Fouad

Leo Rivera: The defendant said he gave 450,000 lempiras to Juan Orlando Hernandez. AUSA: And the second meeting?

Leo Rivera: That he, the defendant, & Fouad traveled to Tegucigalpa to pay another bribe to Juan Orlando Hernandez, for protection, not being arrested

AUSA: No further questions.

The case is US v. Diaz, 15-cr-379 (Castel).

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