Country is "combed" and "sealed" to find US$4.6 million man
Jose D. Figuereo, or Cristian Almonte Pequero had surgery and imported 18 vehicles
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. The nation's intelligence services have sealed off the country in their efforts to prevent the escape of the fugitive Jose D. Figuereo Agosto or Cristian Almonte Peguero. Meanwhile investigators have established that the fugitive had plastic surgery a little more than a year ago in order to avoid prosecution by the Puerto Rican authorities where he had escaped from a maximum security prison.
At the same time it was established that the powerful network of drug traffickers that was led by Agosto or Almonte Peguero had ties to Colombia, Venezuela and the very same Puerto Rico, and that the business moved around US$200 million a month.
Meanwhile, yesterday several houses were searched in the North of the country in places like Gaspar Hernandez, Rio San Juan and other areas.
The network also dedicated itself to bring luxury vehicles from the United States with false documents and as of now there is sure knowledge of 18 such vehicles, especially SUVs that were sold through a dealer in Santiago.
The fugitive is a native of Puerto Rico, but in the Dominican Republic he had four (4) personal identification cards called "cédulas", with residence in several towns, including San Pedro de Macoris. Three months ago he bought a black, 2003 Mercedes Benz G-500 SUV, license Z-000536, duty free, in the name of Ramon Arcangel Santana Ramirez, a resident of Padre de las Casas and where the US$4.6 million was found inside.
The vehicle entered the country through the Haina Oriental Wharf on 2 July 2003.
Yesterday the Central Electoral Board (JCE) started an investigation in order to determine just how Agosto or Almonte Peguero was able to get so many documents.
Likewise, it was established that the Interpol office in the Dominican Republic was following the case for the last 6 months and had even requested from the JCE authorities information regarding the manner in which Agosto or Almonte had obtained the four cédulas.
It was also established that Agosto or Almonte Peguero had tried to bribe a high ranking official with an offer of a million dollars, but the officer only attempted to set a trap.
At the airports
The State's investigative agencies have mounted an operation since Tuesday at the different airports with the idea of capturing the Puerto Rican Cristian Almonte that is said to be responsible for the US$4.6 million that was seized.
According to a source, the operations headed by intelligence agents from the Anti-Laundering Unit of the National Department for Drug Control, are spread out in the air terminals of Punta Cana, La Romana, Las Americas, El Higuero, Santiago and Puerto Plata.
The DNCD supplied the Immigration Authorities and the National Department of Investigations (DNI) the names of the two Puerto Ricans, as well as photographs of one, Emerito Rivera Pavon and Jose D. Figueroa Agosto who is also called Cristian Almonte Peguero, Felipe Rodriguez de la Rosa, a.k.a "Junior Capsula".
The operations are concentrated on commercial flights to all destinations, especially in South and Central America.
The agents are using random searches of the documents of passenger who fit a certain profile, while agents of the DNI check all passengers before they board their planes.
A warning from the DNCD
General Rolando Rosado Mateo stated that the DNCD "will not stop under any circumstance, no matter who is involved and without a bother as to who is behind all of this", and he added, "when had the country ever seen an event such as this with the seizure of so much US currency", a case that he defined as : typical of illegal operations, with certainty from drug trafficking". As of this Wednesday only Felix Morel was in jail in relation to the case. He said that the DNCD "has hit hard, where it hurts the members of a criminal organization, and that is why they are trying to discredit us."
At the same time it was established that the powerful network of drug traffickers that was led by Agosto or Almonte Peguero had ties to Colombia, Venezuela and the very same Puerto Rico, and that the business moved around US$200 million a month.
Meanwhile, yesterday several houses were searched in the North of the country in places like Gaspar Hernandez, Rio San Juan and other areas.
The network also dedicated itself to bring luxury vehicles from the United States with false documents and as of now there is sure knowledge of 18 such vehicles, especially SUVs that were sold through a dealer in Santiago.
The fugitive is a native of Puerto Rico, but in the Dominican Republic he had four (4) personal identification cards called "cédulas", with residence in several towns, including San Pedro de Macoris. Three months ago he bought a black, 2003 Mercedes Benz G-500 SUV, license Z-000536, duty free, in the name of Ramon Arcangel Santana Ramirez, a resident of Padre de las Casas and where the US$4.6 million was found inside.
The vehicle entered the country through the Haina Oriental Wharf on 2 July 2003.
Yesterday the Central Electoral Board (JCE) started an investigation in order to determine just how Agosto or Almonte Peguero was able to get so many documents.
Likewise, it was established that the Interpol office in the Dominican Republic was following the case for the last 6 months and had even requested from the JCE authorities information regarding the manner in which Agosto or Almonte had obtained the four cédulas.
It was also established that Agosto or Almonte Peguero had tried to bribe a high ranking official with an offer of a million dollars, but the officer only attempted to set a trap.
At the airports
The State's investigative agencies have mounted an operation since Tuesday at the different airports with the idea of capturing the Puerto Rican Cristian Almonte that is said to be responsible for the US$4.6 million that was seized.
According to a source, the operations headed by intelligence agents from the Anti-Laundering Unit of the National Department for Drug Control, are spread out in the air terminals of Punta Cana, La Romana, Las Americas, El Higuero, Santiago and Puerto Plata.
The DNCD supplied the Immigration Authorities and the National Department of Investigations (DNI) the names of the two Puerto Ricans, as well as photographs of one, Emerito Rivera Pavon and Jose D. Figueroa Agosto who is also called Cristian Almonte Peguero, Felipe Rodriguez de la Rosa, a.k.a "Junior Capsula".
The operations are concentrated on commercial flights to all destinations, especially in South and Central America.
The agents are using random searches of the documents of passenger who fit a certain profile, while agents of the DNI check all passengers before they board their planes.
A warning from the DNCD
General Rolando Rosado Mateo stated that the DNCD "will not stop under any circumstance, no matter who is involved and without a bother as to who is behind all of this", and he added, "when had the country ever seen an event such as this with the seizure of so much US currency", a case that he defined as : typical of illegal operations, with certainty from drug trafficking". As of this Wednesday only Felix Morel was in jail in relation to the case. He said that the DNCD "has hit hard, where it hurts the members of a criminal organization, and that is why they are trying to discredit us."
Diario Libre
Continuar con Google