cannabisnews.com: Mexico Announces Decision on 'Operation Casablanca





Mexico Announces Decision on 'Operation Casablanca
Posted by FoM on February 08, 1999 at 10:41:30 PT

A joint statement issued today in Mexico City by the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) and the Attorney General's Office (PGR) points out that the PGR has not been able to obtain the evidence against U.S. government agents who participated in the so- called "Operation Casablanca" needed to press criminal charges pursuant actions undertaken in Mexican jurisdiction. That is also the case for their witnesses and informants. 
The Attorney General's Office has investigated these agents, witnesses and informants to find out if they incurred in a felony typified in Mexico's criminal code as conducting operations with illegally obtained goods or proceeds. It is worth recalling that Mexico's Attorney General, Jorge Madrazo, and his U.S. counterpart, Janet Reno, agreed last July to avoid unnecessary strains to the Mexico -- U.S. bilateral relationship such as the one produced by Casablanca. In a letter addressed to Presidents Zedillo and Clinton, which contains what have become known as the "Brownsville Agreements", they vowed to step up bilateral law enforcement cooperation while strictly respecting the sovereignty of both countries. They stressed the importance of sharing information to strengthen our common fight against drug- trafficking and related crimes, and agreed to make each other aware, in advance, of operations that might be relevant to the other country. In their joint statement, the SRE and PGR inform that the Executive Branch will send the Mexican Congress a legislative proposal to overcome loopholes regarding operations that involve illegally obtained goods or proceeds. If approved, these reforms would allow the prosecution in Mexico of violations to the United Nations Convention against the Illicit Trafficking of Narcotics and Controlled Substances of 1988 and to the Mexico -- U.S. Agreement on Cooperation to Combat Drugs-Trafficking and Drug Addiction of 1989. The joint statement also mentioned that, taking into account a Mexican judge's decision not to grant the extradition to the United States of five individuals related to the "Casablanca" indictments, the government of Mexico had decided to deny the U.S. government's request. The Secretariat of Foreign Relations based its decision on article 9 of the Mexico -- U.S. Extradition Treaty as well as on the opinion of the district judge who had previously examined the case. However, the PGR declared that it will prosecute these individuals in Mexico, under charges of money laundering and membership to a criminal organization. It underscored that, in so doing, Mexico complies with its commitment to serve justice and fight drug-trafficking and related criminal activities. Finally, the joint statement stressed that the Government of Mexico will continue to promote international cooperation based upon the fullest respect for the sovereignty of Nation States and their territorial jurisdiction, as the most effective instrument to combat transnational drug-trafficking. 
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