DAY EIGHT: Trial Against Honduran Drug Trafficker, Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez
/What Happened Today
Protected witness “Jose Sánchez” finishes testimony
Protected witness “Jorge Medina” testifies
DEA Special Agent Sandalio Gonzalez begins on the stand
Key Details That Surfaced
Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla was briefly mentioned again in emails between Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez (GFR) and his son while GFR was in a US jail. GFR’s sons said that GFR’s partners (military official ‘Comanche’ or Police Commissioner Martinez) told GFR’s sons to talk to Chinchilla directly to see if Chinchilla can help them get the documents that GFR was urgently requesting from jail in the US.
After the government made public filings in the Tony Hernandez case, prosecutors used geographical location information extracted from GFR’s phone to show that he went to the Presidential palace in at least a few occasions.
Clips of the video [have to watch a description of other cases as outlined by the Pro-Honduras Network before the actual clips start] of GFR’s post-arrest interview was shown in court. GFR admitted to knowing Los Cachiros; Melvin Sanders (“Metro); Fuad Jarufe; drug trafficker Edgar Rios (“Pluto”;) the assassin “Vaquero”; Chepe Handal; Comanche; Police Sub-Commissioner Sauceda; amongst others mentioned throughout the trial.
What Will Happen Tomorrow
DEA Special Agent Sandalio Gonzalez will continue on the stand (cross examination)
A firearms expert will testify
The government may call an electronic expert and if not, the government is expected to rest its case.
On a Separate but Related Note: Tony Hernandez’s Sentencing
Juan Orlando Hernandez’s brother, Tony Hernandez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2021. The same judge, Judge Castel who is hearing GFR’s case, will be sentencing Hernandez. A document filed last night by the US prosecutors asks for a life sentence for Tony Hernandez and outlines damning information making reference to post-conviction contextual developments involving Juan Orlando Hernandez. A summary will be posted shortly.
Photo: Pro-Honduras Network
More Details
Cross Examination of Protected Witness “Jose Sanchez” (pseudonym)
NOTE: The Defense attempted to poke holes in Jose Sanchez’s testimony. They raised issues suggesting that Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez (GFR)’s did not have an illicit business relationship (coffee and biomass) with businessman Jarufe; that despite the US government’s allegations against GFR, the US government maintained it’s support and training to the Honduran government and state security forces; that Fuad Jarufe’s support for the National party was not unusual and that he allowed the National Party to use his office for meetings; that Jose Sanchez’s recollection of the dates of the meetings between JOH and GFR were not clear/reported wrong suggesting that the witness had lied; that the witness had committed crimes of money laundering by depositing money he knew was linked to drug traffickers, etc.
This is new information that surfaced:
The witness saw Juan Orlando Hernandez approximately 9-11 times starting in 2013.
The witness called JOH a thief to his face when JOH visited his boss at some point. JOH just smiled and didn’t seem offended.
The witness said that the type of cattle that was sold to his boss Jarufe was the type of cattle used by drug traffickers to transport drugs. Drugs are put inside the cattle.
GFR was given a property by Los Cachiros which he used to plant malanga (a root vegetable)
Witness visited the US on 3-4 occasions before staying in 2015 and requesting asylum.
He decided to stay in 2015 when he was visiting because he received a call from Honduras informing him that Cristian Ayala had been killed (see yesterday’s notes).
The defense questioned the witness about what he was receiving in exchange for his testimony including if his lawyer had asked for the US government to pay for his immigration fees.
Protected Witness Jorge Medina (pseudonym)
From San Pedro Sula. An agricultural engineer.
Started working at Ganaderos (Ganaderos Agricultores del Norte, S. de R.L. de C.V, a livestock company owned Los Cachiros that was sanctioned by the US Office for Foreign Assets Control in 2013) from 2007/2008 to 2012.
He was first based in Tocoa, Colona for 8 to 10 months and then worked in Choloma.
When in Choloma, he worked with Ganaderos supervising the planting of corn and rice.
Meeting Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez (GFR) Through Los Cachiros
First met GFR in 2010. Melvin Sanders (“Metro”) [deceased, GFR’s business partner referred to several times by government witness Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga on day three and day four] and Isidro Rivera (the younger brother of Javier and Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, Los Cachiros) introduced the witness to GFR. Metro was a cousin of the Rivera Maradiaga brothers.
First met Javier Rivera Maradiaga in approximately 2007 and 2008.
The witness first met Metro in late 2009 at a party for Javier Rivera Maradiaga’s daughter in a ranch in Choloma. The Valle brothers were also there. Javier, Los Valle and Metro had bodyguards with them and all were armed (with semi-automatic pistols and AR15s)
Government showed a picture of Melvin Sanders (“Metro”) and Yankel Rosenthal together. The witness identified them both by name.
The witness saw Javier Rivera Maradiaga several times. Javier usually had 2-4 people protecting him. Devis Leonel Rivera also had approx. 7 security guards and all were also armed with semi-automatic pistols and AR-15s.
The witness first saw GFR in 2010 when he came to Choloma. Javier Rivera Maradiaga was going to rent a property to GFR and Metro so that they could plant malanga (a root vegetable)
The witness was supposed to supervise the part of the malanga project that belonged to him. He took care of 4 properties and GFR’s malanga project/land was located approximately 5 kms away.
The witness saw GFR 3-4 times a week.
Hearing About the Raid On the Drug Lab
The witness had heard of the raid on the drug lab. Following the raid, he didn’t see GFR for approximately 1 to 2 months.
Business Between Isidro Rivera (brother of Los Cachiros) and GFR
The witness learned that GFR sold rice seed to Isidro Rivera at one point when he and his workers were planting. His workers called the witness to tell him that the seed was no good.
The witness then called Isidro Rivera and told him that the seed was useless.
GFR then called the witness. Hew as very upset and asked why they were messing with this, to not be snitches and threatened that he was going to waste them.
At another point, the witness learned that Isidro Rivera was selling wood chips to GFR. GFR had asked the witness to help him with the project. The witness said that Agroforestales Fuentes (GFR’s business) was paying too low a price for the wood chips (used for biomass). Isidro Rivera then told the witness that they would not keep selling the wood chips at such price.
In response, GFR called the witness. He was very upset and told the witness not to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, to stop being a snitch and that he was going to waste him.
Isidro then found another company to buy the wood chips. The witness received a call from that person who had been stopped at a checkpoint. The person said that the police of Choloma attempted to seize his vehicle, but then returned it, and made him dump the load of biomass. The witness was called at a later time and told by the same person, that the load of biomass was being loaded onto a Agroforestales Fuentes vehicle.
Relationship with Businessman Fuad Jarufe Through GFR
Granaderos closed (after the OFAC sanctions) and later, GFR told the witness that businessman Fuad Jarufe wanted to speak with him. The witness went to speak with Jarufe in approximately in mid-2012 and 2013.
Jarufe sent a proposal to Javier Rivera Maradiaga through the witness that he (Jarufe) would provide Javier with security so that no one could touch him because Jarufe had collaborated a lot with the National Party and he could manage the situation with Juan Orlando Hernandez. This would cost Javier Rivera Maradiaga $5 million.
The witness spoke to Javier about that.
GFR called the witness again to ask him if he had communicated the proposal to Javier.
Seeing GFR with Heavy Weapons
GFR spoke to the witness about firearms.
At one point, GFR showed him a AR15 he owned and had in his house.
GFR told him that the AR15 was given to him by a high-level police or military (he couldn’t remember which).
Cross-Examination by the Defense
The witness stayed in contact with Javier Rivera Maradiaga’s wife after Javier surrendered. The witness last spoke to Javier when he pitched Jarufe’s proposal to him.
Javier called the witness from the US asking him if he would testify about the things that he knew about Jarufe and GFR. Then Javier put him on the phone with the DEA. Despite asking him to testify, the witness assured that what he said about communication between GFR and Jarufe is true (the defense pushed him on this).
Government Witness DEA Special Agent Sandalio Gonzalez
NOTE: Various aspects of this particular testimony were hard to note because several video clips were shown quickly between questions.
A DEA agent for approximately 21 years. A group supervisor for one of the Latin American teams on the DEA Special Operations Bilateral Investigation Unit. The Latin America teams focus on Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
Arresting GFR (The Defendant)
Special agent Gonzalez arrested GFR on March 1, 2020 in Miami. He later conducted a post-arrest interview with him in Spanish. This interview (like in the case against Tony Hernandez) was videotaped.
Pictures and Video Clips Viewed in Court
NOTE: WATCH ONE VIDEO WITH ALL THE CLIPS HERE. Throughout the direct examination of Special Agent Gonzalez, several clips of the interview were shown in court. The agent was shown various pictures, asked to identify the person(s), and then the respective videoclip of the post-arrest video where the agent and GFR discuss the person(s) in the post-arrest interview was played for everyone in the court.
After several video clips were shown (from #1 to #15), the prosecutors along with Special Agent Gonzalez, presented emails that GFR had written since being in prison in the US as well as chats and geographical location data taken from GFR’s cell phone and GFR’s son’s ICloud account. Emails and video clips (From #16 on list above and on) were shown in a mixed manner.
Clip showing Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez being read his rights at a table. (The video is very similar to the angle and settings of the Tony Hernandez post-interview video)
The agent is shown a picture of Melvin Sanders “Metro” [GFR’s business partner, now deceased, a cousin of the Rivera Maradiaga brothers]. Clip: Agent asks GFR if he knows Melvin Sanders. GFR says he does.
Picture of the Cachiro brothers (Leonel and Javier). Clip: GFR says that he knew Los Cachiros but he didn’t have any business with them. He met them at parties.
Clip: GFR asked if he knows Graneros Nacionales. GFR said that he worked with them and that it is a rice company. Mr. Fuad Jarufe was a good friend of his and he died approximately 2 years ago at 86 years old. GFR said he had coffee with him everyday and that his daughter manages another company he has. Jarufe lent GFR money but “money through banks”
Clip: Agent asking GFR if he had met the Cachiros. GFR said that he met them through Melvin (“Metro). One of GFR’s sons married the daughter of one of Los Cachiros.
Clip: Melvin introduced GFR to Leonel Rivera Maradiaga
Clip: Metro had a night club on a property belonging to Fuad Jarufe in Choloma near a pharmacy and a warehouse. He went to the night club for parties and meetings
Clip: Javier Rivera Maradiaga went to the night club for a birthday party
Clip: Agent asked if GFR did business with the Cachiros. GFR responded that he had sold him 2 cars: a small car and a truck approximately 12 years ago. GFR believed the price was approximately $16,000 but couldn’t remember. He sold him the car because his father was ill. GFR was paid in cash.
Clip: GFR said he knew the Cachiros but he didn’t have any business with them. Last time he spoke to them was by telephone approximately 1 year before they were “extradited” [GFR’s words]. He saw Leonel last in a gas station in Omoa – the one owned by Los Cachiros.
Clip: Agent asked GFR if he knew of a drug lab. GFR said that they found one on Fuad’s property and that it was owned by a man from Belize. GFR went to provide testimony to authorities about it. Nothing was found in the lab. It was a property owned by Fuad Jarufe who bought it from Tavo Torres. GFR did maintenance on a coffee plantation close by. Fuad gave him the property afterwords. A “soccer official”, a council member from Choloma, lived near the property as well.
Clip: GFR admitted to knowing Edgar Rio “Pluto.” They had met in Choloma and GFR knew that he was a drug trafficker.
Clip: Agent asked GFR if he knew ‘Vaquero’ [an assassin used to commit murders for Los Cachiros]. GFR responded that Vaquero had grown up in Choloma and began working with Melvin (Metro) as security. GFR said that Vaquero had threatened one of GFR’s sons.
Clip: GFR admitted to knowing Chepe Handal, who he referred to as “Chepito.” They studied in a similar institution. GFR claimed that “everyone in Honduras knows him,” he was a cousin of Fuad Jarufe and owned Auto Parts Handal in San Pedro Sula.
Clip: GFR said he knew of the Valles but he had never met them.
Clip: Agent asked about whether GFR knew Leopoldo Crivelli. GFR said that he was the mayor of Choloma and had been for 4 periods. GFR admitted to giving Crivelli campaign donations of approximately 120,000 Lempiras by cheque from GFR’s company.
Clip: GFR admits to knowing Fabio Lobo. Ricardo Maduro was a good friend of Fuad Jarufe.
Clip: Agent asks about Juan Orlando Hernandez. GFR responded that JOH would visit Fuad and had gone many times to Graneros to seek support for his campaign.
Clip: Agent asked if Jarufe had given money to JOH’s campaign. GFR responded that Jarufe had given JOH money. That Jarufe and Fufu Canahuati coordinated the National Party in San Pedro Sula.
Clip: Agent asked GFR if he knew some police officers. GFR responded that he knew some. He knew Ramon Martinez who he had traveled to Orlando with last year. He knew Cruz Mendoza, Nelvin Sauceda (had met him in family gatherings), Wilson Alvarenga, Mejía Vargas (who was dismissed from the police, formerly the police chief in Choloma but was challenging his dismissal)
The government along with Special Agent Gonzalez then presented emails that GFR had written since being in prison in the US as well as chats taken from GFR’s cell phone. Emails and video clips (From #16 on list above and on) were shown in a mixed manner.
Chats and Other Data Extracted From GFR’s Phone and His Son’s ICloud Account
A chat with Comanche (a military official) briefly discussing the murder of a lawyer linked to the Valle brothers.
Phone records showing that GFR had Leopoldo Crivelli’s phone numbers.
The prosecutor presented geographical location data extracted from the application Waze on GFR’s phone on the days following public filings in May and June 2019 related to the Tony Hernandez case. The data showed that:
GFR had been at the Presidential palace on May 29, 2019 at 10:57 am
GFR had been at the Presidential palace on June 12, 2019
The prosecutor presented chats from GFR’s ICloud account between individuals shortly after public filings were made in the US case against GFR and referred to co-conspirators. The chats reveal that its participants were able to identify who the co-conspirators are.
One public filing was made on January 8th and another on January 11-12, 2021.
A chat between two of Geovanny’s sons show that they discussed CC-10 (Julio César Barahona, former member of the Judiciary council); CC-1 (Melvin Sanders or ‘Metro’, GFR’s business partner), Edgar Rios (Honduran drug trafficker known as ‘Pluto’) and CC-4 (“Juancho” or Juan Orlando Hernandez)
GFR’s Prison Emails to His Sons
The prison emails were written between December 28, 2020 to January 8, 2021.
In one email, GFR is asking his son for key information he needs for his trial. He asks for facts on Gonzalez, information about a mechanic found half-buried in Choloma, and facts about Cerro Negro. He also makes reference to speaking with Comanche and Martinez. [No contextual information was given related to these emails]
GFR’s son responds saying he had spoken to Comanche and Martinez and was “tapping” Sauceda.
Diagram Outlining Cases Against “Defendants Brought or Arrested in SDNY”
The chart included the following names, how the accused were brought to the Southern District of New York and the year.
Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga – surrendered – 2015
Juan Miguel Avila Meza – surrendered – 2016
Hector Emilio Fernandez Rosa (“Don H”) – extradited from Honduras – 2015
Fabio Lobo – Explusion (Haiti) – 2015
Victor Hugo Díaz Morales – Extradited (Guatemala) – 2017
Fredy Nájera – surrendered – 2018
Alfonso Sierra Vargas “Renteria” – surrendered - 2012