United States v. Caro-Quintero

745 F. Supp. 599, 1990 WL 120248
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedAugust 14, 1990
DocketCR 87-422(F)-ER
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 745 F. Supp. 599 (United States v. Caro-Quintero) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Caro-Quintero, 745 F. Supp. 599, 1990 WL 120248 (C.D. Cal. 1990).

Opinion

ORDER AND OPINION

RAFEEDIE, District Judge.

Before the Court is a motion filed by defendant Humberto Alvarez-Machain to dismiss for outrageous government conduct and for lack of personal jurisdiction. Defendant argues that he is entitled to such relief because the means by which the United States secured his presence before this Court runs afoul of due process clause of the fifth amendment and international law, and undermines the integrity of the judicial system. For the reasons stated below defendant's motion to dismiss for outrageous government conduct is denied. However, the Court finds that the United States violated the extradition treaty between the United States and Mexico when it unilaterally abducted defendant from his homeland. Under these circumstances, the Court lacks jurisdiction to try this defendant. Accordingly, the defendant is ordered discharged and the government is ordered to repatriate the defendant to Mexico forthwith.

INTRODUCTION

Doctor Humberto Alvarez-Machain is a Mexican national charged in connection with the torture/murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena-Salazar. 1 On May 10, 1990, Dr. Machain filed a motion to dismiss for outrageous government conduct and for lack of personal jurisdiction. Dr. Ma-chain argues that the manner in which his physical presence within the jurisdiction of this Court was secured warrants dismissal. The Court has distilled four theories asserted as a basis for relief from the briefs filed by counsel for defendant. 2 First, Dr. Ma-chain asserts that he has been deprived of due process of law guaranteed by the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution. A second ground is that dismissal is warranted because his presence in this country was obtained by means which violate the extradition treaty between the United States and Mexico. Third, Dr. Ma-chain asserts that dismissal is warranted because his presence in this country was obtained by means which violate the terms of the Charters of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Finally, the Court is urged to dismiss the indictment in an exercise of the Court’s supervisory power. 3

BACKGROUND

On May 25,1990, the Court conducted an evidentiary hearing on this matter. A number of witnesses testified including Dr. Machain, DEA Special Agent Hector Ber-rellez, chief of “Operation Leyenda” (the DEA investigation of the Camarena murder), and DEA informant Antonio Garate-Bustamante, an admitted former advisor to Mexican drug lord Ernesto Fonseca-Carril-lo. From this testimony the Court finds the following facts.

On February 7, 1985, DEA agent Enrique Camarena was kidnapped outside the *602 American consulate in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. One month later, agent Camare-na’s mutilated body was found about sixty miles outside of Guadalajara along with the body of Alfredo Zavala-Avelar, a Mexican pilot who had assisted Camarena in locating marijuana plantations.

On January 30, 1985, a sixth superseding indictment was returned in this case. This indictment charges twenty-two persons, including Dr. Machain, with crimes in connection with the Camarena and Zavala torture/murders. 4 To date, seven of the twenty-two indicted persons have been brought before this Court to stand trial on these offenses. Of the seven, three have been brought before this Court by means of covert forcible abduction from their homelands. Dr. Machain, a doctor of medicine with a specialty in obstetrics and gynecology who practices in Guadalajara, is the third such defendant. 5

Prior to the successful abduction of Dr. Machain, the DEA attempted to secure his presence in this jurisdiction through informal negotiations with representatives of the Mexican government.

A. Negotiations with MFJP Comman-dante Carrillo del Rey

In December, 1989, DEA informant Ga-rate was contacted by Mexican Federal Judicial Police (MFJP) commandante Jorge Castillo del Rey. Castillo sought a meeting with the DEA to discuss the possible exchange of a Mexican national suspected of involvement in the Camarena killing for Isaac Naredo Moreno, who was residing in the United States and wanted by the Attorney General of Mexico in connection with the theft of large sums of money from politicians in Mexico. On December 13, 1989, DEA agent Berrellez and DEA Special Agent Bill Waters met with Castillo and an unidentified MFJP commandante in Los Angeles. Castillo advised the agents that he was working under Javier Orosco-Orosco, the chief of the MFJP fugitive detail in Mexico City. Castillo further advised the agents that he was present at the meeting with the full knowledge and authority of the Attorney General of Mexico. At the meeting, an agreement was struck whereby Dr. Machain would be delivered to the United States, and, upon receipt of Dr. Machain, the United States would determine the immigration status of Moreno and would begin deportation proceedings against Moreno if it were initially determined that he was deportable. The Mexican officials suggested that this arrangement be carried out “under the table” because its revelation would “upset” Mexican citizens. They emphasized that their identities should not be revealed. Castillo indicated that the delivery would be made after the Christmas holiday.

On January 7, 1990, Garate advised Ber-rellez that the Mexican officials required $50,000 in advance to cover the expense of transporting Dr. Machain to the United States. The agents indicated that the DEA would not front any money for the operation. This was the apparent undoing of the agreement. For several days in January, DEA agents in El Paso waited in vain for the arrival of Dr. Machain. Dr. Machain was not delivered, and the agents returned to Los Angeles.

B. Castillo del Rey’s Request for a Second Meeting

On January 25, 1990, Castillo again contacted Garate and requested a second meeting with DEA officials regarding the possible exchange of Dr. Machain for Moreno. He indicated that he would be joined by Pablo Aleman-Diaz, the second highest ranking commandante in the MFJP. Though agent Berrellez initially agreed to the meeting, he later declined in light of the tension between the Mexican govern *603 ment and the United States which resulted from the airing of an NBC mini-series based upon the Camarena murder and ensuing investigation. 6 Berrellez testified that he cancelled the meeting because he feared that the meeting was a “set-up” by the Mexicans. No further meetings occurred between the DEA and representatives of the Mexican government.

C. The Abduction

Prior to, during, and after these communications with representatives of the Mexican government, agent Berrellez instructed Garate to convey to Garate’s contacts in Mexico that the DEA would pay for information leading to the arrest and capture of individuals responsible for the death of Special Agent Camarena.

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Related

Alvarez-Machain v. United States
107 F.3d 696 (Ninth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Alvarez-Machain
504 U.S. 655 (Supreme Court, 1992)
United States v. Humberto Alvarez-Machain
946 F.2d 1466 (Ninth Circuit, 1991)
Government of Jamaica v. United States
770 F. Supp. 627 (M.D. Florida, 1991)
United States v. Caro-Quintero
769 F. Supp. 1564 (C.D. California, 1991)
United States v. Rene Martin Verdugo-Urquidez
939 F.2d 1341 (Ninth Circuit, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
745 F. Supp. 599, 1990 WL 120248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-caro-quintero-cacd-1990.