Kent Memo: corruption , drugs, smuggling, murder. yawn.

Mike points to this article from Sunday in the Miami Herald. It opens thusly:

"A memo from a Justice Department lawyer has accused agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bogotá of massive corruption, from taking bribes to hampering investigations, including one about the sale in Spain of weapons-grade nuclear materials.

First published last week in The Narco News Bulletin, an Internet publication, the memo gives no names or dates and only briefly mentions allegations of suspicious deaths of DEA informers and DEA agents who took bribes, made false statements and disclosed secret information to drug traffickers.

At the time he wrote the memo, in December 2004, Thomas M. Kent was an attorney for the office of wiretaps of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Section of the Justice Department. "

The story hasn't got much traction, despite the many hooks. I wonder why.

Bill Conroy of Narco News broke the story here

"Kent’s memorandum contains some of the most serious allegations ever raised against U.S. antinarcotics officers: that DEA agents on the front lines of the drug war in Colombia are on drug traffickers’ payrolls, complicit in the murders of informants who knew too much, and, most startlingly, directly involved in helping Colombia’s infamous rightwing paramilitary death squads to launder drug money.

The memo further claims that, rather than being simply a few “bad apples” who need to be reported to their superiors, these allegedly dirty agents are being protected by an ongoing cover-up orchestrated by “watchdog” agencies within the Justice Department."

You can follow each iteration of the story at narconews. The leaked memo is here. (pdf)

When sibel pointed me to the Josh Myer article, her comment was: "Giza Technologies (Zeki Bilmen), HQ in New Jersey, is a Turkish company (with all Turkish employees), they have offices in Turkey, Dubai, & Spain. " (emphasis mine). and my notes from our phone call read:

"Sibel made the point that everything about Giza is turkish - including all the employees - and she says they are involved in "illegal weapons procurement" - and are active in Turkey, Israel, Spain, Dubai, Pakistan..."

at the time, i wondered whether Spain was incidental, or if she was pointing to it for a reason (it kinda looks like a sore thumb amongst that list). I wonder if Giza is also involved in the colombian side of the drug/arms smuggling?

incidentally, there's also this from my conversation with her:

"Sibel often talks about semi-legit organisations - i asked her whether that includes government agencies like DEA and USAID and the NED - she said that she didnt know of their involvement. when she mentions 'semi-legit organisations', she usually means:
a) lobbying groups (like AIPAC, and the ATC and the ATA etc)
b) 'cultural associations' - presumably TACA is included on her list.
c) companies (Giza, EKA)"

Judging from the news coming out of Bogota, it looks as though i was correct when asking about the DEA (and i wouldn't be surprised about the other 2 groups)

Evil, populist, leftist, strongman, dictator, meanie HugoChavez was onto the DEA as well. This from August 05:

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of using its agents for espionage, and said Venezuela was suspending cooperation with the U.S. agency.

Chavez, who regularly accuses the U.S. government of plotting against him, said "the DEA isn't absolutely necessary for the fight against drug trafficking."

"The DEA was using the fight against drug trafficking as a mask, to support drug trafficking, to carry out intelligence in Venezuela against the government," Chavez told reporters after voting in local elections."

btw- i'm sure sibel is following this narconews story because she knows bill conroy - let's hope everyone else picks up the ball as well.