What Happened Today
- Luis Pérez (a pseudonym), a former member of the Sinaloa cartel finished testifying.
- Devis Leonel Rivera, the ‘Cachiro’ and cooperating witness took the stand.
Key Details That Surfaced
- A second juror was removed from the jury because of an illness.
- Pérez mentioned a few interesting details during his cross-examination by JOH’s defense attorneys:
- He described donating money to Miguel Pastor’s National Party candidacy in the 2012 primary elections.
- Arnulfo Valle (of the Valle Valle cartel) had asked Pérez in 2014 if he could help him find guns to assassinate JOH but that Pérez had responded that he did not want to get involved.
- Pérez confirmed that the DEA used Black Hawk helicopters to intercept drug shipments in 2012. Pérez described bribing JOH and in exchange, asking JOH for information about DEA operations in Honduras because the DEA was the only agency capable of interfering with their drug operations with their helicopters. According to Pérez, they did not have to worry about the Honduran police, military, and Hondurans with radar information because they were under the control of Fredy Nájera, who would pass the them (Pérez and others) that information.
- Confessed drug trafficker, Devis Leonel Rivera from ‘Los Cachiros’ drug cartel revealed small details and named many of the drug traffickers that he met and worked with, including Nery López Sanabria (aka as Magdalena Meza). This is the first time Sanabria has been mentioned in JOH’s trial.
- Rivera testified that the Cachiros paid a $250-$300,000 bribe to former President Porfirio Lobo in late 2009.
- The Cachiros provided $250,000 to Hilda Hernández, JOH’s (deceased) sister for JOH in exchange for protection from arrest; government contracts for companies owned by Los Cachiros to launder drug money; and continued protecting for their drug shipments.
- When Porfirio Lobo was President, his son Fabio Lobo received airplanes at landing strips, provided security for drug shipments, and accompanied Rivera to transport the drugs. F. Lobo used his presidential security detail to help protect him and the drugs.
- Rivera testified that President Porfirio Lobo put Julian Pacheco Tinoco, the former Minister of Security, at Fabio Lobo’s disposition so that if the Cachiros had any problems with their drug operations, they could call Pacheco and he would take care of it. According to Rivera, Pacheco was in charge of intelligence and the President’s security. Pacheco also provided Los Cachiros with information about police operations so that Los Cachiros could remove “anything illegal on any of their properties” beforehand.
- Rivera described a birthday party for President Lobo’s brother, Ramón Lobo in approximately 2012, that his brother, Javier Rivera attended. From the party, Javier called Leonel to tell him that he had spoken with JOH and that for a donation– which ended up being $250,000 — JOH would continue to help them with drug trafficking and protect them from extradition. During the birthday party, another drug trafficker, Nectali Duarte Mejía called Rivera by video call as he had his arm around JOH’s shoulders. Rivera received a call from drug trafficker, Herlinda Montes, also at the birthday party, who told Rivera that she and her sons were going to give $300,000 for JOH’s campaign as well. According to Rivera, other drug traffickers at R. Lobo’s birthday party included Ramon Matta, Wilter Blanco, Los Montes, and Moreno Blanco. Days later, Rivera met with Oscar Nájera who called JOH and put him on speaker phone to discuss the financial contribution. JOH told them he was waiting in Tegucigalpa for them. Later, Los Cachiros gave $250,000 to JOH’s campaign to Hilda Hernández.
What Will Happen Tomorrow
- Leonel Rivera will continue to testify for the prosecution and then be cross-examined by JOH’s defense.
- The prosecution will call more witnesses. Today, the prosecution told the court that they still have approximately 7-10 witnesses left, approx. 3 of which are cooperating witnesses.
