Verdugo Lawyers Say U.S. Stymies Suspect’s Lawsuit

Lawyers for accused drug smuggler Rene Martin Verdugo have been unable to serve legal papers on eight people allegedly involved in kidnaping him and transporting him to the United States, an attorney for Verdugo said Monday.

Michael Littman said in federal court in San Diego that U.S. authorities have refused to provide Verdugo’s lawyers access to the eight individuals that the accused smuggler is suing in connection with the kidnaping. Before the lawsuit can advance, the defendants must be properly served with the documents.

“We don’t know where any of them are, and they won’t tell us where they are,” Littman said.

Verdugo, claiming his rights were violated, has filed a civil suit seeking $110 million in damages from a range of people who include the six Mexican citizens who allegedly kidnaped him in Mexico in January and delivered him to U.S. authorities along the border. Also named as defendants are U.S. Atty. General Edwin A. Meese III and other top Justice Department officials.

Federal officials, saying the suit has no merit, have asked that it be dismissed.

Verdugo has asked the court to appoint someone to serve the documents. U.S. District Judge Judith N. Keep scheduled a hearing on the matter for Oct. 6.

U.S. authorities claim Verdugo is a prime suspect in the slaying of Enrique Camarena, an agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who was killed in Mexico last year. Verdugo has denied any knowledge of the killing, asserting that the government is holding him in the United States in an effort to force him to testify about the case.

U.S. authorities have acknowledged paying $32,000 to the six alleged kidnapers, who are now living under federal protection in the United States. Also under federal protection is Victor Vidal, a Mexican witness against Verdugo in a series of drug cases.

Verdugo has been unable to serve papers on the seven Mexicans or on Matthew L. Maher, an agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who is also a defendant in the civil suit, Littman said.