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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Witness got $2K/Month for Cartel Work

By Mike Gallagher / Journal Investigative Reporter 
Albuquerque Journal

Former Columbus Police Chief Angelo Vega was getting paid more than $40,000 a year from the small village at the same time he was collecting $2,000 a month plus bonuses in $100 bills from the local Juárez Cartel representatives, according to testimony in federal court Wednesday.

 Vega testified Wednesday that he didn’t remember exactly how much he was paid or how long he worked for the cartel, but another witness testified later that Vega received $2,000 a month plus bonuses.

 Vega is the key prosecution witness in the case against Danny Burnett, who is charged with leaking information about a federal wiretap investigation in a Columbus gun and drug smuggling ring.

 Burnett has pleaded not guilty, and his wife, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paula Burnett, has not been charged with any crime. She formerly headed the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office but was walled off from the Columbus investigation once she learned Vega was a potential target.

 Burnett’s attorneys, Jacquelyn Robins and Larry Gomez, introduced into evidence emails circulated throughout the U.S. Attorney’s Office that Burnett was no longer to receive any information about the investigation.

 Danny Burnett, former Carrizozo Schools superintendent, took Vega under his wing when Vega was a troubled student, helped him graduate from high school and get jobs.

 But most of Wednesday’s testimony dealt with how the cartel operated in Columbus.

 Vega’s boss in the illicit operation, former village trustee Blas “Woody” Gutierrez, testified that he had village Mayor Eddie Espinosa approach Vega in 2010 to see if he was willing to work for the cartel.

 Gutierrez said Vega was receptive and began doing background investigations on people seeking to buy drugs from local Juárez Cartel leader Ignacio Villalobos – Gutierrez’s boss – and running license plate numbers of cars that might be law enforcement undercover vehicles.

 Vega admitted running background checks and license plates at the request of cartel members and buying military gear at law enforcement supply stores for members of the Juárez Cartel and its enforcement arm, La Linea.

 Vega also received $1,500 each time he allowed the cartel members to use village vehicles – including police vehicles – to deliver drugs, pick up guns and pick up money from marijuana sales on top of the $2,000 a month the cartel was paying him, Gutierrez testified.

 Gutierrez, who faces 10 years in federal prison for his guilty plea, said Vega told him that he had a friend whose wife worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and that the friend told Vega their telephones were tapped.

 Gutierrez said he was not sure Vega was telling the truth until the two men met in Columbus and Vega destroyed his new phone in front of Gutierrez.

 “He did it to show he wasn’t messing around,” Gutierrez said.

 Gutierrez said he took the information to his boss, Villalobos, and asked that Vega be paid a bonus. Villalobos hesitated because he wasn’t confident about the information.

 Gutierrez said he paid Vega a bonus of $2,000 to $3,000 out of his own pocket.

 He and Vega then started buying “throwaway” telephones – cellular phones without contracts using prepaid telephone cards.

 The ring had previously used the “throwaway” phones, and Gutierrez said he had bought hundreds of them for use by members of the smuggling ring.

 Gutierrez testified that Vega claimed his friends could make the case go away for $20,000.

 Other government witnesses testified that no one in the U.S. Attorney’s Office could make a criminal case “go away” and that it would be impossible in an investigation as intensive as the one targeting the Columbus gun smuggling ring.

 Assistant U.S. attorneys involved in the investigation testified that the quantity and quality of telephone conversations dropped after Feb. 17, 2011, the day Vega had lunch with Danny Burnett at an Albuquerque restaurant.

46 comments:

  1. he did all that for only 2k a month? what a tonto!

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  2. Where are all the sanctimonious Gringos - the stupid ignorantly nieve ones that say the most audacious things like "only in Mexico", Mexico is a failed state - dumb faggots need to walk beyond your neighborhood block and your US agendas news sources. America is just as corrupt as Mexico but you stupid Gringos think the word "too big to fail", "bailout" and "potential terrorist" makes theft, murder, racketeering, drug draling and extortion justified.

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    Replies
    1. No! We know it goes on in the u.s but we got guns 300 plus million in our hands! Doesnt stop every single thing but it do keep some of the bad guys in check lol!!

      Delete
    2. your 300 million guns,kukluxklan,and exmilitary,can't do shit against the people of the united states and its regular military,and you must know it,or you would have started something already,all your guns just put you out of the team,and you know in the team may be room for the shit,but not all of it,and not at the top.

      Delete
  3. Where are all the sanctimonious Gringos - the stupid ignorantly nieve ones that say the most audacious things like "only in Mexico", Mexico is a failed state - dumb faggots need to walk beyond your neighborhood block and your US agendas news sources. America is just as corrupt as Mexico but you stupid Gringos think the word "too big to fail", "bailout" and "potential terrorist" makes theft, murder, racketeering, drug draling and extortion justified.

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  4. 2000$ a month isn't really convincing especially the amount of jail time. What an idiot. U gotta atleast offer me 10k or more a month to turn corrupt

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  5. Aaaa-haaa they got your fatass.. i bet his wife flipped her wig when she found out, i mean that coulples fidelity is swiss cheesed.

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  6. I found a pic of Nachito Villalobos the Juarez Cartel boss if anyone is interested. It can be found at the following link

    http://www.elpasotimes.com/portlet/article/html/render_gallery.jsp?articleId=18113313&siteId=525&startImage=5

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  7. Sounds like chapo paid him to rat

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  8. Ay! Ay! Muy interesting.

    Why isn't this case on MSNBC, FOX, etc.

    Guess, "someone" doesn't want the American public to know.
    But, I could be wrong.
    Mexico Watcher

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No you're right!! America's dirty big not so secret!!!

      Delete
  9. Y luego dicen que los gringos no son corruptos

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  10. What Colombus police chief and mayor did was cede control of their town to the Juarez Cartel - in the case of Chief Vega for $24,000 a year. Not only should he be tried for leaking govt. information, but for treason. He and Espinosa gave the keys to Columbus to a criminal organization that carried out murders of an American consulate worker, and her family, and terror attacks against federal officials in Mexico. The same goes for assistant U.S. attorney Paula Burnett and her husband Dan. They got the blood of innocent citizens of Cuidad Juarez on their hands when they aided the Juarez Cartel. The same people that just finished massacreing an innocent family of 10 in Loma Blanca, Chihuahua.

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  11. Haha The Good Ole USA

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  12. we here at BB have said it before and will say it again. corruption of local US law enforcement has been going on for decades and will continue to do so.

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    Replies
    1. Since the times of the railroads in. The us.corruption has been used as a way to get ahead of the game,everybody who has a brand new mercedes-benz in america probably did something he should of not at least once. White collar reigns america corporations beat regular citizens over the head on a regular basis.reply if I'm liying you filthy bastards..

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  13. This type of corruption will only increase as long as there is a drug prohibition in this side. Just like Mexico, one day the US will have a narco-funded presidency with a finacial incentive to keep the cartels operating.

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    Replies
    1. and next,legalize extortion,kidnapping murder,pederastia and the sex trafficking,whatever the little babies want. legalize the death penalty period.

      Delete
  14. Reality is better than fiction. This has all the makings of a hollywood thriller, special interest, illicit money & weapons. Better start booking ur plane ticket Chivis for when this goes to trial.

    Ronco

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  15. Only 10 years? Why not take him to disneyland while there at it!

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  16. Rot in hell you pieces of SHIT.....you all sold your souls for a few thousand dollars and spit on everything the United States of America stands for......NO SYMPATHY HERE!!!!

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  17. Jajajaja and thats just the tip of the iceberg. Seal .? From what? A thorough investigation? On the other hand, that guy was literary putting his neck...on the blade of a rusty machete if he was lucky, so i guess he did deserve his plata. It's a dirty game ,and only dummies dont know that. Play accordingly.

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  18. All you Mexicanos are just waiting for someone in the U.S. to turn out corrupt so you can start saying that it is just as corrupt as Mexico. I admit there are a few corrupt, but it is no where near the level of corruption Mexico is at. Mexico is a FAILED State(Just like Y'alls SORRY SOCCER TEAM ) lol JK.
    TEX-MEX

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  19. Fuck that. There's no corruption at that side of the border.

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  20. @September 26, 2013 at 9:37 PM

    That told me You live shitty life. In US of god blessing A?!
    I live in Europe and I'd need many times more to be corrupted. :|

    ReplyDelete
  21. @September 27, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    Corruption in US side is just greedness. In mexico its more likely to survive.
    Just my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Some of you act like you are surprised, and thought the Gringo's do not know about corruption on the American side of the border. Well I guess it is nice to throw you a bone (corrupt American non Hispanic name) so you can wag your tail a bit. Hell there are lots of corrupt border patrol agents, but they are usually Hispanic last names, as that is the people the Mexican Narcos usually feel the most comfortable doing business with. Why do you not jump all over it when it is a Mexican American being corrupt on the border. You do not see many Amercan (white) names coming up when it is something to do with corruption at the border. Surprise, surprise. There are some corrupt White Americans also. I live in Mexico and once you get past the the Southern buffer zone going North into the USA things get tamer. I live in Mexico, and believe me it is not the same here as in the USA having lived in both places. It you are waiting for articles on here with white American names coming up for border corruption, Border Beat will not have much to report on. In fact they may just have to shut down. When I go to El Paso it looks like America. Clean and well taken care of. Nice highways and so on. Do not worry about getting car jacked in the parking lot of Soriana. But it is fill of Mexicans, and I still fell like I am in Mexico, but a safer part of Mexico. Got nothing to say bad about good Mexican people. I enjoy their company, and my native wife and family here.

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    Replies
    1. ......And Burnett is.....

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    2. Apparently only ethnic Mexicans live within U.S.A.'s territory - NOT!! Anglo/White American people, or people of White U.S. ancestry live within. Mexico just across from El Paso in Chihuahua. There called the Mennonites and Mormons. One of the reasons for thei migration to Mexico was to be able to practice polygamy without any legal problems. Something that is illegal in the U.S.A., although some Mormon sects still practice/practiced it. Corruption has always existed in U.S.A. amoung all groups; however, in the U.S.A. eventually you will get found out ans brought to justice, in most cases. There is some untouchables in the U.S.A. that will never step foot in any prison. When salaries are good in the government, justice, and law enforcement systems, and the penalties for law breaking severe, who would want to be corrupt.

      Delete
    3. Burnett may be black or white,I don't know,but it is one non Hispanic,most of the other guys are Hispanic.the problems are mostly suicidal drug addiction among the white population,among most Hispanic and black it is a murderous greedy addiction to money,you're welcome,ese!

      Delete
  23. this aint shit look at san diego ca the ice agents and bolder patrol guys that let aliens thru and not thru the fence but using the border crossing in vans one guy even picked up and delivered drugs in his patrol car jajajajajaj pinchis gringos de mierda haciendose pendejos como solo ellos saben

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  24. you said the juarez cartel just killed an innocent family in the valley of juarez!!!!!!!if you all arent from mexico,dont even bother to comment!!!!!!!! The 10 killed were guilty as can be,yeah,the little girl was innocent of course,but thats part of this damn thing,cds did the same thing to the innocent fa,ily members of the jaurez cartel members that used to live in the valley of juarez.....now ya want to cry about innocent being killed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just because now that cds continues to lose ground in chihuahua!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  25. It's well known Border agents make millions letting large loads enter!
    This idiot should've changed jobs!

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    Replies
    1. I will never need money that damn bad i can promise u that.id rather die first before i played that game on either side of the border!!!

      Delete
  26. So when will we seal the border? Unemployment rate among discharged servicemen is 2x the general population. What better way to kill two birds?

    Lock down the southern border and give all of our children a future.

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  27. This is one cop in one small town. Not an entire police force in a major municipality like in Mexico where police forces are fired en masse due to corruption. How does he survive on 40K per year?

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  28. That's more than one "word".

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  29. To the reader posting remarks referring to "Messico" and Messicans...If I see your comments they will be deleted. Messico is one thing but to personally degrade a race is not going to be allowed. You have even crossed over into "Messican Americans" leaving no doubt your comments are racial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry ma'it won't happen again,by the way it is not my intention to offend,I love my fellow countrymen and my country,and would never look down on them,on the other hand corrupt government officials of Hispanic descent offend me and our whole heritage,so many people have strived to live exemplary lives,it kills me to find what these lowlifes do,they certainly do not deserve to be called Mexicans nor mexicanos...

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  30. Thats right chivis.its not about race its about greed and corruption and human character defects on both sides and theres plenty of that to go around for both countries.i do wish the narcos would stay home and out of the u.s.i dont care how many mexicans come to the u.s but the narcos need to stay there and go off and get arrested or die and leave the u.s and mexican citizens alone!!

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  31. he's saying 2000 so he can keep the rest of the money when he gets out.

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  32. 11:359 And that word is written on your Bible or on your gun? judgement is ours that is why we the just do not engage in corruption,we wish all these crooks the very worst luck,and you too...

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  33. Judgement and vengeance is for the lord not you!!

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  34. as a son of the lord,it is part of my inheritance to judge and exact revenge, just as Jesus Christ kicked the Pharisees and the philistines out of the temple, we are sheep of the lord not of the wolves... let the lord judge us later...

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  35. 6:33 Don't hit my head with your bible,it may do more good if you stick it where the sun don't shine,the meek are becoming a fairy tale going extinct...

    ReplyDelete

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