Actualidad

They planned on killing NY prosecutor in Quirino case

The United States provided videos and tapes of the alleged criminal plot

| 3 min de lectura
The ex captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.- The Supreme Court of Justice (SJC) handed down an arrest warrant as part of the extradition process of two persons accused of plotting to make contact with killers for hire in order to execute from the Dominican Republic a prosecutor in New York that investigated the case against the former Army captain, Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo.

At the request of the Attorney General of the Republic, the high court issued arrest orders against Edwin Pimentel Tejada and Marcos Abad de la Cruz, which have been carried out. A third person implicated in the alleged plot, whose last names are Perez y Perez, is being sought in order that he may be arrested. This person is said to be the economic base for the criminal plan.

The United States penal authorities accuse the group of putting together a conspiracy to contract hitmen in order to carry out their plans.

As proof to back their petition for extradition, the U.S. authorities showed videos and played tapes that described the criminal set up.

Pimentel Tejada and Abad de la Cruz are being investigated and the procedure is being prepared with the goal of sending the case to the Criminal Chamber of the SJC for the decision on extradition.

The SJC handed down the sentence 970-2009 which ordered the arrests, accepting the evidence presented by the Attorney General.

The two persons that might be extradited were arrested during an operation carried out by the Criminal Intelligence Department of the National Police and the Justice Department.

The name of the New York prosecutor against whom they were plotting was not revealed.

Paulino Castillo was arrested in December 2004 after a cargo of 1,387 kilograms of cocaine destined for New York was seized. The drug capo has admitted sending more than 30 tons of cocaine to the United States.

In that case the prosecutors have accused 22 person of taking part. Most of them, including Paulino Castillo have made plea bargains with the United States authorities.

As a result of these agreements, the relatives of the former military officer were released from charges of money laundering assets from drug trafficking.