Venezuela Deports Three Fugitives, Justice Minister Asks for

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000161 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL LEIPZIG AMEMBASSY ATHENS PASS TO AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PASS TO AMCONSUL RECIFE E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/04 TAGS: PREL SNAR CO VE KCRM SUBJECT: Venezuela Deports Three Fugitives, Justice Minister Asks for Reciprocity REF: 10 CARACAS 53 CLASSIFIED BY: DUDDY, AMBASSADOR, DOS, AMB; REASON: 1.4(C),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On February 2, the Venezuelan government (GBRV) deported U.S. fugitive Salomon "Big Daddy" Camacho, as well as two fugitives wanted by France and Colombia. Minister of Justice El-Aissami told PolOff and Legatt that he had been instructed by President Chavez to return these fugitives as quickly as possible and hoped for reciprocity. During the televised portion of the event, El-Aissami charged the United States with harboring "terrorists, fugitive bankers and murderers." Camacho's deportation is the third deportation of a fugitive to the United States since October 2009. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On February 2, the GBRV deported Salomon "Big Daddy" Camacho Mora, a Colombian citizen and major drug trafficker wanted by the United States. It also deported Jean Marie Bonnamy and Oscar Ospina Pacheco to France and Colombia, respectively, for prosecution on drug-related charges. At the event, which took place at the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN, formerly DISIP),Deputy Director of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC) Alvis Pinto Guedes told Legatt and Poloff that "deportations are a quick administrative solution. Extraditions take too long, you can spend months exchanging letters rogatory." ¶3. (C) In a brief private conversation with French and U.S. embassy officers, Minister of Interior and Justice Tarek El-Aissami, accompanied by SEBIN Director Miguel Rodriguez Torres, National Anti-Drug Office (ONA) Director Nestor Reverol, CICPC Director Wilmer Flores Trocel, and Libertador borough Police Chief Freddy Villaverde, said that "President Chavez has instructed me to be expeditious so these men can face justice. Venezuela is complying with international treaties and conventions and we expect reciprocity." ¶4. (SBU) During the televised portion of the event, El-Aissami said, "I say, respectfully, to the representative of the United States Embassy, I wish that our government and institutions could count on the clarity, responsibility and transparency that the government of Hugo Chavez shows." El-Aissami continued, "We have requested the extradition of fugitive bankers, terrorist assassins like Luis Posada Carriles, but the United States has not made these criminals face Venezuelan justice. . . . They accuse President Chavez of not cooperating, of being an obstacle, but we know these are campaigns of calumny to impugn the results of this government." ¶5. (C) Comment: Camacho's deportation, less than 30 days after his capture, is the third deportation of a drug trafficker to the United States since October 2009. End Comment. DUDDY