Leopoldo Quintana Murillo claims he will be killed by Mexican mobsters over the seizure of 50 kilos of cocaine and 500 kilos of weed

Leopoldo Quintana Murillo claims he will be killed by Mexican mobsters over the seizure of 50 kilos of cocaine and 500 kilos of weed in April 2003. Murillo told an Immigration and Refugee Board that he was acting as a "lookout" when the 20 boxes of drugs were being smuggled from Mexico across the U.S. border for sale in Memphis, Tenn. He said the smugglers encountered police and fled, leaving the drugs behind.
He told the board that soon after the botched smuggling trip, he started receiving threatening phone calls from the mob demanding money for the seized drugs.
Murillo, who lived in Toronto and is now in Vancouver, told the board the drugs were seized by allegedly "corrupt cops" who patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.
"The planned sale of drugs did not take place as scheduled," Mr. Justice Michel Shore was told. "Some dirty cops stole the drugs from the truck drivers." Murillo claimed he was to get $52,000 for his role in the smuggling mission. He was responsible for renting a truck and acting as a lookout. Murillo said he fled to Canada when his nephew confessed that he was offered $50,000 to kill him. He packed up his family and moved to New Mexico, where he lived for a few years using a false indentity. The threats continued, he said. "He waited for three years before coming to Canada because he was determined to get help in the U.S.," the board heard.
The board ruled Murillo is not entitled to file a refugee claim since he has admitted to the serious crime of drug trafficking.
His case was tossed out.

Police personnel have tipped off drug smugglers when the security forces were pursuing them.

recent narcotics intelligence report has linked a number of police personnel, customs officials and employees at the seaports to the growing illegal drug trade.
Head of the Narcotics Police Division, Senior Superintendent Carlton Wilson, said the personnel were playing an integral part in the illegal drug trade.
He did not disclose the identities of the persons implicated, but revealed that on many occasions police personnel have tipped off drug smugglers when the security forces were pursuing them."A number of these police personnel are under our microscope," the narcotics chief said.Yesterday, Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker said while he had not received the report, he would not rule out the possibility of customs officials being involved in the illicit activity.
"I have been focusing on revenue," Walker said.A spokesperson at the Port Authority of Jamaica said he, too, had not seen or heard of any such report. But he stressed that security systems are in place at the ports to detect ganja canisters fitted to the hull of ships.The Jamaica Constabulary Force's Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested more than 50 police personnel since January.The majority were arrested for collecting bribes from motorists who committed traffic offences.Police intelligence has also revealed that drug smugglers are using wreckers, ambulances and established company vehicles to move illegal substances from one point to another.This was the case on Tuesday night when the police intercepted a yellow courier Hiace van, which belongs to a prominent Kingston-based company.The narcotics police said 1,050 lb of compressed ganja was found in the van. The driver, who has been with the courier company for the last 13 years, was arrested and charged.Also on Tuesday, the Narcotics Police found 1,650 lb of compressed ganja in Slipe district, St Elizabeth.The police said they have now arrested 4,645 persons since the start of the year on drug-related charges. The figure for last year was 5,496.
A prominent St Ann businessman is among the persons arrested. He has been described as one of the major players in the drug trade, and is now awaiting extradition to the United States.The police said he was picked up in Clarendon last week, shortly after he collected more $2 million from a businessman.Wilson said recent drug seizures have started to affect the finances of drug dealers.
"Because they are hurting, they have made several threats against us," he said.
While there has been a lull in cocaine seizure, the police said ganja production continues to increase.

Mexico's government plans to search 10 percent of all vehicles entering the country from the United States

"Mexico's government plans to search 10 percent of all vehicles entering the country from the United States in an effort to curb arms smuggling, the attorney general said." "Most illegal weapons in Mexico come from the United States, according to officials in both countries. Many end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels that supply most of the cocaine entering the United States from South America."
It is illegal to smuggle weapons into Mexico and Mexican Citizens cannot legally possess weapons. There is a connection between weapons smuggling and the drug trade. A lot of the weapons end up with the drug cartels, which are criminal organizations that promote and control drug trafficking operations. It is possible that this availability of smuggled weapons is connected to the recent surge in violent crime. The more weapons there are the more opportunities there are for violence. The Mexican government is attempting to control the problem by searching more vehicles. It is hopeful that this will help keep the violence down by eliminating the amount of harmful weapons which make their way into Mexico.

Laura Treviño, 31, Adriana Treviño, 23, and Evelia Treviño, all U.S. citizens, entered their guilty pleas Thursday in federal court

Laura Treviño pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge of drug smuggling. Adriana and Evelia Treviño pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.Laura Treviño, 31, Adriana Treviño, 23, and Evelia Treviño, all U.S. citizens, entered their guilty pleas Thursday in federal court before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.Their pleas come more than a week after their mother, Maria Guadalupe Venegas Vda. De Trevino, 60, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess cocaine.
The women were arrested June 18 at the B&M International Bridge in Brownsville after federal agents found cocaine on them.According to authorities, the women were traveling back to Brownsville from Matamoros by way of the B&M International Bridge. During inspections, the agents noticed discrepancies on their 2006 Mercedes Benz.
Authorities said the women tried to flee after a narcotics dog reportedly detected an odor coming from their vehicle.