SANTO DOMINGO.- Although the antinarcotics authorities had called Manuel Emilio Mesa (El Gringo) and his partner Rafael Cordero Martinez (El Chino) the country’s two top drug traffickers for several years, the National District Office of the Prosecutor didn’t press the money laundering case against them in the 4th Instruction Court in January 2007.

Judge Delio German let the criminal action in that process expire as recommended by the then Prosecutor, who justifies the decision on insufficient evidence to base the indictment.

Deputy Julio Romero

El Gringo’s and El Chino’s strange streak of good luck continued when they also managed to sidestep prosecution when the November 17 accompanied the also alleged drug trafficker Cesar Emilio Peralta arrested by narcotics agents in a sweep, and accused of escaping after taking part in an airdrop of 30 packages of cocaine in Higüey (east).

They were arrested in the disco El Aguila, on the San Isidro highway, in the company of the deputy Julio Romero, who is currently involved in a scandal for child support and of having sexual relations with a minor.

At the moment of Peralta’s arrest the DNCD report textually states: “One Cesar Emilio Peralta was accompanied at the time of his arrest by the known narcotics traffickers El Chino (Cordero Martinez) and El Gringo (Mesa), and approximately 10 bodyguards, in addition to the deputy who was with them Julio Romero, who publicly rejected the work which was being carried out this DNCD.”

In those operations at El Aguila narcotics agents were fired upon by the group which accompanied the alleged drug traffickers, incident during Peralta tried unsuccessfully to escape.

Accusation

On Monday Mesa was arrested when caught with more than four million pesos, and accused of money laundering. Traces of cocaine were also detected in the vehicle he was driving.

SOURCE: eldia.com.do